Colts vs Ravens…the tale of the tape.

[Kray007]

QB, Jones vs Jackson….Right now, going into the season, NFL.com ranks Lamar as the 8th best Quarterback in the league. Jones is 20. Beyond crystal balls, dartboards, and ouija boards, I’m not sure how they reached that determination. Midway through the season, before injury struck, Jones was in the top half dozen Quarterbacks by any statistical measure. The Colt’s offense was performing at near historic levels of efficiency. Much of Lamar’s game depends on his mobility and skill as a runner. Personally, I have doubts about whether he can return to the form he showed early in his career. Still, you can’t help but like him
ADVANTAGE—Ravens by a nose

RB, Taylor vs Henry….For the first time in his career, Derrick Henry began to show signs of wearing down, which isn’t too surprising considering his age and the wear and tear suffered over a decade of being a work horse back. For much of the season, on the other hand, Jonathan Taylor was in the conversation for MVP. For most of his career, the game plan with Henry was feed him the ball 20 or 25 times a game and wear down opposing Defenses. He didn’t look like an all pro in the first quarter, but he dominated the 4th. At 33 years old, can he still do it?
ADVANTAGE—Colts by a nose.

TE, Mark Andrews or Tyler Warren….If we were talking about the Mark Andrews of 2021, it would be an entirely different conversation. but, over the past few years, his production has dwindled from 1,361 yards to 422. Warren, on the other hand, is a rising star.
ADVANTAGE—Colts.

WR, Bateman, Walker, and Flowers vs Pierce, Allen, and Downs….From the end of my couch, I’m not certain how this is even a conversation. Flowers is a nice piece, but nobody else picked up more than 422 yards for Balt, last year. The wildcard is Pierce’s injury, but Flowers is dealing with a hammy of his own. Allen is stll capable of churning out north of 800 yards. Downs as well.
ADVANTAGE—Colts

OL, Stanley, Simpson, Gwyn, Ioane, and Rosengarten vs Raimann, Nelson, Bortoloni, Goncalves and Travis…Frankly, with the exception of Roger Rosengarten, I’m not sure than any of the Raven’s Offensive Linemen could win a starting spot on the Colts line.
ADVANTAGE—Colts

DL, Campbell, Jones, and Madabuike vs Latu, Buckner, Stewart, and Key….here is where rankings begin to trod on uncertain ground. Is it possible to make a valid comparison when one team plays 3-4 and the other 4-3? That having been said, Jones is a fine Nose Tackle but Madabuike is coming off a pretty severe injury, and the Ravens are being cagey about his status for Sunday. Campbell is 40 years old. For the Colts, while Latu looks better metrically than he does on the field, he made strides between year 1 and 2, and he’s had a strong camp. DeForest Buckner is an elite DT and Grover is a nice complementary piece who suffers if Buckner departs the field. Arden Key is probably an 8 sack guy who’s going to have trouble setting the edge at 240 lbs.
ADVANTAGE—Colts by a whisker if Madabuike is out.

LB, Hendrickson, Smith, Simpson, and Robinson vs Carlies and Akeem Davis-Gaither…the only really stellar player on this list is Hendrickson, but that’s like saying that the sun is the brightest star in the sky. That’s not to say that the Colts are bereft of talent. I think that Carlies can be better than solid, and that Allen is an above average prospect. Toss in Boettcher, and the future is, at least, intriguing. But, they’re playing in 3 days, not 3 years.
ADVANTAGE—Ravens big.

CB, Wiggins and Humphrey vs Gardner, Ward, and Walley. To be honest, there is a chasm of talent at the position that rivals the Grand Canyon. Neither Raven Corner has a PFF rating that cracks 64. The Colts have one Corner who might be on his way to Canton and another who makes the pro bowl.
ADVANTAGE—Colts big.

S, Starks and Hamilton vs Bynum and Wohler/Haulcy. While Bynum is better than Starks, Hamilton is an all pro type player. In Haulcy and Wohler, the Colts have two players whose future is bright, but that future has yet to arrive.
ADVANTAGE—Ravens.