Colts: Will Indy’s RBs be able to overcome tough Ravens run defense?

The Indianapolis Colts need a win on Monday Night Football if they want to avoid a pitiful 1-4 start to the season, but they won’t be able to trounce an inferior opponent. Jonathan Taylor and the rest of the squad will have to go on the road to face off against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens as they fight for an AFC North crown.

A defense that has struggled in preventing explosive pass plays might not envy facing off against a player in Jackson that is leading the league in yards per completion, but the biggest challenge this team may need to overcome could come on the other side of the ball.

The Colts decided to lean on their ground game in last week’s matchup against the Dolphins, and it resulted in Taylor topping 100 yards rushing while guiding Indy to their first victory of the season. That philosophy and way of winning football games might be much harder for Indy to replicate against Baltimore.

The Ravens have allowed just under 86 rushing yards per game, which is not what an Indianapolis offense that is trying to run through Taylor and Nyheim Hines wants to hear. Will they be able to overcome that and steal a victory against Baltimore?

Will Jonathan Taylor and the Colts be able to run on the Ravens?

The Ravens were able to largely render Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams ineffective in a win against Denver, as Clyde Edwards-Helaire and the Chiefs have been the only team that has shown they can withstand Baltimore’s run defense.

Indianapolis throws the ball around 58% of the time, and that’s factoring in last week’s performance. Balance has been hard to come by, and with an offensive line that is still banged up without Quenton Nelson, this may not be the week in which the running backs take over.

Part of the way Baltimore continuously racks up wins is by getting ahead early and controlling the clock with the running game. Teams haven’t been able to run the ball consistently against them because of the game situation, another factor that could make it hard to consistently get big yardage out of their backs.

While Taylor is certainly skilled enough to break off some big runs against this defense, Indianapolis may find themselves in a situation where they have to win the game on the strength of their passing attack. With Carson Wentz having actually made some lemonade out of the lemons he’s been given, that doesn’t mean Indy is destined for a Week 5 loss.

Should Colts already be eyeing quarterbacks in 2022 NFL Draft?

If the Indianapolis Colts keep losing, should they just stick Carson Wentz on the bench and go get a quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft?