Do you remember the last time the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens met, not counting last year’s preseason? It was Week 3 of the 2023 season. And bucking the recent trend, Shane Steichen’s men won the game, 22-19. Let’s do a quick refresher on what happened less than three years ago at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
But let's begin with how we got here. The first time the Colts played the Ravens was in 1996. That was the Ravens' first season, and the game was a pretty big deal. At least to fans in Baltimore. It was their first shot at beating the franchise they used to call their own. The Ravens came up short that day. Indianapolis used a fourth quarter pick-six by Jeff Herrod to win 26-21.
Baltimore would win the next two matchups – in 1998 and 2001—before Indy ripped off eight straight victories, six in the regular season and a couple in the playoffs. However, since 2011, Baltimore has been in the driver’s seat, claiming five of the last seven contests, including a 2012 Wild Card game.
Matt Gay’s greatest day leads Indianapolis Colts to victory in Baltimore
The Ravens had high hopes entering the 2023 season. They had made it into the playoffs in 2022 and were looking to build on that success. They had looked very scary in 2022 before a rash of injuries decimated their offense. The most notable was to star quarterback Lamar Jackson.
But in 2023, Jackson was healthy, and the Ravens were ready to roll. For the Colts, things were a little bit different.
There was some excitement, to be sure. Indy had a new coach and a new quarterback. But they were also coming off one of the club’s worst seasons in more than a decade. (Which, as you probably recall, is why they had a new coach and a new QB in the first place.)
Baltimore took the lead on a Jackson run midway through the first quarter, but the Colts fought back. A Gardner Minshew touchdown pass tied the score, and then a fumble by Jackson led to Matt Gay’s 31-yard field goal and gave the Colts a 10-7 halftime lead.
Spoiler alert: Matt Gay was not done for the day.
Gay booted three more field goals in the second half – all from outside of 50 yards. The Colts would match it with another Jackson TD run and a field goal of their own by all-world kicker Justin Tucker. Minshew committed a near-fatal error when he stepped out of bounds in the end zone, resulting in a safety just before the two-minute warning.
But after the Colts' defense forced a three-and-out, Minshew redeemed himself. He completed three consecutive passes to each of the Colts' receivers and set up Gay for his fourth kick – this one from 53 yards out. Tucker came up short from 61 on the final play of regulation, and the game went into overtime.
Long story short, after much offensive futility from both sides in overtime, Gay booted his fifth field goal of the day – his fourth from more than 50 yards – giving the Colts a hard-earned win.
Even though the game was played less than three years ago, I’m not sure there’s a lot to learn from it as Steichen prepares to host the Ravens at Lucas Oil this Sunday. Baltimore has a different coach. Indianapolis has a different quarterback and a totally revamped defense.
Of the 19 Colts defensive players who registered at least one tackle in the 2023 contest, two remain with the team. You read that right. Two players, from a game that was played less than three years ago. DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. That’s it. (If you want to inflate the number, you can include Andrew Ogletree, but he is a tight end whose 2023 tackle came on special teams.)
The Colts' backfield in that game – Minshew, Zack Moss, Trey Sermon – was long gone. (Jonathan Taylor did not play due to injury.)
Even Matt Gay, who accounted for 244 yards in field goals and scored 16 of the Colts’ 22 points, is no longer in town. Maybe Spencer Shrader can channel whatever was in the air that day come Sunday. Better still, maybe Shrader can just go on being himself because that has proved pretty darn good.
The Ravens, despite their new coach, still retain about half the starters from that 2023 squad.
This Sunday is very much up in the air. But if you are looking for a trend, however slight, you might notice that the game in 2023 was the second consecutive time these two clubs went to overtime. So here’s my bold prediction. The game will be close.
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