5 good things and 5 bad things from the resilient Colts victory against the Ravens

The Indianapolis Colts pulled out a tough win in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens, and there was plenty of good and bad from Indy in the game.
Sep 24, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Zack Moss (21) reacts after
Sep 24, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Zack Moss (21) reacts after / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
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The Indianapolis Colts got their best win of the season on Sunday, going on the road and beating the Baltimore Ravens 22-19 in overtime. The final quarter and overtime were an absolute roller coaster but no win in this league is easy, and Indianapolis showed some great resiliency. Indy dealt with adversity with two key starters out in Anthony Richardson and Ryan Kelly.

Before the game, we found out the team made starting cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. a healthy scratch to pave the way for local product, rookie JuJu Brents to make his debut. The Colts now lead the AFC South in the early season at 2-1 and will host the Los Angeles Rams next week in another key matchup as they look to get their first home win of the season.

Where the Colts excelled against Baltimore

Zack Moss (again)

Another lunch-pail day at the office for Zack Moss. While he did not have the full workload, it was nearly the same as last week. Moss finished with 30 carries for 122 yards and one major touchdown catch on a lob from Minshew. Moss is slowly becoming not only a workhorse back but also a complete three-down back.

Trey Sermon did see some action, as Deon Jackson was released on Saturday prior to the game roster decisions. Don’t forget, Moss is in a contract year and with Jonathan Taylor potentially returning in Week 5, Moss will continue to show off his talents until Taylor is fully integrated back into the system. If not for an extension with Indianapolis but for someone else next season in what looks to be a deep RB free agent class.

JuJu Brents Debut

The long-awaited debut of JuJu Brents finally came to fruition on Sunday, after Darrell Baker Jr. was a surprise healthy scratch for this week’s contest. We saw the slow integration of Brents as he missed most of training camp and the preseason with a couple of nagging injuries. When Baker struggled, it seemed to accelerate his debut and he did not disappoint.

The Indianapolis native and 2023 second-round pick completely shifted the momentum of the game when he forced and recovered a fumble on Ravens running back Kenyan Drake. Brents finished with four tackles as well, and while he needs to clean up some coverage issues, overall, it was a solid debut for him.