Colts @ Ravens
Final Score: Colts 22, Ravens 19
Writer: Brian Hartman (@TooMuch_Brian on Twitter)
In a game where kicker Matt Gay seemed to have horseshoes in his cleats, the Indianapolis Colts managed to pull off an improbable victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Gay, the field goal sorcerer, converted four kicks from beyond the 50-yard line, including a game-tying 53-yarder as regulation time wound down. It was a day where the unexpected reigned.
Notably, the Ravens saw rookie receiver Zay Flowers rise to the occasion, lead the team in targets and offering a glimmer of hope in a game that often felt darker than an Edgar Allan Poe classic. The Ravens had their chances in overtime, yet multiple missed opportunities left the viewer with a tinge of sympathy for them. Even Justin Tucker, the Ravens’ renowned field goal maestro, had a rare off-day, coming up short on a 61-yard attempt as regulation ended.
Gardener Minshew, stepping in for injured rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, steered the ship for the Colts with 227 passing yards while Zack Moss ran for an impressive 122 yards. Lamar Jackson was a force to be reckoned with, churning out 101 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In the end, Gay’s five field goals sealed the deal and left both teams scratching their heads in disbelief.
Five Up
- Zay Flowers – The electric rookie led the team in targets. It looks like no one on the field is as quick as him.
- Zach Moss – Moss received a ton of volume. His fantasy managers are wondering how long Jonathan Taylor will be out, allowing Moss to have the reins to the Colts’ backfield.
- Lamar Jackson – The former MVP was back to his rushing ways with his first 100-yard ground game of the season.
- Michael Pittman – He finished second in targets today, but Pittman got a ton of first reads and is still trusted in key situations.
- Josh Downs – The Colts’ 2023 Round 3 pick had 24 targets in his first three games; he has to be on the radar of fantasy football managers going forward.
Three Down
- Ravens Backfield – With JK Dobbins out for the season, we will see multiple running backs continue to rotate in and out and share the load. Just gross for fantasy purposes.
- Rashad Bateman – Bateman did not inspire any confidence. even with Odell Beckham, Jr. out. It’s questionable to have him rostered at this point; he shouldn’t be anywhere near a lineup.
- Alec Pierce – Hopes that he would be a focal part of the offense seems to have faded. The Colts’ 2022 Round 2 pick will be nothing more than a complimentary piece in this offense.
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback
Gardner Minshew: 27/44 comp, 227 yards, 1 TD
Minshew Mania hit Baltimore today! Gardner Minshew is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league, but there is no replacement for the pure talent and physical abilities that Anthony Richardson brings. With Richardson out this week, Minshew led the team into a slugfest and emerged with a win. We didn’t see any of the mobility that Minshew showed in his early days in Jacksonville, but his ability to climb in the pocket to Stand and Deliver throws was enough to make Edward James Olmos proud. Richardson will most likely be back next week, but Minshew did well for a quarterback who was sacked four times and endured seven other hits.
Running Back
Zach Moss: 30 carries, 122 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 23 yards, 1TD
Jonathan Taylor who? Ok, a bit of hyperbole, but managers starting Moss can’t be disappointed with the display Moss has put on during the last two weeks. He started the game off with a 24-yard run and didn’t look back from there. His 33 opportunities led him to score over 18 half-PPR points in the last two weeks. Moss left the game briefly in the second half but soon returned to lead the backfield with an 85% rush share. He only had two catches today but one of which was. an amazingly smooth 20-yard touchdown grab.
Notes
- With one more week until Taylor is eligible to return from the PUP list, Moss managers have to wonder what the workload for him will look like once the superstar running back returns.
Trey Sermon: 5 carries, 17 yards | 2 targets, 1 reception, 4 yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Michael Pittman: 11 targets, 9 receptions, 77 yards
Michael Pittman continued to see a ton of targets, but a lack of downfield looks puts a damper on his big-play ability. He’s a solid possession receiver, but he excels at going deep and coming down with contested catches; this missing element substantially affects his fantasy production. Downs, a 2023 Round 3 rookie, ended up with 12 targets today and will continue to cut into what should be a smaller passing pie once Richardson returns.
Josh Downs: 12 targets, 8 receptions, 57 yards
Josh Downs is fun to watch! He led the team in targets today, but the bewildering part of his performance is that he walked away with only 57 yards. Downs is an exciting prospect to watch going forward, as he is shifty and great after the catch. Unfortunately, a tiny average depth of target is limiting his big play ability at the moment.
Alec Pierce: 7 targets, 3 receptions, 43 yards
Another week, another letdown in the deep ball game. Alec Pierce had a key first down, but wasn’t able to pull in the deep shots from Minshew, which is where his strengths allow him to shine.
Isaiah McKenzie: 1 target, 1 reception, 3 yards
Kylen Granson: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 9 yards
Andrew Ogletree: 2 targets, 1 reception, 11 yards
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson: 22/31 202 yards | 14 carries, 101 yards, 2 TDs
Vintage Lamar was on display today. He was cruising all over the field, but his lack of ball security was concerning. The previous MVP was a bit reckless in Week 1, he had considerably better ball security the next week which seemed like that went out the window. This was quite a sloppy game for the Ravens overall. The amount of mental errors really allowed the Colts to stay in this. The Colt’s defense was coming after it today, they finished with 4 sacks and 4 QB hurries, and it forced Lamar out of the pocket leading to 14 total rushes on the day. He had a decent day through the air and heavily peppered Zay Flowers with targets, but it was Lamar’s legs that produced touchdowns tonight. He scored the first day of the game after dodging tackles that would make Patches O’Houlihan proud. Lamar led the team with the longest rush of the day with his 16-yard scramble for a crucial first down late in the game.
Missed Opportunities
- A late potential pass interference call limited Lamar in a late drive in overtime today.
Running Back
Melvin Gordon: 10 carries, 32 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 23 yards
Someone grab a tub of butter because this guy is toast. Not even the Colts’ defensive tackles could make Melvin Gordon look fast. After 14 opportunities, Melvin walked away from this game with a total of 55 yards. His on-field play was uninspiring, and the fact that he ended up with 12 touches reflects poorly on the Ravens’ play-calling efforts.
Gus Edwards: 11 carries, 51 yards
Gus did his thing, churning chunks of yards while plowing through the line in true “Gus Bus” fashion. Also in true Edwards fashion, he was a complete non-factor in the passing game; he wasn’t targeted at all.
Kenyan Drake: 1 carry, 0 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 31 yards
Drake was added to the 53 in time as a depth piece for this week’s game. Gordon’s lackluster performance opened the door, but Drake didn’t help his situation with a late fumble deep into the fourth quarter.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Zay Flowers: 1 carry, 2 yards | 10 targets, 8 receptions, 48 yards
Zay Flowers is a special talent and well worth the first-round draft capital the Ravens spent on him this last year. Watching him brings back memories of a young Steve Smith. Unfortunately, the rookie didn’t have much room to work once he had the ball today. The defense jumped all over him once he pulled in the football so hats off to the Colts for a gameplan that effectively neutralized one of the Ravens’ biggest threats. The good news: Flowers saw a 33% target share tonight; his 10 targets led the team and cemented his status as Lamar’s go-to wide receiver.
Nelson Agholor: 4 targets, 4 reception, 39 yards
Nelson Agholor caught a key touchdown last week and finished tied for second on the team in both receptions and receiving yards in Week 3. It’s eye-opening to see him get more targets than Rashod Bateman, but Agholor doesn’t offer excitement as a fantasy option at this stage in his career.
Rashod Bateman: 3 targets, 1 reception, 6 yards
Bateman doesn’t seem to be the same guy we saw flashes of prior to last season’s foot injury. It became apparent today that Bateman won’t be the alpha in this wide receiver room this season (or likely ever). Six teammates ended up with more receiving yards than the the third-year wide receiver on Sunday. Since the coaching staff clearly isn’t calling his number, fantasy managers should feel free to cut him loose.
Devin Duvernay: 1 target
Mark Andrews: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 35 yards
Quite the quiet day from Andrews this week. The Colts clearly had a game plan for him to limit his ability to make big plays. He played second fiddle today to the rookie Flowers, seeing fewer than half as many targets. This lack of production is concerning for fantasy managers who drafted Andrews at ADP in Round 3 earlier this year; it remains to be seen how Todd Monken and company will regroup and find ways to feature their talented tight end.
Isaiah Likely: 2 targets, 1 reception, 20 yards