Oct 11, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) rushes during the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
NFLBy Matt Clapp on

The Baltimore Ravens took down the Indianapolis Colts 31-25 in overtime on Monday Night Football. But that hardly tells the story. Here are our main takeaways from the wild game:

The Colts led 25-9 in the 4th quarter

Indianapolis was in full control for three-plus quarters, taking a 25-9 lead into the game’s final 10 minutes (and a 22-3 late into the third quarter). And it all went downhill from there for Indianapolis.

It was an incredible comeback by the Ravens, and a brutal collapse by the Colts, as we’ll get more into.

Lamar Jackson was sensational

Jackson threw for a Ravens record 442 yards (Carson Wentz threw for 402 yards on the other side) and added 62 yards on the ground over 14 carries. And he was extremely efficient with those passing yards, completing 37-of-43 passes for four touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 140.5 passer rating.

Mark Andrews reeled in 11 Jackson passes for 147 yards, two touchdowns, and two two-point conversions. The second touchdown/two-point conversion combo tied the game 25-25 with 39 seconds remaining.

Marquise Brown also put up huge numbers for Baltimore, with nine receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns. The second touchdown was the game-winning score with 5:24 remaining in overtime.

The Colts’ kicking game was a big yikes

Indianapolis had the opportunity to put the game away several times, with two field-goal failures particularly standing out.

With under five minutes remaining in regulation, the Colts had  a 25-17 lead and Rodrigo Blankenship lined up for a 37-yard field goal try. It was blocked. The Ravens would go on to score the game-tying touchdown (with the two-point conversion) on the ensuing drive.

And with four seconds remaining, Blankenship had the chance to win the game, with the score tied 25-25. He missed a 47-yard field goal.

So, the Ravens did an amazing job to come back and win this game, but they caught some breaks as well (and that’s usually necessary in a wild comeback, of course).

How do Colts rebound from this?

Playing the Houston Texans at home in Week 6 will help. But this was a huge blown opportunity for Frank Reich’s squad. Being 1-4 feels so much worse than being 2-3, and especially with how great it would’ve felt for them to beat a good team on the road in prime-time. This is a very deflating loss.

Five Thirty Eight gives the Colts a 39% chance to make the playoffs and has them projected for eight wins. The Colts are lucky to be in the AFC South, where they get two games vs each the Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Tennessee Titans (3-2) have also looked pretty ordinary so far.

Chargers-Ravens should be a blast

The Ravens host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6, and don’t be surprised if that game looks a lot like the 47-42 shootout the Chargers just had with the Cleveland Browns.

Baltimore is now 4-1, but they could easily be 1-4. They needed an NFL record field goal to beat the Detroit Lions, they beat the Kansas City Chiefs by one point, and now they came back from a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit (with two missed field goals by Indianapolis) to beat the Colts. Obviously they deserve a ton of credit for making plays down the stretch and finding a way to pull out these victories, but it’s hard to keep sneaking by that way.

For now, the first-place Ravens will gladly just pile up the wins and worry about getting better later.

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor at The Comeback. He attended Colorado State University, wishes he was Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, and idolizes Larry David. And loves pizza and dogs because obviously.

He can be followed on Twitter at @Matt2Clapp (also @TheBlogfines for Cubs/MLB tweets and @DaBearNecess for Bears/NFL tweets), and can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

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