Colts vs. Ravens 2017 live results: Score updates and highlights
The Colts' struggling offense will travel to Baltimore to clash with a physical defense.
The Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens played like two entirely different teams this season. Indianapolis struggled right out of the gate and will likely have a top five pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Baltimore has been inconsistent at best this year, but it is still alive in the AFC playoff chase. Now, both teams will meet on Saturday at 4:30 on NFL Network (live stream via fubo.TV).
Indianapolis (3-11) struggled on both sides of the ball this season. The Colts scored 16.4 points per game and surrendered 26.3 — both good for 31st in the NFL. Indeed, Indianapolis has been eliminated from the playoffs, so it wants to finish the season on a high note.
The Ravens (8-6) currently sit one game back from the Buffalo Bills for the No. 6 seed in the AFC. Baltimore can inch closer to a playoff berth by defeating the Colts. The Ravens' 10th-ranked defense only allowed 18.3 points per game this year, which is fourth-best in the NFL. Since the Colts already gave up a league-high 53 sacks, the Ravens should be able to force Jacoby Brissett into committing turnovers.
Pregame reading
When he was taken 80th overall as a third-round pick, Tarell Basham was viewed as a player who could come in and provide some spark as a situational pass rusher. The sky was the limit for Basham as the 6-4, 269-pound pass rusher was viewed as a steal when the Indianapolis Colts drafted him in the middle of the third round.
Fast forward to 14 games in; how has Basham done? The 23-year-old rookie has posted 5 combined tackles and 2.0 sacks while backing up Jabaal Sheard and John Simon most of the season.
Coming from the Mid-American Conference, the learning curve for Basham has been slow. But the rookie pass rusher has been learning on how to improve his game from the guys in the Colts’ locker room.
The Ravens in the last decade have been a model of NFL steadfastness. Sure, they have not made the playoffs in the last two seasons, compiling 5-11 and 8-8 records. But before that they waltzed into playoff action six times in seven seasons, winning it all in the 2013 Super Bowl. There has been no New York Giants-like splat (2-12 this season) with these Ravens.
The Ravens’ current chance of making the playoffs is computed to be more than 90 percent.
Let’s make that 100 percent.
No NFL team has a more promising road to the playoffs than Baltimore. The Ravens play at home on Saturday night against 3-11 Indianapolis and finish at home the following week against 5-9 Cincinnati. Win both and the Ravens are in.
After losing to the Steelers, but then defeating the Browns, Baltimore currently sits at 8-6 and, as of right now, on the outside looking in. Although, if the Ravens win out, they are in the post-season regardless of how the Bills or Titans finish the season. The question remains, can the Ravens ‘run the table’?
In week 16, they are set to face the Colts. Indianapolis sits at 3-11 and have been depleted by injuries all season. This week, they placed starting center Ryan Kelly and leading tackler Jon Bostic on injured reserve.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett has not been terrible for Colts, but Indianapolis’ offensive line has struggled mightily all season. The Colts have allowed 53 sacks thus far, which is the most in the NFL.