Colts-Ravens Preview

Peyton Manning vs. Ray Lewis and Kimbo Slice Ed Reed. Ray Rice vs. the Colts rush defense. Dwight Freeney & Robert Mathis vs. Michael Oher. Jim Caldwell vs. Colts fans.

These are the matchups that I am looking forward to in tonight's Indianapolis Colts-Baltimore Ravens game. Why did I put that last pair in there? The reason is unwarranted boos that Colts coach Jim Caldwell will receive from his fans if his team loses to the Ravens tonight. Fans will overreact and blame the loss on the decision to rest the starters instead of going after an undefeated season. Momentum is huge in sports, but the Colts will not lose tonight's game because of that decision. They will lose tonight's game because the Ravens are one of the few teams that cause a lot of prolems for the Colts.

It is always dangerous to pick against Peyton Manning, but this Ravens defense is a whole different animal now that safety Ed Reed is healthy. Reed and his Kimbo Slice beard will force Manning into making multiple mistakes in this game. Remember that if it weren't for Reed's dumb decision to lateral the ball on a late punt return earlier this season, there is a decent chance that the Ravens would have ended the undefeated season. Ray Lewis is playing at the same level as  the year when he won the Super Bowl MVP. Defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are just as dangerous as Demarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer of the Cowboys, but I don't see them having success tonight with rookie left tackle Michael Oher protecting Joe Flacco's blindside. The Colts have a great rushing defense and will try to stop Ray Rice. The only problem is that Rice is slowly becoming a top-five back in the NFL. Prediction: Reed picks of Manning once and Rice leads the Ravens to a 24-21 victory.