Colts Key in Ravens’ Playoff Run

Right now, head coach Jim Caldwell and his Indianapolis Colts are the Ravens’ best friends.

Even though the Colts handed a heartbreaker to the Ravens in Week 11, Indy went on to beat three consecutive wild card hopefuls (Texans, Titans and Broncos) and has two more coming up. It starts with the Jacksonville Jaguars Thursday with the N.Y. Jets to follow.

With only three games remaining, the Jaguars stand in the way of the Ravens’ second playoff berth in as many years. Even if the Ravens win out in December, the Jaguars will need to suffer a loss to relinquish the second and final AFC wild card spot.

Enter, our dear friend Jim Caldwell.

Despite their undefeated record and a secure AFC No. 1 seed with home-field advantage, Caldwell made it clear that he will play all his healthy starters when the Colts take on the Jaguars.

“We’re going to approach it like we do any other game,” Caldwell said via USA Today, when asked if quarterback Peyton Manning would be pulled early in a game that essentially doesn’t affect the Colts’ postseason.

“The only thing that will deter playing time is health issues – whether or not a player is capable of playing.”

The statement suggests the Jaguars will have to figure out how to slow the three-time league MVP. However, Caldwell also reinforced the plan to rest a player if he is nursing an injury serious enough to prevent participation in practice.

Okay, that’s normal. Only problem is, the Colts listed a whopping 29 players on their injury report just three days before the AFC South showdown.  Peyton Manning, Dwight Freeney, Reggie Wayne, Joseph Addai and Robert Mathis were all listed, but the team had the day off and the rest will help.

Plus, Caldwell didn’t say how long he’ll play his starters, but one wonders if he prizes the perfect 16-0 status and will try to lead his team to that elite milestone.

One other relevant factoid. The last time the Colts started 13-0 (2005), they lost their 14th game at home to the Chargers. Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself in the Colts’ 14th game on Thursday.

Asked if he has a vested interest in Thursday night’s game, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh responded, “Sure, yeah, we’re interested, and in all the games in the AFC, especially those teams right around where we are. But we’re most interested in how we play. That’s the bottom line.

“If we don’t take care of business against the Chicago Bears first and foremost, which is a very good football team coming in here, it’s not going to matter what happens in those other games. So, that’s our job.”

Well said.

But, nobody will be upset if you join Terrell Suggs in watching the scoreboard during the final three Ravens contests this season. Said Harbaugh with a smile, “Suggs had it covered for us [last Sunday]…so, he was on top of it.”

Wild Card Tiebreaker Explanation

CBS Sports has laid out how to break the stalemate for the Wild Card if three or more tied clubs are from different divisions:

Three or More Clubs
(Note: If two clubs remain tied after third or other clubs are eliminated, tiebreaker reverts to Step 1 of applicable two-club format which can be viewed here.)

1. Apply division tiebreaker to eliminate all but the highest-ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to Step 2. The original seeding within a division upon application of the division tiebreaker remains the same for all subsequent applications of the procedure that are necessary to identify the two Wild Card participants.
2. Head-to-head sweep. (Applicable only if one club has defeated each of the others or if one club has lost to each of the others.)
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference (this rule puts the Jags in the final wild card position).
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in conference games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.
12. Coin toss.

Here’s a breakdown of the four 7-6 AFC wild card contenders’ final three games:

1. Jacksonville: The Jaguars have the best conference record of the four 7-6 wild card challengers. That’s why they currently hold the final wild card position. We already know the Colts are visiting Jacksonville Thursday night, but then the Jags travel to New England in Week 16 and then finish their season in Cleveland.
2. Miami: Beating Jacksonville was huge last week, not only for them, but for the Ravens. This Sunday the Dolphins will be at Tennessee (6-7), and then finish at home against Houston (6-7) and Pittsburgh (6-7).
3. New York Jets: Their 5-5 record in the AFC hurts their chances, and their remaining schedule is rough. The Jets play at home against Atlanta (6-7), at Indianapolis (13-0), and home against Cincinnati (9-4). Let’s hope the Colts, and the Bengals for that matter, stick to their plan of playing their regulars.
4. Baltimore: The Ravens likely have to win out to make the playoffs, but they own a favorable schedule with three losing teams remaining: home against Chicago (5-8), at Pittsburgh (6-7), and at Oakland (4-8).

Intentional Targeting?

In a scary moment in the first quarter of the 48-3 defeat of the Detroit Lions, Suggs limped off the field after getting roll-blocked in what looked like an intentional targeting of his knee, reported Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times.

“They went right after my knee,” Suggs said, “I tweaked it a little bit. I had to make an adjustment to the brace, but it was fine.”

“It felt good,” Suggs said. “They hit it on the second play of the game and it’s been hurting ever since, but you have to shake it off. I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction. So, I shook it off, taped it up some more and got back in there.”

A Potential Switch on the Offensive Line

Former Ravens Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden told the Baltimore Sun that he can envision left tackle Jared Gaither moving to the right side and rookie right tackle Michael Oher moving to the left in the future.

“I can see them switching because Oher is quicker and they might want to optimize Jared’s size and strength,” said Ogden. “But for right now, this team is at its best when both are playing well at their current positions.”