Last season was a heart breaker for fans of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. After starting out red hot at 14-0, the Colts eased off the throttle against the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills in their 15th and 16th games of the season. Finishing 14-2, the Colts went into the playoffs with a hunger for another Superbowl victory. Before falling 31-17 to the New Orleans Saints in Superbowl XLIV, the Colts defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game.
This season, on paper, I'm certainly expecting nothing less.
But let's rewind a little bit. The bitter history between Baltimore and the Colts goes back much, much further than the 2009 post season. Before current owner Jim Irsay took over the Colts franchise, his father Robert Irsay owned the team. In March of 1983, Irsay sought, and was given, permission of the owners of the other NFL teams to move his team to a new location after the relationship between Irsay and the city of Baltimore began to deteriorate. On March 29th, Mayflower trucks began moving the team's equipment and all belongings to Indianapolis. The fans were angry. The city of Baltimore was outraged. But Irsay was satisfied with his move to a new stadium, a fresh location, and a city dying to retool its image.
Baltimore's hunger for NFL action was finally met again in 1996 when Art Modell moved the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore. Because of sanctions resulting from talks between the city of Cleveland and the NFL, the visual properties and records attached to the Browns stayed in Cleveland when the team moved. Basically, the roster in Baltimore was that of the Browns, but everything else was brand new so that Cleveland could reintroduce the Browns in appearance only in 1999.
Now that we have all of the history, the Ravens are a typically smash-mouth, defensive, hard-running NFL team in the same vein of the great Steeler teams in the past. Their defenses would knock you down, and knock you down again when you got up. Brash, loud, swagger was the M.O. of this hard-hitting team.
Last season, the Ravens' offense caught up with their defense. Second year quarterback Joe Flacco lead their potent offensive group with running back Ray Rice wowing fans and defenses alike. Veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason had an average year, but still hauled in 7 touchdowns. This ragtag bunch made a surprisingly terrific showing last year, but this year is different.
After acquiring WR Anquan Boldin from the Arizona Cardinals, and free agent speedster WR Donte Stallworth, the Ravens appear poised to return to the AFC Championship game, and to possibly overtake the Colts to represent the AFC in the Superbowl. The Ravens' defense remains strong, and Ray Rice appears to have no downside at this point in his young career.
However, the Colts have definitely shown improvement in the off season. Peyton Manning is of course returning, and starting WR Anthony Gonzalez will be back to start the season after missing all but one game last season. He'll be competing with breakout star Pierre Garçon for the spot opposite Pro Bowl WR Reggie Wayne, and with outstanding 2009 rookie Austin Collie for the slot receiver position. Defensive anchor DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis return, along with the Colts' solid linebacker core. Also making a comeback from injury is former defensive MVP Bob Sanders.
On paper, the Colts and Ravens have two of the toughest teams in the entire NFL, let alone the AFC. Will we see fireworks in the post season if and when these two giants collide? Only time will tell. That being said, I strongly advise you to tune in any time Baltimore's former and current teams get together. The fans simply can't lose in this exchange.
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