Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed is one of the best players in the NFL. But his bonehead play late in today’s game helped the Colts sneak out of Baltimore with a 17-15 win.
Fielding a punt with less than 30 seconds to play and the Ravens down by two and just needing to get into field goal range, Reed attempted to lateral to a teammate, fumbled, and looked on helplessly as Freddy Keiaho of the Colts recovered. Reed’s knee looked like it might have touched the ground before he let go of the ball, and it also looked like the pitch might have actually been a forward pass, but the referee reviewed the play and upheld the ruling of the fumble.
With that, the Colts simply ran out the clock and walked off the field the winners of yet another close game.
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning got off to a less-than-stellar start, throwing two first-half interceptions. But he played turnover-free football in the second half and finished the game 22 of 31 for 299 yards.
Colts wide receiver Pierre Garcon had a big day, catching six passes for 108 yards. Tight end Dallas Clark had only one catch for three yards, but it was a one-handed grab in the end zone for a touchdown.
The Colts are 10-0 and marching toward home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
Ravens receiver Derrick Mason had a huge game, with nine catches for 142 yards, but the rest of the Ravens’ offense didn’t show up today. The Ravens are now 5-5, and if they’re going to make the playoffs, they’re going to need more big games like they got from Mason, and fewer big mistakes like they got from Reed.