INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens traded field goals in the first quarter Saturday night, finishing the first quarter in a 3-3 tie.
For the Colts, the biggest concern was rust. They hadn’t played a meaningful game in nearly a month. But in the first game since Peyton Manning won his fourth MVP, Indy looked sharp early
Manning marched the Colts 54 yards on their opening series, setting up Matt Stover for a 44-yard field goal against his former team for a 3-0 lead with 10:44 left in the first quarter.
Baltimore responded in its customary fashion, playing ball control — with a new wrinkle.
Joe Flacco, who completed four passes for 34 yards in last week’s win at New England, came out throwing.
After the Ravens had a 63-yard kickoff return called back for an illegal block by Edgar Jones, Flacco went 4 of 6 for 55 yards on a 15-play drive that consumed 7 minutes, 47 seconds and set up Billy Cundiff for a 25-yard field goal that tied it with 2:57 to go.
The last time these teams met in the playoffs, in Baltimore three years ago, Indy won 15-6 in a game that featured no touchdowns.
The game pitted Baltimore’s new team, the Ravens, against its old one, the Colts, in a series that has been dominated by Manning. Indy has won the last seven and holds an 8-2 lead over the city it used to call home.
It was the Colts’ first playoff game in 2-year-old Lucas Oil Stadium, and the boos that resonated throughout the venue in Indy’s last regular-season game were replaced by loud cheers Saturday.
Baltimore has tied the NFL record with six road playoff victories in the decade. The 1970s Dallas Cowboys also won six.
Indy has lost its last two playoff games and hasn’t won in the postseason since beating the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl following the 2006 season.