A.Q. Shipley To Start At Center Tonight

Jan 6, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Indianapolis Colts center A.Q. Shipley (62) prior to the AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at M

Kickoff is less than half an hour away and we have some news. Gino Gradkowski will not start at center tonight, instead, his competition for the starting job, A.Q. Shipley, will get the start.

While the move is a surprise, there is still a good chance that it means very little. The Ravens have an intense battle for the position going on, and as is often the case with close battles, both guys will be given full opportunity to fight for the job. That means Shipley needs to run with the first team in some of these games.

I still believe Gino has the inside track to the starting job, but Shipley is clearly nipping at his heels. Tonight will likely be Shipleys best chance to prove himself in the eys of the coaches and his team-mates.

perhaps lost in all of this is the fact that the Ravens are so strong at center. They have a legitimate battle going on between two players who both could start and play at a high level. couple that with arguably the leagues best guard duo in Yanda and Osemele, and the Ravens interior OL is looking dominant.

Shipley and Gino might be waging the best position battle on the roster, watch to see how they do tonight. Dont forget to check back here for my thoughts and notes from the game!