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Ravens beat the Colts: The good, the bad and the ugly

By Richard Bradshaw

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 20: Albert McClellan #50 and Kai Nacua #31 of the Baltimore Ravens make a tackle against Ross Travis #43 of the Indianapolis Colts in the third quarter of a preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 20, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 20: Albert McClellan #50 and Kai Nacua #31 of the Baltimore Ravens make a tackle against Ross Travis #43 of the Indianapolis Colts in the third quarter of a preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 20, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – AUGUST 20: Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens looks on against the Indianapolis Colts in the second quarter of a preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 20, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – AUGUST 20: Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens looks on against the Indianapolis Colts in the second quarter of a preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 20, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

The ugly:

The special teams was so dreadfully bad that it’s hard to even find a place to start.

Competition for kick/punt returner duties has been wide-open, and will continue to be that way due to guys struggling with these responsibilities. Both Tim White and Janarion Grant fumbled during the game on returns and got sent into the doghouse, and rightfully so. Head Coach John Harbaugh is a former special teams coordinator and that kind of performance simply won’t fly with the Super Bowl winning coach.

The offensive line was anything but awe-inspiring. The Colts defense controlled the line of scrimmage all night long and got consistent pressure on the Ravens quarterbacks. James Hurst in particular was spotlighted on more than one occasion for all the wrong reasons. Hurst was put on skates throughout the game and gave up a sack on Joe Flacco. Hurst started at right guard, Marshal Yanda’s usual spot, so while this isn’t permanent it’s certainly not encouraging.

Next. Baltimore Ravens beat Colts 20-19: 3 big takeaways from the win. dark

There was certainly lots of good to take away from the Ravens victory over the Colts, but there are also plenty of things the team can improve on. While Joe Flacco and the pass rush look sharp, the offensive line and special teams units need to improve if the team hopes to make any kind of playoff push this year. “Dress-rehearsal week” is coming up this Saturday night against the Miami Dolphins. Hopefully the team has assessed these issues by the time the team’s fourth preseason game rolls around.

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