3. Stay ahead of the chains:
The Baltimore Ravens have to be efficient against the Colts. The Colts have some good pass rushers. Between just Denico Autry, Justin Houston, Tyquan Lewis and DeForest Buckner, they have 13 sacks. They have 18 sacks in seven games, so it’s not like they struggle to get after the passer.
Even when they don’t get the sack, their defensive front is good for pretty solid pressure. Without Ronnie Stanley and Tyre Phillips, the offensive line is just starting to figure things out. It’s a brand new ball game for the offensive line and it wasn’t going all that great up front for the Ravens this season. The last thing the Ravens need is third down situations where Jackson feels like he has to force something. The last thing the Ravens need is pass rush preventing the offense from getting into a rhythm.
The Ravens have to win on first down in this battle against Indianapolis. Getting off schedule is going to put them in spots where they punt the ball or even worse things happen. Jackson is coming off a game where he made the big mistakes that cost the Ravens the game. He turned the ball over in the red zone and had two picks. The Colts have seven players with at least one pick and have 11 picks on the seasons.
So the Ravens are playing a team that will make them pay for mistakes and sloppy play. The Ravens absolutely have to get Jackson some confidence in this game. Efficiency is the key to that for the purple and black. Baltimore needs to get off to a fast start, where they pick up a healthy chunk of yards per plays. Getting in third down situations of four yards or less is the way the purple and black can get on a roll.