The Baltimore Ravens continued their preseason campaign with a second win in as many games, but it wasn’t all plain sailing in the 19-18 victory over the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Ryan Mallett found Kamar Aiken in the end zone before Josh Johnson connected with Jeremy Butler for the second touchdown at the end of the second quarter.

Indianapolis took an 18-17 late lead when Stephen Morris hit Trey Williams for a touchdown, but the two-point conversion was intercepted by Anthony Levine and ran the ball back for two points.

Missed field goal hands Ravens victory

Colts’ punter Pat McAfee came up short when he tried a 61-yard field goal with no time left on the clock and the Ravens held out for the victory.

The good news for head coach John Harbaugh, is that none of their star players picked up any injuries during the match.

Starting quarterback Joe Flacco, who missed the back end of last season through injury, sat out the game in Indianapolis, leaving Mallett and co in charge of the offense.

Mallett and Johnson each threw TD passes before Jerrod Johnson marched the side up the field on a late drive as the Ravens scored a field goal.

Joe Flacco was on the sideline for the second preseason game running (Photo: Michael Hickey/ Getty Images)
Joe Flacco was on the sideline for the second preseason game running (Photo: Michael Hickey/ Getty Images)

Unanswered questions still for Harbaugh

There still remains questions over the running back position for the Ravens, who used four different players in that position against the Colts.

First-choice back Justin Forsett gained just 11-yards through his five plays, Buck Allen, the back-up to Forsett, didn’t do much either.

Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon also played on a couple of plays, but the running game lacked intensity throughout the four quarters.

Even at the wide-receiver position, the only real player to stand out and make an impact was Butler, who caught a 12-yard pass in the end zone in the second quarter.

Scott Tolzein throws to a receiver in the match (Photo: Michael Hickey/ Getty Images)
Scott Tolzein throws to a receiver in the match (Photo: Michael Hickey/ Getty Images)

Luck makes most of first appearance

Andrew Luck started his first game since early November for the Colts, and completed all of his eight passes during the contest.

And the main factor for the Colts, is that he came out the game injury-free, and he certainly made the most of time out on the field after sitting on the bench during the opening preseason match with the Buffalo Bills last week.

“It was good to be out there, it was fun. It was a lot of fun,” Luck told foxsports.com. “It’s like breathing, you just need more of it.”

Eric Weddle recovers a fumble (Photo: Getty Images)
Eric Weddle recovers a fumble (Photo: Michael Hickey/ Getty Images)

Mosley comments on offense in red zone

The starting defense for the Ravens allowed the Colts to march on two long drives, which was led by Luck, and it was also a repeat of last week’s match with the Carolina Panthers.

They went on a 68-yard drive with the first play of the match, and the Colts had a 61-yard drive with one of those drives.

However, the defense did step up and be counted as they held the Colts’ offense to field goals, and C.J. Mosley said: “We buckled down in the red zone, and that’s always the big thing that we talk about.

“We faced adversity, and then we got the job done once we were in the red zone.”

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About the author
Andrew McDonnell
Sports writer based in the North-East of England, safe to say I have found my niche in sports writing and I strive to succeed with everything I do, including Vavel, both in the UK and USA. First official Writer of the week for the USA office too. Cover Manchester United, Watford, Cricket, MLS and NFL.