Why Ali chose the Colts: Joe Flacco has faced Brian Flores’ defense twice, in 2020 and ’21 with the Jets, and neither of those outings ended in wins in New York. But this was a (slightly) younger Joe Flacco, a castaway in QB purgatory – no longer the face of a franchise and not yet a comeback player of the year. The 2024 version, however, takes on a new dimension to football life as a grizzled 39-year-old – still with a good arm and cool under pressure – is once again tasked with leading a playoff contender. Flacco has seen and been through it all in his 17th season and is now surrounded by arguably the best offensive supporting cast of his career. If the Colts’ O-line — one of the league’s top units but one that could be without starting LT Bernhard Raimann (concussion) — can handle its business against a Vikings pass rush that took a step back last week , we should experience a more balanced Indy attack with Flacco at the helm. Like the Lions and Rams before them, the Colts need to flip the script on Minnesota’s aggressive defense and keep this group off balance – at least enough to compensate for Flacco’s lack of mobility and occasional YOLO balls. It should be a physical battle with both teams striking from distance. Ultimately, I think the QB change upsets the Colts in their first outing Football on Sunday evenings since December 2022.