They hold a grudge in Baltimore against the Colts.

It's natural and understandable, particularly among the older Baltimore fans. Indianapolis stole their team 25 years ago. Took it in the middle of the night. Whenever the Indianapolis Colts return, those old feelings of betrayal resurface, seeing the horseshoe logo on the wrong side of the field.

So the Baltimore fans boo and jeer and the stadium announcer refers to “Indianapolis” without ever mentioning its nickname.

And then Peyton Manning rips the scab off that old wound.

Manning has mastered the Ravens' defense, perennially one of the NFL's best, at a statistically alarming rate. In seven regular-season games, Manning has completed 157-of-244 passes (64 percent) for 1,974 yards, 16 touchdowns and three interceptions. After losses in Manning's first two games against Baltimore, he has won five straight – six if you count the 2006 playoffs.

The Colts (9-0) play the Ravens (5-4) at 1 p.m. Sunday in M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore.

“Against these guys you have to be aggressive and patient, which you say are kind of opposites, but I believe in that,” Manning said. “You know there can be some negative plays. You hope your negative plays, though, are throwaways, not turnovers, not game-changing plays where you put your team in a tough situation.”

When Manning looks over the Ravens' defense Sunday, he'll see some familiar faces. Linebacker Ray Lewis will bark out orders, trying to counter Manning's audibles at the line of scrimmage. Safety Ed Reed will patrol the secondary, looking to come out of nowhere and pick off a Manning pass.

The Ravens' defense might not strike fear in opponents as it once did, but there's still plenty of firepower.

Baltimore ranks fifth in the NFL in scoring defense (17.1 points per game), fifth in rushing yards allowed (93.9 per game) and seventh in total yards. The Ravens are 13th against the pass, which is better than average, but slowing Manning will require a step up in pass defense.

Despite Manning's regular-season excellence against the Ravens, there is one precedent for Baltimore slowing him down: Manning completed only 15-of-30 passes for 170 yards and was picked off twice in the 2006 playoffs. Indy won that game 15-6 en route to its Super Bowl title. Adam Vinatieri scored all 15 points on field goals. In a bit of irony, former Ravens kicker Matt Stover, who kicked two field goals in that game, now handles those duties for the Colts.

Manning said there is every reason to believe the Ravens will play their best defensive game, and especially in looking to create turnovers.

“They do a great job of stripping the ball and tipped balls,” Manning said. “Ed Reed always seems to come across the field and catch them. …We have to protect the ball. We have to stay out of penalties and third-and-long situations. They're tough against the run, tough on third down. It's a stingy bunch.”

The Ravens' four losses were all to teams leading their divisions: the Bengals twice, the Patriots and the Vikings.

“Statistically, we're pretty close to defenses of the past,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “We haven't made as many (big) plays as we'd like to. We haven't had quite the turnovers that the Ravens are accustomed to having. That will be a difficult challenge, obviously, this week as well. When you can balance some of that by making big plays of your own, that's sort of the key.”

Manning's passing game at just over the midway point of this season is as sharp as it has ever been. He has passed for 300 yards or more in eight of nine games. The only game he missed 300 yards was in the Colts' 42-6 win at St. Louis.

Equally impressive is how Manning has spread the ball around. Wayne (68 catches, 874 yards, eight TDs) and Clark (62 catches, 742 yards) are his favorite targets. But he has completed at least 24 passes to five receivers, working Austin Collie, Joseph Addai and Pierre Garcon into the mix.

Manning has completed 69.6 percent of his passes, which will be his career high if he maintains it. He has thrown 20 touchdown passes, seven fewer than he had last season. He won't reach his career-best of 49 touchdown passes, but could challenge his second-highest total of 33.

While Manning's gesticulations at the line of scrimmage are matched by Lewis' motor-mouth directions to the defense, Manning said he doesn't necessarily hear anything Lewis is saying.

Or maybe Manning just doesn't want to reveal whether he can read Lewis or not.

“I'd like to hear some of the things he's saying, just because I have a great appreciation for him,” Manning said. “I think they're always a tougher team to play on the road, where it's loud and their crowd is into it. They pump their crowd up. Those guys are smart fans. It'll be a challenge.”

Manning has proved over the years that when it comes to challenges, he thrives on them. When it comes to Baltimore, he seems to have an extra edge, giving Ravens' fans one more reason to hold a grudge against the Colts.