Jesse Minter has his first victory as a head coach. The potential for many more is obvious.
Baltimore's 41-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts was a promising start to the Minter era. The Ravens were explosive in Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle's first game as a play caller. Defensively, the Ravens played fast, made effective adjustments and were opportunistic by forcing two takeaways in the first half.
The performance wasn't picture perfect, as the Ravens committed costly penalties, and two wide receivers left the game with injuries – Zay Flowers (hamstring) and rookie Ja'Kobi Lane (wrist).
However, the ceiling for where this team can go is high, especially with Lamar Jackson healthy again and threatening defenses with his arm and legs in a diversified offense.
Here are my thoughts on Baltimore starting the 2026 season in the win column:
This offense can be even more electric with fewer penalties.
The Ravens ranked up 506 yards total offense and weren't on their A-game.
That's a credit to the players and Doyle, the 30-year-old play caller who had the Colts' defense scrambling to catch up from the first possession. Baltimore's first two drives went for touchdowns, and their third drive would've ended in the end zone if new starting center Jovaughn Gwyn's holding penalty had not erased a touchdown catch by Lane.
If this was Doyle getting warmed up as a play caller, just imagine what Baltimore's offense will look when he dives deeper into his bag.
"I thought Declan – man, first NFL game, came out of the gates on fire," Minter said.
Flowers was magnificent (five catches ,150 yards, one touchdown) before he exited just before halftime. Operating outside or in the slot from a variety of formations, Flowers caught the ball in space, where his speed and run-after-catch ability took over.
But it wasn't just Flowers who hurt the Colts. It was also Henry who kept hammering away with 144 rushing yards and three touchdowns while climbing up the record books. It was Jackson, too, who passed for 324 yards, threw a touchdown, ran for a touchdown, completed passes to eight different receivers, and escaped from pressure in the pocket as only he can.
Doyle delivered on his promise to hunt explosive plays in this offense, and the Ravens found them.
However, the Ravens had 10 penalties for 86 yards, and the majority came on offense. Even for Game 1 in a new system, there were too many miscues, particularly against Baltimore's offensive line.
The Colts' defensive line gave the Ravens issues at times and forced some of the flags to be thrown. If the Ravens improve up front and cut down on penalties as the season progresses, their offense will become even more difficult to stop.
The wide receiver injuries are concerning.
Flowers is one of the NFL's top receivers, Lane was the star of the summer, and Devontez Walker (hamstring) missed this game after being limited in practice all week. That's three of Baltimore's top four receivers who are dealing with some kind of injury.
Minter didn't have an update on Flowers and Lane after the game. But other receivers such as Rashod Bateman, LaJohntay Wester, Chris Moore, and rookie Elijah Sarratt, who was inactive in Week 1, may be asked to step up.
With Jackson and Henry, the Ravens still have two elite offensive talents to lean on, but if Flowers and Lane miss games, the Ravens may lean more on their tight end room led by Mark Andrews. The Ravens dressed Andrews, blocking tight end Durham Smythe, and rookies Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas for this game, and that may continue.
This defense is determined to adjust and protect leads.
If the Ravens' defense was concerned after falling behind, 6-0, when they gave up a touchdown on the opening drive, it didn't show. The Ravens calmly regrouped and made adjustments, scoring 28 consecutive points to take control of the game.
Minter blamed himself for the slow defensive start.
"I didn't do a great job on the first drive, had us on our heels a little bit, and then I thought we really settled in, attacked the football, played well," Minter said.
Roquan Smith made an acrobatic interception, tipping the ball to himself to set up Baltimore's second touchdown. In the second quarter, Marlon Humphrey caused a turnover by stripping the ball and recovering it.
Most importantly, the Ravens protected the lead once they got it. According to outside linebacker Tavius Robinson, Minter's message at halftime was to finish the job. Losing leads in late-game situations has been a problem for the Ravens in recent years. That's a trend Baltimore's defense looks determined to stop.
Lamar looks like Lamar.
There has been much talk about whether Jackson is going to have a bounce back year.
Although it's early, Jackson looks like his old self. Jackson is healthy, which means he has his elusiveness back. His highlight play in this game was when he somehow ducked two oncoming rushers to escape the pocket and run for a first down.
Jackson was asked how he did it and smiled.
"Just playing football," Jackson said. "I believe I did it a few times in my career."
Jackson playing at an MVP level takes the Ravens to another level. In his first game of the 2026 season, Jackson was in midseason form.
"Best player in the league," Henry said.
Extra Points
- Smith didn't have an interception in 2025, marking the first time in his career that he went a full season without a pick. But took care of that early this season with an interception in the second quarter.
- Ravens cornerback T. J. Tampa (knee) left the game in the first half and did not return.
- Tyler Loop was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts, including a 57-yarder just before halftime, which is exactly the kind of start he was looking for to his season.
- Malaki Starks and Robinson had the Ravens' only two sacks. Trey Hendrickson came close on several others, however.
