Before he walked into his postgame press conference following a dominant win in his head coaching debut, Jesse Minter was ambushed in the hallway.
His three kids – Millie, Monte, and Mac – gave him a big hug.
Minter's father, Rick, who is on the coaching staff and was up in the booth, came down to the sideline to put his arm around his son in the final minutes. Minter's star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, game him a full embrace.
The Minter Era started about as well as it could have with a 41-23 victory over a talented Colts team on the road. Making the day even more special was that it was just an hour down the road from where Minter grew up and went to high school in Yorktown, Ind.
"It's surreal a little bit, honestly. I don't know if it has actually hit me yet," Minter said.
"It's a blessing to be where I am at. [I have] such appreciation for the opportunity given to me by the organization. I had a ton of family here, and obviously my dad on the sideline there at the end – it's a real cool, real special moment."
The Ravens' offense started with a bang, scoring four touchdowns on its first five drives. The defense didn't start so hot, as the Colts marched 65 yards on nine plays for a touchdown to start the game.
Minter pointed at himself for the troubles on the first drive, saying the Colts "had us on our heels a little bit."
After that opening drive, the Colts' next five drives mustered just 23 yards and featured two turnovers – a leaping interception by Roquan Smith and forced fumble by Marlon Humphrey, who ripped the ball away from running back Jonathan Taylor.
The Colts' offense, led by Head Coach Shane Steichen, posted just 251 total yards – less than half what the Ravens piled up.
The Ravens' offense cooled a bit in the second half with Zay Flowers sidelined by a hamstring injury, and the Colts made it a 15-point game with just over 10 minutes left. It could've gone the way of last year, when the Ravens coughed up a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Instead, Derrick Henry and Baltimore's ground attack took over the clock, and the defense stymied the Colts, closing the game out with a sack by blitzing safety Malaki Starks on fourth down.
Minter said the Ravens "put our foot down" in the second half. That was his message at halftime: Close them out.
"We came in at halftime, and he wanted to continue to pour it on," cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. "I think, obviously in the past maybe two seasons, that's kind of been our Achilles heel of having a lead and not being able to –defensively – keep the lead, so that's been a major thing."
Ravens players have spoken glowingly about Minter all offseason, but they had yet to play a regular-season game. That was the real test.
Minter passed with high marks, impressing 40-year-old veteran Calais Campbell, who has seen a lot of coaches come and go.
"He had a lot of poise. He was locked in on just the small details," Campbell said. "His pre-game speech was really good. His post-game speech was really good. I think the preparation was really well done today. … I think he has a brilliant football mind. He is just a natural-born leader. I am just happy to get the first win for him."
At the end of his postgame press conference, Minter was asked what he'll remember from his first game. There was so much to pick from.
"Really, it was just right outside and seeing my kids for the first time and the joy on their faces, seeing my wife, [seeing] my dad on the sidelines and just all the players," Minter said. "There's so much work that goes into this, and it's not about me. It's about these guys and the work that we have all put in together over the time so far."
