Ravens overcome injuries, penalties in dominant Week 1 win over Colts

The Baltimore Ravens throttled the Indianapolis Colts in a 41-23 victory on Sunday afternoon to get their 2026 season and the Jesse Minter era off to a 1-0 start.

"It's surreal a little bit, honestly." Minter said after his head coaching debut. "I don't know if it's actually hit me yet. But it's a blessing to be where I'm at – again, such appreciation for the opportunity given to me by this organization."

Led by first-time play-caller Declan Doyle and two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson , Baltimore's offense racked up 502 yards (7.9 yards per play) despite several penalties by the offensive line. Jackson was brilliant through the air, completing 17 of his 25 passes for 324 yards and a touchdown and throwing in 40 yards and another score on the ground for good measure. He looked right at home in Doyle's new-look, under-center heavy offense, and when the system broke down, his signature elusiveness took over. On one miraculous play, he somehow ducked under two oncoming pass rushers and scrambled 16 yards for a first down.

When asked about his latest magic trick, Jackson said that he was "just playing football." He also shouted out Doyle for "dialing it up" on offense and praised the team for finishing the game strong.

Wide receiver Zay Flowers flew around the field for 150 receiving yards on just five catches before leaving the game late in the first half with hamstring injury. Running back Derrick Henry averaged 6.0 yards per carry and scored three times on the ground to pass Marcus Allen for third place on the NFL's all-time rushing touchdown list.

The Colts offense surprised Minter's defense with seven straight passes to start the game, putting the secondary on its back foot and setting up a Jonathan Taylor touchdown. The opening possession stirred painful memories of the Zach Orr defenses that folded all too easily in the past two seasons.

"Defensively, I thought I didn't do a great job on the first drive," Minter explained. "They had us on our heels a little bit, and then I felt like we really settled in on defense and did some good things and attacked the football well."

Baltimore responded by forced three punts and two turnovers on Indianapolis' next five drives. Notably, those turnovers were forced by Smith and cornerback Marlon Humphrey , two veteran defenders who, by their own admission, played below their standard last year.

"I feel like the start of the game kind of went against their identity, in my opinion," linebacker Roquan Smith said. "Those guys [are] normally known for running the ball…There are highs and lows, but we took a deep breath, came to the sideline, and [said] 'Hey, this isn't us.'"

Edge rusher Trey Hendrickson did not notch any sacks in his Ravens debut, but he consistently moved Colts quarterback Daniel Jones off his spot with eight pressures on just 26 pass rushes, per Next Gen Stats . The 31-year-old appears to be worth every penny of the massive $112 million free agent deal he signed in Baltimore this offseason.

And just because John Harbaugh is no longer in Baltimore does not mean special teams are not an emphasis. In Anthony Levine 's debut as a coordinator, the Ravens consistently won the field position battle. Rookie punter Ryan Eckley landed all three of his punts inside the Colts' 20-yard line, and returners Chris Moore and LaJohntay Wester both ripped off long returns.

Second-year kicker Tyler Loop entered Week 1 under the microscope after an up-and-down preseason and the signing of former 49ers kicker Jake Moody to the practice squad. He made both of his field goal attempts and all five of his extra points. His 57-yard field goal was a career-long, while his 45-yarder effectively clinched the Ravens' victory in the fourth quarter.

"My confidence in him has never really shaken," Minter said of his young kicker. "Obviously, you have to make kicks and things like that, and in the preseason, he had a couple of mishaps. But just the work ethic and the trust in the process in so many different things that he's been working on, I expected nothing less. I am really happy for him that he performed that way today."

All told, the Ravens controlled the game from start to finish and more than doubled the Colts' in yardage (506 to 251). 10 penalties for 86 yards and injuries to Flowers (hamstring) and rookie wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane (wrist) were the only blemishes on a deeply satisfying victory for the team. Minter did not have updates on either wideout following the game.

The Ravens will return to Baltimore brimming with confidence after beating a talented, well-coached Colts squad. They will take on the New Orleans Saints in their home opener next week, likely as heavy favorites. However, the Saints barely lost to the Detroit Lions in overtime on Sunday afternoon; this could be the kind of early-season trap game the Ravens have fallen into multiple times in recent years.