Monday Morning QB Talk: Jackson in MVP Form as Ravens Start 1-0

The Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson are officially 1-0 to start the 2026 season, as Jesse Minter secures the win in his head coaching debut. With an offensive performance featuring plenty of highs and some lows that left us frustrated, it’s not a bad start by any means.

In this year’s “Monday Morning Quarterback” series, we’ll take a look at the highlights of Jackson’s performance, the lows, and take a look around the NFL’s best and worst QB performances.

No Receivers, No Problem

Lamar Jackson took the field with a chip on his shoulder entering 2026, and the 2x MVP put on a show. There were a lot of questions surrounding how the offense would look, how efficient they would be in their first real game together, and just how much Jackson would be under center in this new system. It didn’t take long for him to get going; in fact, his 49-yard opening connection with Zay Flowers seemed like just the beginning.

Jackson looked comfortable in Declan Doyle’s system, taking what the defense gave him and showing command of the offense. The duo of Lamar and Zay was something to watch before Zay’s exit with a hamstring injury. Flowers shined in space, racking up a ridiculous 30.0 YPC. He made explosive plays, including two 40+ yard receptions, a 49-yard opening reception and a 54-yard touchdown. Flowers’ hamstring injury limited the Ravens to just three wideouts, as he joined Ja’Kobi Lane as the second receiver to exit the contest. Jackson leaned on Derrick Henry and the run game when he needed to, and when your 32-year-old running back totals 144 yards and 3 TDs, you’re going to feed him.

It was Jackson’s ability to escape the pocket and extend plays that allowed the Ravens to pick up a win with a limited group of receivers. Sunday’s performance showed Jackson doesn’t need his top targets in order to shine in this offense.

Offensive Line Holds Ravens Back

Outside of the defense, the talk around the Ravens this offseason was how the revamped offensive line would look, especially with a number of starters not taking preseason snaps. Sunday wasn’t the best first impression for the new group, as they committed multiple penalties and struggled at times to secure the interior of the line. The penalties killed drives and took points off the board, including what would have been Lane’s first-career TD, as well as several other big plays and first downs. It’s an offensive line that has a first-year guard, a center making his first-career start, and a veteran guard returning after two seasons with the Jets. The continuity was always going to be something to watch, but it just looked ugly at times. Ronnie Stanley and Vega Ioane were both credited with sacks allowed, according to PFF, along with 12 total pressures allowed from the offensive line as a whole.

There are positives to take away from their performance, however. When your offense can manage over 500 total yards, you’re clearly doing something right. 202 total rushing yards and 304 passing yards are a great start. Now the focus needs to be on getting things cleaned up.

A Look Around the NFL

The Highs

Josh Allen: 20/29; 334 Pass YDS; 2 Pass TD; 69% Comp. Percentage; 2 Rush TDs; 130.5 Passer Rating

Josh Allen entered Sunday just 1-4 in his career against the Texans. After the beating he took in Houston last season, he was able to turn the tables and put on a show in H-Town. The veteran quarterback led a 96-yard game-winning drive, finding Josh Palmer for the go-ahead score from 34 yards out with 1:36 to play. Similar to Lamar Jackson, Allen secures a win in his first game with a new head coach. The Bills offense picked up a statement win in Week 1, and will now take that momentum into the regular-season debut of their new Highmark Stadium.

Trevor Lawrence: 18/23; 245 Pass YDS; 4 TDs; 78.3% Comp. Percentage; 150.6 Passer Rating

Lawrence put up a career-high passer rating in the Jaguars 34-10 stomping of the Browns on Sunday. Lawrence and the Jaguars offense came out firing, taking a 24-0 lead into halftime, and never let Cleveland back in the contest. The former first overall pick spread the ball around, finding 10 separate pass catchers for 245 yards through the air. Jacksonville totaled 360 yards of offense, while finishing with a possession time of 33:51, and punting just twice. It’s the exact start the Jags were hoping to get off to, as they prepare to enter quite the gauntlet over the next five weeks. Denver, New England, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Houston are ahead on the schedule before the bye week for a Jacksonville team looking to return to the postseason.

The Lows

Deshaun Watson: 16/22; 205 Pass YDS; 1 TD; 1 INT; 72.7% Comp. Percentage; 97.7 Passer Rating

It didn’t take long for Deshaun Watson to find himself on this list, after finishing 32nd in my 2026 QB Rankings. The Browns trailed by as much as 31-0, and Watson’s struggles in his return had plenty to do with it. The veteran quarterback was 1-for-5 on throws of 20+ yards, with his lone TD coming in the final two minutes of the contest. The Browns loss is their worst Week 1 defeat since 2020, as Todd Monken becomes the 15th-straight Browns head coach to lose their debut. The Browns are expected to be amongst the league’s worst this season, and Sunday’s Week 1 performance all but confirmed the speculation.

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Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2026/09/14/monday-morning-qb-talk/mvp-form-jackson/