Ravens Start 2026 With a 40-Burger

Ravens Corral Colts 41-23

There’s an old rule of thumb around here: don’t judge a team by Week 1. Fine. But you’re allowed to enjoy it. I did. Didn’t you?

Jesse Minter got his first win as a head coach on Sunday, Declan Doyle got his first win as a play-caller, and the Baltimore Ravens got the kind of afternoon that makes a fan base forget it spent nine months lamenting a bad field goal attempt. Final: 41-23. Total yards: 506 to 251. Time of possession: 35:20 to 24:40. The Colts weren’t beaten so much as processed.

And in the middle of it, a 32-year-old running back quietly walked past a Hall of Famer.

Let’s get into it.

The offense came out of the box with a plan — and a pulse.

Doyle is 30 years old. He’d never called a game. Lamar Jackson said back in the summer that he didn’t think defenses were ready for what Baltimore had cooking. Consider Lou Anarumo’s unit exhibit A.

The Ravens fell behind 6-0 after Indy’s opening drive and then reeled off 28 straight points. Jackson finished 17-of-25 for 324 yards and a touchdown, with a 124.2 passer rating, and added 43 yards and a score on the ground. Two hundred and twenty-nine of those passing yards came in the first half. That’s not volume. That’s 13 yards an attempt — throws that hurt.

Zay Flowers looked like the best player on the field. For two quarters.

Five catches, 150 yards, before halftime. A 49-yard shot on the opening series to set up Jackson’s 5-yard keeper. A 54-yard catch-and-run touchdown that was less a route than a jailbreak — Lamar dropped it to him underneath and Flowers found a gear the Colts secondary hasn’t been issued.

Derrick Henry is still Derrick Henry.

Twenty-four carries, 144 yards, 6.0 per pop, three touchdowns. The 32-yarder in the second quarter — untouched through the left side, then simply not catchable — made it 28-6 and effectively ended the competitive portion of the broadcast. It was his 56th career 100-yard game and his eighth with three or more rushing scores. He’s now at 125 career rushing touchdowns, two clear of Marcus Allen and third on the all-time list.

The Ravens ran it 37 times for 202 yards. They didn’t lose a single yard on a rushing attempt all day.

Under Pressure

He didn’t get home but clearly Trey Hendrickson made a difference. His get off was quick and his power while bending was impressive. He’s going to be a great add. Hey, did Mike Green play today?

When Trey Hendrickson was on the field, the Ravens posted a 58.6% pressure rate and two sacks. Without him, 20.0% pressure rate and zero sacks.

Hendrickson generated all eight of his pressures across 21 matchups against Colts LT Bernhard Raimann.#BALvsIND | #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/Mrx78Hlwm7

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 13, 2026

Minter’s defense stuck to its principles.

This is the part that should make you optimistic. Minter’s Chargers defense surrendered 38 to this Colts offense a year ago while playing light. He could have flinched. He didn’t. Over the first 30 defensive snaps he played 17 of nickel and 12 of dime, and Indianapolis managed 39 yards on those dime snaps.

After that opening touchdown drive — where Jones threw on seven straight snaps and went 5-of-7 for 59 yards — the Colts managed 23 yards over their next four possessions. Indy finished 3-of-11 on third and fourth down.

Two takeaways, two touchdowns. Roquan Smith baited Daniel Jones into a hi-lo throw and picked it off; Henry punched in a 4-yard score off the short field. Then Marlon Humphrey stripped Jonathan Taylor after a 14-yard catch, and Baltimore turned that into more points. That’s complementary football, and it’s been missing here for a while.

Special teams contributed instead of costing. Tyler Loop went 2-for-2, including a 57-yarder as the first half expired. Ryan Eckley dropped all three of his punts inside the 20. LaJohntay Wester and Chris Moore gave the offense short fields with a 30.2-yard average on kick returns.

#Colts DT DeForest Buckner:

“Plain and simple, we got our ass whooped.” pic.twitter.com/tC8bb30i2u

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) September 13, 2026

The red zone got sloppy. A holding penalty wiped a touchdown off the board inside the Colts’ 5. Baltimore then went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 3 and Jackson’s throw fell incomplete. Later, Lamar put the ball on the ground and DeForest Buckner fell on it. In a game that mattered, those three sequences are a two-score swing.

The third quarter was a no-show. Baltimore was outscored 3-0 in the period and didn’t find the end zone again until 12:50 remained in the fourth. Some of that is Flowers’ absence. Some of it is a team getting comfortable. And excuse me if I’m suffering from a little PTSD when it comes to the Ravens and the 4th quarter.

Kickoff coverage was genuinely bad. The Colts averaged nearly 33 yards per return and popped one for 66. Against a team that can score, that’s a field-position gift you can’t keep wrapping.

And then the injuries. Flowers was ruled out during the third quarter with a hamstring. Ja’Kobi Lane hurt a wrist. Beyond Henry’s long runs and a couple of Chris Moore chunk plays, the rest of the receiving corps was invisible once Flowers went to the tent. New Orleans comes to M&T next Sunday. Baltimore needs bodies.

Ten penalties. Eighty-six yards. In a season opener. On the road.

This is the one that would’ve had Harbaugh’s neck veins doing calisthenics, and it should bother Minter just as much. The offensive line was the primary offender — a unit with new pieces at guard and center that took no meaningful reps together in August. Some of that is understandable. Ten flags is not. It is just one game but there’s a ton of clean up in aisle 2. The Ravens are leaning heavily on Vega Ioane and Jovaughn Gwyn.  Both had two flags. Both struggled. The only starter across the O-line not to get flagged was Roger Rosengarten. Coach Ledford ain’t gonna be happy when he watches this tape. When you spend the 14th pick in the draft on a guard, you expect more. Vega’s rookie debut was a flop.

Jackson had the gaudier number and Flowers had the most dazzling half, but Henry had the game — 144 yards, three scores, 6.0 a carry, and a piece of history. He broke the Colts’ will in the second quarter and he removed their hope in the fourth. When a game plan asks a back to go get 24 carries in a hostile building and salt away a lead, and he answers by climbing the all-time touchdown list, he gets the hardware.

Honorable mention: Jackson, and Flowers, who is going to be a problem all year if the hamstring behaves.

Defensive Player of the Game: ILB Roquan Smith

A team-high 11 tackles, an athletic interception that flipped the game’s first quarter, and a shot on Jones late in the half that forced an incompletion. Smith said this summer that 2025 didn’t meet his own standard. This looked like a man who meant it.

Honorable mention: Travis Jones, who was arguably the best player on the field in stretches with four tackles and two for loss; Tavius Robinson, who logged a sack and lived in the backfield; and Humphrey for the strip.

ROQUAN SMITH INTERCEPTION!!!!

Tune in on @NFLonCBS and @ParamountPlus! pic.twitter.com/S81LbyNErB

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 13, 2026

One game. New coach, new coordinator, new offensive line, and a 41-point road win over a playoff hopeful. Clean up the flags, get the receivers healthy, and stop gifting opponents field position, and there’s a version of this team that can be a very tough out.

Veteran Chris Moore was signed this summer presumably to be a special teams ace. Then he was cut when the Ravens trimmed their roster to 53, ultimately landing on the practice squad. He was elevated today and played his ass off. He had one catch for 53 yards and he averaged 30.3 yards on 4 kick returns…Gotta give some flowers to Marlon Humphrey. His strip on Jonathan Taylor was money and his overall play at corner was that of Marlo circa 2019. I criticized the Ravens for not forcing a pay cut on Humphrey but maybe No. 44 will deliver in 2026. And I’m here for it…Tavius Robinson had a solid game setting the edge and was the team’s most consistent pass rusher on the day. He registered one of the Ravens 2 sacks on the afternoon…Kyle Hamilton was menacing and brought some pressure in key situations…I have high expectations for Travis Jones this season. Today, he did not disappoint with 4 tackles, two for losses…Great to see Tyler Loop nail a couple of FGAs, particularly the one from 57 yards. He’s moving in the right direction…props to Declan Doyle who definitely dialed up some creativity during his first regular season game as a play caller. And congrats to Jesse Minter who gets the dub in his head coaching debut.

ALL-PRO MARLO!!!@marlon_humphrey with the takeaway!! Tune in on @NFLonCBS and @ParamountPlus. pic.twitter.com/BVoOfNtU4J

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 13, 2026

Saints at M&T next Sunday. Enjoy the week, Flockers.

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