6 winners (and 2 losers) from Ravens' statement win over the Colts

The Jesse Minter-Baltimore Ravens era is now officially underway, and it started with a bang. Baltimore crushed the Indianapolis Colts 41-23, putting forth an impressive performance on both sides of the ball.

But who stood out the most? And who needs to improve? Let's dive in.

Here are six winners and two losers from the win.

Winners

Lamar Jackson

There was a ton of excitement about Lamar Jackson's fit in Declan Doyle's dynamic offensive system, especially after all of the training camp buzz. And to nobody's surprise, Lamar looked great. He threw for 324 yards, rushed for 40, and recorded two total TDs. In classic Jackson fashion, he also did a fantastic job of escaping pressure, including on this play.

Jackson's decision-making stood out, and he helped the Ravens generate a ton of big plays in the air. Furthermore, he showed that he's still remarkably explosive. Simply put, Lamar provided everything you could have asked for. This could be the start of his third MVP season.

Zay Flowers

Zay Flowers naturally had a ton of eyeballs on him after inking a four-year, $140 million contract this offseason. The Ravens have discussed running their offense through him, and that's exactly what they did. He racked up a career-best 150 yards and recorded a touchdown. Whether it was opening up the game with a 49-yard boom or his 54-yard touchdown, Flowers produced some massive plays.

Unfortunately, Flowers exited the game with a re-aggravated hamstring injury in the second quarter. At the time of writing this, it's unclear how serious his injury is. Hopefully, it was merely a precautionary measure, and we'll see him back in action next week.

Derrick Henry

The other big headliner of the Ravens' offense was, of course, Derrick Henry. Just like every team, the Colts had no answer for him on Sunday. King Henry racked up 144 yards and three touchdowns. At 32, he still has a rare blend of size, strength, and speed that makes him a nightmare for opposing defenses.

Henry was a weapon for the Ravens at the goal line and on a down-to-down basis, especially once Flowers and Ja'Kobi Lane left the game. With him and the Ravens' improved passing game, they might be unstoppable.

Tyler Loop

Plenty of Ravens fans (myself included) had doubts about Tyler Loop heading into Week 1. After missing a kick that would have sent Baltimore to the playoffs last season and missing three preseason kicks, this felt more than fair.

And while I still need to see more before fully saying that I was wrong, Week 1 was clearly a massive step in the right direction for Loop. The second-year kicker drilled all five of his extra points and both of his kicks, including a career-best 57-yard boot. Given that Loop was 1-for-4 from 50-plus yards last season, this is especially a welcome sight. If Loop keeps it up, practice squad signee Jake Moody won't be needed anymore.

Roquan Smith

Countless players stood out for the Ravens' defense, but I want to shout out Roquan Smith. The four-time Pro Bowler had a down 2025 season. However, he made his presence felt early and often on Sunday. Smith led the way with 11 total tackles and recorded an interception in the first half.

The veteran linebacker was all over the place, constantly making big plays, and he held up in coverage. If Week 1 is any indication, Minter's defensive schemes have helped Smith rediscover the best version of himself, and that's a great sign for Baltimore.

Declan Doyle

Heading into Sunday, there was no shortage of anticipation for the Ravens' new coaching staff led by head coach Jesse Minter and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Thankfully, they delivered on all fronts. Doyle's offense was the clear story of the game, though.

He utilized motion and play action a ton. Plus, the Ravens played with lightning-quick speed, which was on display from the first play of the game. One of my favorite play designs was this fake handoff and fake jet sweep to Flowers, which led to a 19-yard screen pass to Henry. All of this led to 506 yards for the Ravens' offense. Overall, Doyle's creativity will maximize the Ravens' offensive talent and avoid some of the common problems from past teams.

Losers

Vega Ioane

While it was a great game, the Ravens' offense remains a work in progress. There was a ton of hype for first-round pick Vega Ioane. Unfortunately, the young guard showed his inexperience, recording two holding penalties.

He didn't look incredibly stout in pass protection either. Fans shouldn't panic over one game, but Vega has some room to grow.

Jovaughn Gwyn

Center Jovaughn Gwyn is another offensive lineman who struggled at times. He gave up some pressures and a holding penalty that took away a Ja'Kobi Lane touchdown. Unlike Vega, this performance could be costly for Gwyn. He started his first career game on Sunday.

Gwyn did receive a game-ball following the win, and he was very good in the run game. However, his problems in pass protection were apparent.

With the more experienced Ethan Pocic behind him, Minter could consider changing things up. He already mentioned this was possible, and Gwyn could've done more to secure his job.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow