The Baltimore Ravens looked incredibly dynamic in their Week 1 win over the Indianapolis Colts. They had some hiccups along the way, but they left Lucas Oil Stadium with a 41-23 victory. That’s a statement.
It was the season-opener that we needed to see from the Ravens. There was so much excitement about what Jesse Minter, Declan Doyle, and Anthony Weaver would bring to Charm City, and well, they looked pretty darn good—it was ruthless aggression on both sides of the football.
Following the game, there was no shortage of storylines. Here are our nine instant reactions from the win.
Instant reactions to Baltimore Ravens’ Week 1 victory over Colts
Jesse Minter has some first game jitters, but checked the boxes
It was a decent introduction to the Jesse Minter era. His unit played with relentless fire early on, but they did slow up at times. Giving up 23 points doesn't look great on the scoreboard. The aggressive nature, the blitzes, and coverage all looked really solid. However, there were moments where his guys looked tired, and maybe took their foot off the gas a bit. Still, they made some good adjustments throughout the game, pressured the quarterback, forced turnovers, and eventually slammed the door shut. And of course, a win is a win. He's 1-0!
Declan Doyle is an offensive mastermind
There was so much going on within Baltimore’s offense. Motions, shifts, misdirections - your eyes had a tough time keeping up with all the action. Declan Doyle was CRE-A-TIVE. The play actions were lethal, too, as the Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers duo were in a flow state. This is just the start of what should be a fascinating offense to watch. It was pure cinema.
A healthy Lamar Jackson was Baltimore’s biggest upgrade this offseason
The Ravens made a ton of big-time additions this offseason. The biggest one, though, is quite clearly a healthy Lamar Jackson. After an injury-riddled season, plenty of noise followed Jackson into the spring and summer. Safe to say he shut everyone up. His legs looked fresh, and he lasered the ball into his receivers with near-pinpoint accuracy. 17-for-25, 324 passing yards, 40 rushing yards, and 2 total yards is a tremendous start to 2026.
Offensive line holds up just enough (but still questionable)
The Ravens’ offensive line entered the matchup with questions facing the interior offensive line…and they did just enough on Sunday. It wasn’t spectacular, though. Sure, there were moments where Jackson had all day to throw. Other times? Jackson was getting lit up, and the interior congested the pocket. They were solid enough, but there’s a lot to clean up.
Penalties, penalties, and more penalties
The biggest thing that line has to clean up is the penalties. That goes for the entire offense, too. We saw the offense have trouble in training camp, and while they were rolling in this one, they did everything in their power to shoot themselves in the foot. They finished with 10 penalties for 86 yards. That’ll ruin you against the best of the best.
Chris Moore has made his case for a 53-man roster spot
If Chris Moore isn’t on the 53-man roster in a few weeks, I’d be shocked. The Ravens can call him up from the practice squad two more times before they’d have to sign him, and they’ll likely do that. Moore did his thing on special teams, looking like the electrifying returner the team was lacking, and also made things happen on offense. He finished the day with 1 reception for 53 yards, 4 returns for 121 yards, and 1 tackle in punt coverage. And if the injuries to Zay Flowers and Ja’Kobi Lane are long-term, Moore could see a bigger role.
Tyler Loooooooop
I guess adding competition lit a fire under Tyler Loop. The second-year kicker was absolute money, going 5-for-5 on extra points, and drilling two field-goal attempts from 45 yards and 57 yards. Distance is what Loop struggled with in his rookie campaign, and he made it look easy in Week 1.
Add us as a preferred source on Google