The Jesse Minter era has officially begun.
Coach Minter and his men started the 2026 season on a strong note, absolutely dominating the Colts. The final score wasn’t inclusive of how much Baltimore beat Indy down, but the league certainly took notice.
As far as over-arching goals, it’s safe to say the Ravens wanted to establish dominance on the ground, get Lamar and the starters in a rhythm (since most didn’t play during the preseason), and come away without any major injuries.
Two of three isn’t bad, I guess.
Given a new offensive coordinator and four new starters on offense, getting going on the ground early was clearly a priority for the Ravens. Baltimore rushed for 204 yards and 4 touchdowns, with Derrick Henry (144, 3) and Lamar Jackson (40, 1) doing the bulk of the damage to Indy’s run defense.
After a 2025 season in which the Ravens actually (somehow) had a 1-2 record when their offense ran for over 200 yards in a game, I have to think new Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle wanted to make sure the offense didn’t just gain big yards, but did so at key moments of the game.
Not only did they dominate on the ground, but the Ravens offense had a great day passing, too. Baltimore racked up over 500 yards of offense, including over 200 yards of rushing offense for the first time since November 5th, 2013 (46 games ago, playoffs included).
As far as Lamar’s rhythm goes, you can check that box as well. So much for any questions about how he and Doyle would mesh. Yesterday was the 8th time in his career that Lamar threw for over 300 yards without throwing an interception. Zay Flowers gashed Indy’s pass defense at will, setting a career high in receiving yards (150) on just five receptions. While Flowers’ dynamic ability certainly helped Jackson, Lamar also utilized all three tight ends, displaying impressive patience and preparation by maximizing the opportunities the defense gave him.
The health of some offensive starters, though, was not as pleasant of a takeaway. Neither Zay Flowers (hamstring) nor Ja’Kobi Lane (wrist) were able to finish yesterday’s game. Flowers seems to have avoided a long-term issue, while Lane didn’t seem so fortunate. Lane was initially said to have broken his right wrist, though an MRI scheduled for today is believed to clarify the injury and amount of time he will miss. If not for a penalty, Lane would’ve scored a touchdown on his second career catch, so it’s clear his preseason momentum had carried into the regular season, albeit cut short.
The unsung heroes, to me, were left guard John Simpson, wide receiver Chris Moore, and punter Ryan Eckley. Each of those players made big plays yesterday, consistently, and made them in timely situations. Simpson, Moore, and Eckley looked like they’ve been in this current system for years. Quick shoutout to Eric DeCosta, as the combined 2026 cap figure of those three players is $6.36 million. Wow.
Looking forward to Baltimore’s home opener this week, the Ravens host the Saints this Sunday at 1 pm Eastern. New Orleans lost their opening week game in Detroit in overtime by one point. The Ravens are currently 8.5-point favorites, but given the Saints’ near victory, this may be one of those games where the winner isn’t in doubt, but it gets strangely close in the 4th quarter.
The best thing Baltimore can do is look at what Jahmyr Gibbs and the Lions running game did to the Saints run defense. Gibbs ran for 156 yards and 2 touchdowns yesterday, so conventional wisdom says Henry is in for another dominant performance, especially given the uncertainty Baltimore is sifting through with their wide receivers (in addition to Flowers’ and Lane’s status going forward, Devontez Walker was inactive in Week 1).
My predictions for Week 2
Ravens 31, Saints 17
Jackson: 2 total TD
Henry: 150+ yards and 2 TD rushing
Hendrickson: his first sack as a Raven
Starks: his first home interception
Aidan Hutchinson is the x-factor this week for the Lions. He has the athleticism to disrupt Baltimore’s read options and run schemes, and force Lamar into unscripted moments. Obviously, Jackson has proven more than capable in those moments, but will the offensive line and receivers on the field be able to remain on one accord?
That’s what I think deserves more attention: how Jackson will elevate the new players around him when those players are called upon to perform on short notice. Keep your eyes on the newer offensive players of the Ravens (that fill in for the injured ones) this week. Baltimore should win, but the way in which they win will tell us a lot about the true quality of depth they have—depth that every team needs if they want to win a Super Bowl.
Big picture: the Ravens look great, though the penalties need to stop, and Tyler Loop looked solid after a very rocky preseason. All in all, you couldn’t have asked for much more from a team, on the road, in their first game under a new head coach.
It seems like this is the start of something really fun in Baltimore.
Born in Baltimore, Mike had long been drawn to sports of all kinds. Growing up watching Cal Ripken play ever day gave him a great example for which to attack every endeavor he undertakes.
When the Ravens came to town, though, that’s when Mike found his passion. Since that time, he’s tried to gain every bit of knowledge he could. Now as a high school coach, Mike is able to take his film study and appreciation of the game to a new level.
To engage with Mike on social media, follow him on Twitter @MikeFastNFL.