Baltimore got exactly the kind of opening Sunday it needed in Indianapolis: a convincing 41-23 win over the Colts, a healthy-looking Lamar Jackson, and a team that spent the afternoon looking every bit like an AFC heavyweight.
That matters, especially after nine months of slogging through Orioles misery and after years of Ravens frustration in the Midwest. This one felt different from the jump. The Ravens were fast, powerful and dangerous, and they carried themselves like a team that expects to be playing meaningful football deep into January.
Jackson threw for 324 yards, ran for a touchdown and pulled off one of those impossible escapes that make you wonder how anyone is supposed to defend him once the first play breaks down. When he’s upright and moving like that, the whole operation looks sharper.
Declan Doyle looked smart. Jesse Minter looked smart.
Eric DeCosta looked smart. Steve Bisciotti looks smart.
And then there was Derrick Henry, who finished with 144 rushing yards and three touchdowns, doing exactly what Baltimore had in mind when it paired him with Jackson: build a lead, hand it to the giant man, and let everyone head home early.
Zay Flowers was just as electric before a hamstring issue took him out of the picture. He caught five passes for 150 yards before halftime and was every bit the problem Baltimore hoped he’d be for defenses. But the injury also reminded the Ravens of the obvious: after Jackson, Flowers is now the most indispensable piece of this offense.
The box score told the rest of the story. Baltimore piled up more than 500 yards of offense.
The defense, after allowing Indianapolis to march down the field on the opening drive, settled in and held the Colts to 251 total yards. Roquan Smith took one away.
Marlon Humphrey ripped away another. Rookie kicker Tyler Loop even hit from 57 yards.
It wasn’t spotless. Week 1 rarely is.
The Ravens were flagged 10 times. The offensive line had some sloppy moments.
The offense lost some juice once Flowers left. Ja’Kobi Lane went out with a nasty wrist injury.
And Chris Moore is not walking in and becoming Zay Flowers for three months.
Still, this was the kind of start that lets a contender breathe a little. The Ravens are entering a stretch that could stack wins in a hurry: New Orleans comes to town this Sunday after losing in overtime in Detroit, then Dallas in Rio, Tennessee at home, Atlanta on the road and Cleveland on the road.
All five lost their openers. Cincinnati doesn’t show up at M&T Bank Stadium until October 25, with Buffalo right after that.
The path is there. The challenge now is making it matter.
That means staying healthy, cleaning up the penalties, keeping Jackson upright and giving Flowers room to keep becoming the kind of star this offense can build around. It also means letting Henry keep closing the bar every Sunday and letting Minter prove that this really is a different day in Owings Mills.
For the first time in nearly two decades, the Ravens opened a season with someone other than John Harbaugh as head coach. There’s been plenty of talk all summer about change, expectations and whether Minter could inherit a loaded roster without breaking what already works. One game won’t answer all of that.
But 1-0 beats the alternative.
And after Sunday, the Ravens looked deep, dangerous, fast and hungry. Lamar Jackson looked like Lamar Jackson again.
Derrick Henry looked ready to punish tired people. Zay Flowers looked like a genuine star.
And the schedule is sitting there, practically asking Baltimore to arrive in late October with the AFC paying very close attention.
Football is back in Baltimore.
Hope is back, too.
In Other News...
Orioles Suddenly Have A Real Third Base Answer For This Stretch Run
With 13 games left, the Orioles are still trying to keep themselves in the Wild Card race while juggling the realities of a season that has been battered by injuries and roster turnover. Jordan Westburgs surgery and the setbacks that followed have left a hole at third base, but the club has kept searching for answers even as it navigates the broader effort to blend present-day urgency with future-minded development.
Coby Mayo has been one of the more encouraging developments in that mix, showing better performance at a time when Baltimore needed somebody to stabilize the position. The Orioles have also continued folding in young talent from the trade deadline as part of that balancing act, and with the front office recently parting ways with vice president Matt Blood, the broader organizational picture is shifting even as this stretch run demands immediate production at the hot corner. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Have One Huge Samuel Basallo Question This Offseason
Samuel Basallos first full taste of the big leagues gave the Orioles plenty to think about, and not just because of the flashes he showed at the plate. The young catcher looked encouraging in the first half of the season before a right shoulder injury sent him to the injured list on July 22, and his year also included left knee discomfort and a left shoulder issue. For a Baltimore club always trying to balance present needs with long-term upside, Basallo remained one of the more intriguing pieces on the roster.
The challenge was what came after he returned on August 19. His batting average, slugging and exit velocity all dipped, and the timing lined up with a broader team slump as the Orioles slid out of playoff contention. That leaves Baltimore heading into the offseason with a familiar but important question around a high-upside young player: how much of the late-season drop was tied to the injuries, and what does it mean for his role going forward? [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Face A Tough Kyle Bradish Decision At The Worst Time
Kyle Bradishs latest turn only sharpened the questions already circling around the Orioles rotation. In a recent loss to Toronto, he was knocked out after three innings and gave up five runs, another uneven outing at a time when Baltimore can least afford one. The timing is especially awkward with the club still fighting through a tight playoff race and the calendar running thin.
Manager Craig Albernaz said the team is weighing all of its options, even as he continues to view Bradish as a competitor he trusts. Bradish, for his part, said fatigue is not the issue, which leaves the Orioles trying to sort out whether the problem is something they can fix on the fly or something that forces a tougher call soon. [Read more 🡒]