Week 1 brings plenty of newness for the Ravens, and that’s exactly why this trip to Indianapolis feels so hard to pin down.
Baltimore is opening the Jesse Minter era on the road against the franchise that once called Baltimore home, and there’s real intrigue on both sides. It’s not just a fresh head coach for the first time in nearly two decades. It’s a matchup loaded with firsts, new roles and a whole lot of uncertainty before the first snap.
The Colts’ defense will have to sort through a Ravens offense that’s asking a lot of everyone involved. Indianapolis defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo knows plenty of Baltimore personnel from his six years in Cincinnati, but he’s now dealing with first-time play-caller Declan Doyle, an offense expected to pull from both Sean Payton and Ben Johnson, and Lamar Jackson doing Lamar Jackson things.
That’s a tough puzzle on any week. In Week 1, it borders on cruel.
And then there are the backs. Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor give this game a pair of 1,500-yard rushers, which means the first defensive meeting of the season could get ugly in a hurry. Anthony Weaver didn’t sugarcoat the challenge when he said, “It’s something every defensive coach in the National Football League is worried about right now,” referring to early-season tackling.
Baltimore’s injury picture adds another layer. Nnamdi Madubuike was limited for much of camp, so his Week 1 inactive status wasn’t exactly a shock.
He did, however, sound upbeat after finally speaking Friday: “I’m getting back in that groove and getting back in my zone again. I’m in a great place right now.”
Tyler Loop should have a clean kicking environment if Lucas Oil Stadium’s roof is open, but that doesn’t change the standard. Anything less than perfect is going to invite questions, and practice success won’t mean much if it doesn’t show up when the games count.
Up front, the Colts should give Jovaughn Gwyn and Baltimore’s remodeled interior offensive line a real early test. There will be some bumps, and that’s to be expected. Still, Vega Ioane looking the part at right guard would help calm the bigger concerns around that unit.
On the other side, Daniel Jones is back after tearing his right Achilles tendon in early December, and that alone is notable. But facing a Minter defense without any preseason snaps to get back into rhythm is a different kind of challenge. Expect Baltimore to lean on simulated pressures to throw off his timing and force him to speed up his internal clock.
The preseason debate is hanging over this game too. Minter barely played starters, while Shane Steichen gave many offensive starters six snaps and defensive veterans four in the Colts’ finale.
Maybe that helps. Maybe it doesn’t.
I’m skeptical it will matter much once the game starts.
Indianapolis does have a few key names to watch. The only player carrying a game status designation is reserve linebacker Austin Ajiake, who is questionable with a hamstring injury.
Wide receiver Alec Pierce, listed with a heel issue, and safety A.J. Haulcy, dealing with an ankle injury, are good to go.
Pierce’s health remains a talking point, but his league-leading 21.3 yards per catch last season is what jumps off the page. Sauce Gardner, meanwhile, is a name that could easily decide this thing if he’s anywhere near his best after an injury-hit debut run in Indianapolis.
Minter already got a reminder of what this Colts offense can do. Asked about the 38 points and 400 yards Indianapolis put up against his Chargers defense last October, he said, “That’s great tape obviously for myself to look at.
… It’s different. We have obviously different players and different pieces.”
That’s the whole point now: different players, different system, same job of making plays.
There’s even a family subplot, if not quite a Harbaugh Bowl. Colts defensive quality control coach Dillon Doyle, Declan Doyle’s younger brother, has been helping prepare for Baltimore. Declan kept it simple when asked about that connection: “I haven’t talked to him for a while.”
And then there’s Calais Campbell, who is still making this all look easier than it should. He’s entering his 19th opener, having debuted when George W.
Bush was in office, and at age 40 he was asked about his workload. His answer was classic: “I’m kind of experienced at being old.
I know what I need to do to be able to still be effective on the field.”
As for the game itself, Week 1 chaos is always lurking. San Francisco’s blowout of the supposedly unbeatable Rams was the latest reminder.
Baltimore has plenty of new moving parts, from Minter to Doyle to rookie special teams coordinator Anthony Levine. The offense should have enough firepower with Jackson leading it, and the defense - the side with more continuity in both personnel and scheme - has less excuse to come out flat.
The prediction here is Baltimore gets enough from Jackson, Tre’Y Hendrickson records his first sack as a Raven, Kyle Hamilton forces a turnover, and the Ravens leave Indianapolis with a 24-13 win in Minter’s debut.
In Other News...
Zay Flowers Just Eased One Big Ravens Concern Before Week 1
Zay Flowers took a meaningful step for Baltimore on the second injury report of the 2026 season, going from limited to full participation after dealing with a hamstring injury. For a Ravens offense that wants its top receivers available and ready from the start, that kind of update matters even this early in the week, especially with Week 1 approaching and the usual early-season caution still in play.
The Colts also had a busy report, with A.J. Haulcy, Drew Ogletree, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger and Anthony Richardson all receiving status upgrades. Alec Pierce remained limited with a heel injury, though Indianapolis still expects him to play Sunday, leaving the biggest eye on Baltimore's side squarely on Flowers and whether the relief in his status holds through the rest of the week. [Read more 🡒]
Derrick Henry Just Earned Rare Praise That Ravens Fans Will Love
Scott Hanson, the longtime host of NFL RedZone, recently put Derrick Henry in some pretty rare company, and it is the kind of recognition Ravens fans can appreciate. Hanson singled out Henry as one of the greatest red zone players of the NFL RedZone era, mentioning him in the same breath as Christian McCaffrey while pointing to the kind of scoring presence that has defined Henrys career.
For Baltimore, the praise lands because Henry has already been exactly what the team hoped for when the field gets tight and the end zone gets close. He sits among the all-time leaders in rushing touchdowns and remains a major part of the Ravens offense, a reminder that even as the league keeps changing, Henry is still one of the toughest finishes in football to stop. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Open Week 1 With A Huge Nnamdi Madubuike Concern
The Ravens are heading into Week 1 with a notable hole in the middle of their defense, as defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike will not play against the Colts while he continues to work back from neck surgery. Madubuike has returned to practice, but he has not yet cleared the full week of work needed to be available for game action, leaving Baltimore to open the season without one of its most important interior defenders.
There is still optimism that Madubuikes absence will be short-lived, which gives the situation a different feel than a long-term setback. Baltimore is also monitoring linebacker Teddy Buchanan, who did not fully practice this week as he continues recovering from ACL surgery, so the first week of the season already brings a little extra uncertainty to a defense that expected to have more answers by now. [Read more 🡒]