Baltimore opened the season with a win over the Colts, and the game gave the Ravens just about everything: star power, explosive offense, a few tense stretches, and a couple of areas that still need cleaning up.
Start with Lamar Jackson, because everything else flowed from him. After 252 days away from game action, he came back looking every bit like himself.
Jackson threw for more than 300 yards and posted a 124.2 passer rating, then added 40 yards on the ground. He also delivered the kind of moment that reminds everyone what makes him so hard to defend: a sack escape and scramble on 3rd and 16 that picked up a first down and helped set up a touchdown.
In other words, the MVP is back.
He didn’t do it alone. Baltimore’s offense rolled out what can only be described as a three-headed monster.
Derrick Henry ran for 144 yards at 6.0 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns. Zay Flowers piled up 150 yards and a touchdown on five catches, and he did all of that in just the first half.
Put those numbers next to Jackson’s return and you get one of the league’s most dangerous trios.
The ground game, in particular, looked built to take over once Baltimore had control. Henry was able to wear down the Colts after the Ravens built their lead, which mattered even more once Flowers was out for the second half and the passing game lost some of its punch.
With Baltimore leaning more under center this season, Henry should get more chances in the kind of stretch and zone concepts that suit him best. The offensive line did its best work there, too.
According to Next Gen Stats, Henry wasn’t tackled behind the line of scrimmage once against Indianapolis.
Baltimore’s defense had a bumpier start, but it settled in quickly. The Colts marched down the field on their opening drive, which briefly brought back some of the concerns that had been hanging around this unit.
After that, though, the Ravens took over. Jesse Minter made adjustments, the players responded, and the defense controlled the rest of the afternoon.
Daniel Jones finished with fewer than 200 passing yards even though the Colts were chasing the game for most of it. Jonathan Taylor had a solid outing, but Baltimore kept him from ripping off any huge plays.
Marlon Humphrey forced a turnover by prying the ball loose after one catch, and Roquan Smith added an interception. The pass rush chipped in with two sacks and nine quarterback hits.
Special teams also did its job, and then some. Tyler Loop, who had been a real preseason concern, turned in a clean opening act.
The second-year kicker made all five extra points and went 2-for-2 on field goals, including a 57-yarder that would have been good from beyond 60. Rookie punter Ryan Eckley averaged 46.7 yards on three punts, but every one of them was placed inside the 20.
He avoided any major mistakes, which is exactly what Baltimore needed from a first-year punter. The Ravens also got solid work in the punt and kickoff return game.
There were still some rough edges on offense, especially in pass protection. The line was strong in the run game, but it wasn’t nearly as steady when Jackson dropped back.
At times he had a clean pocket and all day to throw. At others, he was forced into quick escapes almost immediately.
Pro Football Focus credited Baltimore with allowing 10 pressures on 33 pass plays, and none of the starting linemen graded above a 70.0 in pass blocking. There’s some context there, since several starters didn’t play in the preseason and Vega Ioane and Jovaughn Gwyn were making their first NFL starts against a player like DeForest Buckner.
Even so, the Ravens need that part of the operation to tighten up.
The other offensive concern showed up when Flowers left the game. Baltimore came out attacking downfield early, just as it said it wanted to all offseason.
But once Flowers was gone, the passing game lost its rhythm. He accounted for 150 of Jackson’s 229 first-half passing yards, and Jackson didn’t reach 100 passing yards in the second half.
Some of that was the Ravens shifting into a run-heavy approach with the lead, but Flowers’ absence was still obvious. Chris Moore’s 53-yard deep catch-and-run late in the fourth quarter helped put the game away, but the offense didn’t have much through the air after Flowers exited.
With Flowers day-to-day and Ja’Kobi Lane out for weeks, the Ravens will need more from Rashod Bateman, Tez Walker, and Elijah Sarratt. That receiver group is going to be under the spotlight now, and it will have to answer.
In Other News...
Ravens Formula Is Working Early But Week 2 Brings One Big Test
The early returns in Baltimore have pointed to a team that looks unusually synchronized for September, with rookie head coach Jesse Minter and rookie offensive coordinator Declan Doyle already building a clear identity. The Ravens want to live on explosive plays on offense and take them away on defense, and that approach has shown up in the way Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers have helped stretch the field while the defense works to limit the same kind of game-changing snaps on the other side.
Week 2, though, offers a sharper read on how sturdy that formula really is, especially with Flowers dealing with a hamstring injury that could alter the offenses margin for error. Baltimores strong early ranking in explosive play differential suggests the plan is working, but the next test is whether the Ravens can keep creating separation if one of their most dangerous weapons is not fully available. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Suddenly Have A Receiver Problem Before The Home Opener
The receiver room took an early hit in the opener when rookie JaKobi Lane fractured his wrist and had surgery, pushing him onto injured reserve for at least four games. Baltimore moved quickly to patch the roster by promoting veteran Chris Moore, while head coach Jesse Minter said the team wants Lane back as soon as possible once he is healthy enough to return.
The bigger concern for the Ravens is that Lanes absence comes with Zay Flowers still day-to-day because of a hamstring injury, leaving the passing game a little thinner than anyone would have liked this early in the season. Baltimore can manage that for a stretch, but the home opener now carries a little more pressure on the rest of the wideouts to stabilize the offense while the team waits on two key pieces to get right. [Read more 🡒]
Tavius Robinson Might Be Giving Ravens Defense What It Was Missing
Tavius Robinson gave the Ravens a notable lift in Week 1, and it came at exactly the right time for a defense looking to look sharper up front. Baltimores defensive line showed real improvement against Indianapolis, with Robinson finishing with seven pressures and a sack as the Ravens helped hold the Colts to 149 passing yards and only two plays over 25 yards.
The bigger question now is whether this was a strong opening statement or the start of something more sustainable. Baltimore posted a league-best 52.9% pressure rate, Jesse Minter praised Robinsons performance, and the defense should have more pieces coming back from injury while the coaching staff keeps tweaking things, which gives the Ravens a chance to build on what looked missing a year ago. [Read more 🡒]