The Ravens are heading into Week 1 with the kind of expectation that usually comes with a team laying points on the road. DraftKings Sportsbook has Baltimore as a 3.5-point favorite over the Indianapolis Colts, a number that reflects the talent gap and the buzz around Jesse Minter’s first season as head coach.
But the recent track record says this opener could get messy fast.
Baltimore has gone 2-3 in its last five Week 1 road games, and the last two have ended in losses. The Ravens dropped the 2024 opener at Kansas City, then opened the 2025 season with a loss at Buffalo. Being favored away from home has not exactly been a safe place for this group.
Lamar Jackson, though, has done his part in those games. In those two road openers, he threw three touchdown passes and did not throw an interception. He also ran for 192 yards and another score, giving Baltimore every chance to walk away with a win.
That’s the version of Jackson the Ravens will need again in Indianapolis. He enters the opener healthy and with energy around Declan Doyle’s new offense. Jackson has already spoken highly of the system’s movement, creativity and explosive-play potential, but Sunday will be Doyle’s first regular-season game calling plays in the NFL.
Baltimore is also making a notable change up front, with Jovaughn Gwyn set to start at center for the first time. The communication between Gwyn, Jackson and the rest of the offensive line will matter against a Colts front that includes DeForest Buckner, Laiatu Latu, Arden Key and Adetomiwa Adebawore.
And Indianapolis is not short on firepower itself. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, while Daniel Jones has multiple receiving options who can turn a routine play into something bigger.
The Ravens may be favored, but this opener carries plenty of moving parts on both sides.
In Other News...
Colts Just Got A New Reason To Believe In This Roster
ESPNs Football Power Index has given the Colts a fresh bit of optimism, running thousands of simulations for the 2026 season and producing one path where Indianapolis sneaks into the playoffs as a wild card at 9-8. In that version of the year, the Colts run would include a playoff win over the Jacksonville Jaguars before the Buffalo Bills end the ride in the divisional round.
It is only one simulation, of course, but it lands in a moment when the Colts are still being judged on the balance of their roster, with clear strengths and obvious areas that still need sorting out. For a team trying to reestablish itself in the AFC race, even a single projection like that can serve as a reminder that the ceiling is higher than the safest skeptics want to admit. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Have The Talent To Contend But One Concern Still Looms
Albert Breers latest read on the Colts is a fairly upbeat one heading into 2026, with the roster drawing praise for the pieces already in place around Shane Steichen and Daniel Jones. The skill-position group also gives Indianapolis a legitimate base to work from, which is part of why there is real belief the team can stay in the contender conversation if things come together.
Breers caution, though, is the kind of offseason warning that can linger well into the fall. He pointed to the thinner spots at pass rusher, cornerback and along the offensive line, areas where one injury can quickly change the math for a season and, by extension, the organizations long-term outlook. For a team trying to move from promising to dependable, those margins may end up mattering as much as the top-line talent. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Enter Week 1 With Their Biggest Roster Doubt Unanswered
The Colts enter the 2026 season with a familiar mix of talent and uncertainty, and the national view is not especially generous. Multiple analysts have clustered Indianapolis in the middle of the pack, citing concerns about health and depth as the biggest reason the roster still feels unfinished. There is optimism around the core pieces, but much of the outlook still rests on how consistently Daniel Jones, Jonathan Taylor and Alec Pierce can hold up and produce.
Week 1 offers little room to ease into things, either. Indianapolis is staring at a difficult opening stretch and already projected by many to finish third in the AFC South, which only raises the importance of getting answers early. Before the division picture even settles, the Colts will be tested by Baltimore and Kansas City, then move toward an early matchup with Houston, and the biggest question hanging over the roster is whether the pieces around the core are ready to keep pace. [Read more 🡒]