The Colts are getting a familiar kind of opening-day stress test on Sunday: a home matchup with the Ravens, a team that still has much of the same talent but will look different on the sideline. The 2026 regular season begins at Lucas Oil Stadium, and Indianapolis will also get a welcome sight in the process, with quarterback Daniel Jones, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and cornerbacks Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward Sr., and Justin Walley all back on the field after ending last season injured.
Baltimore’s biggest wrinkle is the coaching staff. For the first time since 2008, the Ravens are operating with new leadership, as Jesse Minter steps in as a first-time head coach.
He’s joined by offensive coordinator and first-time play-caller Declan Doyle and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. The roster may look familiar, but the voices directing it are new, which leaves some uncertainty heading into Week 1.
That uncertainty is part of why the ColtsRoundtable staff is seeing a path for Indianapolis.
Jake Arthur pointed to Jones’ summer form and the quarterback’s growing comfort with head coach Shane Steichen as a play-caller. Arthur said Jones has “looked great physically throughout the summer, and you'd never know he was coming off a blown Achilles if you weren't already aware.”
He also noted that the Colts have already had success against coaches from this new Ravens staff, facing Minter when he was the Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive coordinator last year and Weaver when he was with the Miami Dolphins. In those two wins, Indianapolis averaged 409.5 yards and 35.5 points.
Arthur sees the defensive challenge centered on Derrick Henry, but he believes the Colts can make life harder for Lamar Jackson if they can force Baltimore into third downs. That would open the door for Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo to send pressure at Jackson, which Arthur called one of the best ways to unsettle him.
Zach Hicks also likes the Colts’ chances, though he called it a difficult home opener. He expects Baltimore to be strong this season, but he sees the new staff and the early adjustments that come with it creating some opening-week issues.
Hicks also emphasized that Indianapolis is bringing back 9 of 11 starters on an offense that began last season at an historic pace. He thinks the Ravens may try to force the Colts to prove they can throw early, and he believes Steichen will welcome that challenge.
In Hicks’ view, that setup leads to a close game and a Colts win, with Jones showing the kind of form that made him stand out before last season’s injury.
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Zay Flowers did most of his damage before leaving with an injury, and the Colts never found a comfortable answer for the matchup that had already become a problem. Indy also needed more from its playmakers, with Alec Pierce quiet in the first half, and the kind of opening-day performance that was supposed to settle things only added to the questions this group was trying to avoid. [Read more 🡒]
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Ravens Suddenly Face A Huge Problem Against The Colts
Zay Flowers turned a promising opening for Baltimore into an immediate concern for the Ravens on Sunday, leaving their Week 1 matchup with the Colts because of a hamstring injury. Before heading to the sideline, the second-year receiver was doing serious damage, piling up five catches for 150 yards and a touchdown as Baltimore tried to set the tone early.
Flowers was listed as questionable to return, and the Ravens said they were continuing to evaluate his status during the game. For Indianapolis, the injury changes the feel of a matchup that had already featured one of Baltimores most dangerous playmakers making a big early impact, and now the Colts are waiting to see whether they have to deal with him again or whether the Ravens have to adjust without one of their top targets. [Read more 🡒]