The Indianapolis Colts got a brief jolt from their opening-drive touchdown Sunday, but it didn’t take long for the day to turn into a rout. Baltimore came into Lucas Oil Stadium and controlled the game from start to finish, rolling to a 41-23 win in the regular-season opener.
It was a rough afternoon on both sides of the ball for Indianapolis. The offense flashed early, then sputtered. The defense never found a real answer for Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, or Zay Flowers, and the Ravens were up 31-13 by halftime before cruising home.
The Colts actually opened with some rhythm. Josh Downs helped move the ball with 37 yards on two catches, and Jonathan Taylor finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Spencer Shrader missed the extra point, so Indianapolis settled for a 6-0 lead with 10:33 left in the first quarter.
That lead disappeared quickly. Jackson hit Flowers on a 49-yard catch-and-run to set up a five-yard touchdown run after a false start, and Baltimore jumped ahead 7-6 with 8:20 left in the quarter. Daniel Jones then threw an interception to Roquan Smith on the Colts’ next drive, and the Ravens made them pay with a short field, going 31 yards in six plays before Henry powered in from four yards out for a 14-6 lead.
From there, the game started tilting hard in Baltimore’s favor. The Colts managed a three-and-out late in the first quarter, and the Ravens kept stacking drives in the second.
Baltimore marched 59 yards on 10 plays on one possession, but Jackson overthrew Ja'Kobi Lane on fourth-and-goal from the Indy 3. The Colts couldn’t capitalize, punting after gaining just 11 yards on five plays. Then the Ravens struck again, with Jackson and Flowers connecting on a 54-yard catch-and-run touchdown to push the margin to 21-6 with 6:54 left in the half.
Things got worse almost immediately. Taylor fumbled on the first play of the next Colts drive, handing Baltimore another chance. After a 12-yard completion from Jackson to Flowers that gave the receiver a career-best 150-yard day, Henry burst in from 32 yards out to make it 28-6 with 5:04 left before halftime.
The Colts finally created a takeaway when Laiatu Latu and Arden Key got to Jackson, with Key’s hit forcing the ball loose and DeForest Buckner recovering it. Indianapolis turned that into some much-needed life, as Taylor scored again on a three-yard run to cut the deficit to 28-13 with 2:16 left in the half.
Baltimore still had the last word before intermission. After a pair of three-and-outs, Tyler Loop drilled a 57-yard field goal to send the Ravens to the locker room ahead 31-13.
The third quarter opened quietly. Baltimore went three-and-out on its first possession of the second half, and Shrader answered with a career-long 58-yard field goal to trim the score to 31-16 with 7:55 left in the period. After that, both teams traded punts and the quarter drifted out.
The fourth quarter brought a little more scoring, but not nearly enough for Indianapolis to change the outcome. Henry scored his third touchdown of the day on a three-yard run to make it 38-16 with 12:46 left. The Colts answered with a six-play, 74-yard drive, finished by a nine-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Tyler Warren up the middle, cutting it to 38-23 with 10:26 remaining.
Baltimore closed the door with a 45-yard field goal after a 10-play drive, stretching the lead to 41-23 with 4:09 left. The Colts then turned it over on downs on a four-play drive, and the Ravens bled the clock out from there.
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Colts Opening Day Letdown Raises Questions They Werent Supposed To Face
The Colts walked into Week 1 expecting a clean opening statement and instead left with a reminder of how quickly a season can tilt when both sides of the ball go sideways. Baltimore took control early in a 41-23 loss, with Indianapolis struggling to slow the Ravens passing game and failing to generate much rhythm on offense, even as Daniel Jones early interception helped fuel the first surge.
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 🡒]