The Ravens open the season with big expectations and a tough early test, and Week 1 against the Colts feels like an important first checkpoint. Baltimore enters with the best odds to make the playoffs in the AFC, and it’s tied with the Rams for the highest win total in the league at 11.5. If the Ravens are going to live up to that kind of billing, beating Indianapolis right away would be a clean place to start.
There’s plenty of pressure on Lamar Jackson to look more like himself again. In 2025, injuries got in the way, and when he was on the field, his production dipped well below his standard.
He finished with a 63.6% completion rate, averaged 196.1 passing yards per game and added just 26.8 rushing yards per game. For Baltimore, that bounce-back matters more than almost anything else.
That’s part of why the betting market has caught so much attention. In this week’s edition of the Road to 272 Bets, the pick was the UNDER in this AFC matchup, with the Ravens’ offense and the Colts’ offense both projected to have a hard time finding rhythm.
The skepticism around Baltimore starts with more than just Jackson’s numbers. The team moved on from John Harbaugh this offseason, yet the market still has it priced as one of the safest playoff bets in the AFC. Derrick Henry is another part of the equation, but he’s not getting any younger, and the interior of the offensive line is a major question heading into the year.
Indianapolis comes in with its own issues. The Colts were among the league’s best teams in the first half of the 2025 season, but injuries wrecked that momentum and pushed them out of the playoff race altogether. They’re trying to rediscover the version of themselves that showed up over the first 10 weeks a year ago.
Daniel Jones is back at quarterback after an injury last season, and the Colts also lost Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers. That leaves even more uncertainty for an offense already trying to reestablish itself.
The expectation here is that both offenses could have trouble, while Baltimore’s defense should be better under Jesse Minter.
In Other News...
Colts Just Sent A Clear Message With This Late Roster Shakeup
The Colts made a late roster tweak this week, moving offensive tackle Luke Tenuta from the practice squad onto the 53-man roster and waiving cornerback Jaylon Jones to open the spot. Its the kind of transaction that can get overlooked on a busy roster sheet, but it points to where Indianapolis wanted a little more security heading into the stretch run: the backup tackle group.
Tenuta gives the Colts added depth behind the starting offensive line, while the corresponding practice-squad move brought in tight end Kenny Fletcher Jr. to fill the vacancy. Small as it may seem, the shuffle says plenty about how the team is trying to balance protection up front with the flexibility to keep the rest of the roster stocked. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Just Made A Secondary Decision Fans Didn't See Coming
The Colts kept tweaking the bottom of the roster by moving offensive tackle Luke Tenuta up from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, a shift that opened a spot for the team to make another pass at its depth. To keep the practice squad balanced, Indianapolis also brought in free agent tight end Kenny Fletcher Jr., an undrafted rookie out of Rutgers who made his college move from defensive end to tight end.
The move that stands out most is on the other side of the ball, where the Colts waived cornerback Jaylon Jones, a two-year starter for the team before this latest shake-up. Tenuta brings prior NFL stops with the Bills, Packers and Cardinals, but Jones departure adds a layer of intrigue because it trims from a position group that has mattered for Indianapolis, and it leaves one more roster question hanging as the team sorts out what it wants its secondary to look like next. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Secondary Draws Fresh Scrutiny Right Before The Opener
The Colts secondary is getting a little unwanted attention as the season opener approaches, with two defensive backs landing on the NFLs fine list for preseason infractions. Cam Taylor-Britt was hit for unnecessary roughness on a tackle in the finale against the Lions, while Trey Washington was fined for a facemask in a preseason game against the Falcons, adding a late-week reminder that discipline has been part of the conversation around this group.
The bigger issue for Indianapolis is the timing. Taylor-Britt is already set to miss the opener because of a separate suspension tied to a violation of the leagues personal conduct policy, leaving the Colts to sort out their back end without one of its most recognizable defenders. For a unit trying to settle in before the games start counting, the added fines only underscore how little margin there is for error. [Read more 🡒]