The Baltimore Ravens couldn't have asked for a much better start to the 2026 season, for the most part. A road opener against the Indianapolis Colts presented plenty of potential pitfalls, but Baltimore largely controlled the gameon its way to a 41-23 victory.
There was plenty to celebrate. Lamar Jackson looked comfortable in Declan Doyle's offense. Derrick Henry continued building his Hall of Fame résumé. Jesse Minter's defense created turnovers and generated timely stops.
The Ravens are 1-0, but as the dust settles, several interesting observations stand out from Sunday's performance.
The Ravens committed 10 penalties for 86 yards and scored 41 points anyway
If there's one statistic that should simultaneously excite and concern Ravens fans, it might not be found in the box score's scoring column. Baltimore was flagged
10 times for 86 yards. A penalty wiped away a Ja'Kobi Lane touchdown.
A key Rashod Bateman reception disappeared because of another flag. Self-inflicted mistakes disrupted multiple drives. Yet the Ravens still scored 41 points and piled up more than 500 yards of offense. That's the scary part if you're a team with Jesse Minter's squad on the schedule.
Few teams can consistently overcome that many penalties against quality opponents. Baltimore did it in Week 1 while running a new offensive system with players still learning their roles. If the Ravens clean up the mistakes, it's fair to wonder how explosive this offense can become.
The Ravens may have an MVP candidate and multiple Offensive Player of the Year contenders.
At this point, it almost feels repetitive to discuss Lamar Jackson's greatness, but Sunday's performance served as another reminder. Jackson finished with 324 passing yards, two total touchdowns, and a passer rating north of 120. He looked every bit like a quarterback capable of inserting himself into the MVP conversation once again.
Meanwhile, Derrick Henry opened his season with roughly 150 rushing yards and three touchdowns. If he remains healthy, another Offensive Player of the Year-caliber campaign is well within reach. Then there's Zay Flowers.
Before leaving with a hamstring injury, Flowers was torching Indianapolis. His 100-yard performance could have been even bigger had he finished the game. If healthy, he looks poised to become one of the focal points of Baltimore's offense and could produce the type of season that elevates him into league-wide conversations.
The run defense might need some work... maybe.
This is probably the toughest takeaway to evaluate after one game. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns while helping Indianapolis generate more than 100 rushing yards as a team. At times, the Colts found creases and generated chunk gains that Baltimore would prefer to eliminate.
The question is whether that says more about the Ravens or Taylor. After all, Taylor remains one of the NFL's premier running backs. Few backs combine vision, power, and explosiveness the way he does. Baltimore also entered the season with questions about its defensive line depth, making Sunday's performance worth watching.
One game isn't enough to sound alarms, but it is enough to keep an eye on the situation.
A no-fly zone in the making?
While the run defense experienced mixed results, the pass defense looked outstanding. Indianapolis managed only 149 passing yards, and the Ravens consistently made life difficult for Daniel Jones. Baltimore recorded two sacks, nine quarterback hits, and an interception while limiting explosive plays throughout the afternoon.
The Colts also converted just three of ten third-down attempts, showing how effectively the Ravens forced difficult situations. Better quarterbacks will undoubtedly provide tougher tests in the weeks ahead. Still, Baltimore can only play the opponent on its schedule, and the secondary passed its first examination with flying colors. If this performance is a sign of what's to come, the Ravens may be developing one of the NFL's most difficult pass defenses to attack.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: 4 in-depth observations from Ravens' Week 1 victory over Colts
