Ravens 41, Colts 23 — Week 1: 205 on the Ground and 166 Allowed Through the Air

Baltimore ran for 205 yards and four touchdowns in Indianapolis on Sunday, threw for 324 more on just 26 pass plays, and allowed a hundred 66 passing yards all afternoon. The Colts scored on the opening drive, a nine-play march to Jonathan Taylor's one-yard touchdown, and then Baltimore scored the next 28 points. 41 to 23, Ravens, at Lucas Oil Stadium, and the Ravens led on 89 percent of the plays in the game.

Start with the pass defense, because a year ago it was the weak unit on this team and on Sunday it was the best unit on the field. Indianapolis ran 33 pass plays and lost 15 expected points doing it. Expected points added is what a snap was worth given the down, the distance and the field position, and on defense a big negative number is the good direction — those are points the offense gave back by running the play at all. −15 on 33 works out to the second-best figure per pass play of the 16 teams in Sunday's early games, and 12 of the 33 plays were successful for the Colts, a 36 percent rate that is third-best. The first half was the whole story: 19 Colts pass plays for 88 yards and −12. Roquan Smith intercepted Daniel Jones on second and 12 at the Indianapolis 28 with seven 38 left in the first quarter, Baltimore up seven to six by then and about to score again — 16 points of win probability on that one play, the biggest swing of the game. Marlon Humphrey knocked the ball out of Taylor's hands after a 14-yard catch with six 47 left in the half and recovered it himself at the Indianapolis 47; three plays later Derrick Henry scored from 32. Two sacks, Tavius Robinson and Malaki Starks. The run defense was the softer half: 20 Indianapolis carries for a hundred two yards, two touchdowns, and +2 and a half expected points allowed, fourteenth of the 16. Taylor went 21 yards from the four with four 24 left in the third.

The run game was the second-best of the 16 by expected points per carry. 34 rushing plays, 205 yards, four touchdowns, +9 and a half expected points. 16 of the 34 were successful, which is an ordinary rate — this was a run game built on big plays and touchdowns, not consistency. Lamar Jackson scored around left end from the five on second and five with eight 25 left in the first, two plays after his 49-yard throw to Zay Flowers put the ball at the two. Henry scored from the four on second and four with four oh eight left in the first, from the 32 around left tackle with five 12 left in the half, and from the three around left end with 12 50 left in the game. Jackson's 16-yard scramble on third and 16 from the Indianapolis 37 kept the second touchdown drive alive after a chop-block penalty had pushed it back.

The passing game was as efficient as it was light. 26 pass plays, 324 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, +10 expected points — fifth of the 16 by expected points per pass play, and 14 of the 26 were successful, third-best. Three throws went for 49, 54 53 yards, all deep or over the middle: Flowers to the two, Flowers short middle for the 54-yard touchdown on second and nine from the Baltimore 46 with seven oh four left in the half, and Chris Moore deep left for 53 on third and five from the Baltimore 28 on the first play of the fourth quarter, which set up Henry's last touchdown. Baltimore threw eight times after halftime and ran 17.

Three things in the ledger that were not good. Fourth and three at the Indianapolis three with 12 oh seven left in the half, up 14 to six, Jackson's pass for Ja'Kobi Lane was incomplete — three expected points given up on the goal line. Three possessions later, first and 10 at the Baltimore 30, up 28 to six, Arden Key and Laiatu Latu split a sack, Key knocked it loose, and DeForest Buckner recovered at the 15; Taylor scored four plays later. Six expected points on that one. And Baltimore was flagged 10 times for 86 yards to the Colts' four for 29. 11 snaps inside the Indianapolis 20 produced three touchdowns, and Tyler Loop made both his field goals, from 57 at the end of the half and 45. Baltimore converted three of eight third downs.

Now the part where a Week 1 episode has to be honest about what it is. The ranks in this episode are against the 16 teams that played in the early window on Sunday, not the whole league. What there is, is last year. In 2025 this offense finished second in the league in expected points per rush attempt and 20-fourth per pass play, and the team won eight games. On Sunday the run game was second of 16, which is the same unit, and the passing game was fifth, which is not the same unit. The defense finished 20-first in expected points allowed per play and 20-first against the pass a year ago, and tied for 20-eighth in sacks. On Sunday it was second of 16 against the pass. If you want one sentence out of this: the run game looks like itself, and the two units that finished in the twenties a year ago — the passing game and the pass defense — both played like top-five units against one opponent on one afternoon, and that is the thing a single game is least able to confirm.

Baltimore is home to New Orleans next Sunday. Watch the pass defense first, and watch the run defense, in that order.

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_Data via nflverse._