The will begin the Jesse Minter era with an immediate road test against an 1. Baltimore’s No. 2 rushing offense vs. Indianapolis’ No. 7 run defenseThe 2. Derrick Henry vs. the Colts’ defensive frontHenry rushed for 1,595 yards, averaged 5.2 yards per carry, and scored 16 touchdowns in 2025. Over his first two seasons with Baltimore, he leads the NFL with 3,516 rushing yards, 32 rushing touchdowns and 5.6 yards per attempt among running backs.3. Jonathan Taylor vs. Baltimore’s No. 10 rushing defense
Taylor finished with 1,585 rushing yards, 18 touchdowns and a 4.9-yard average. Baltimore allowed 106.6 rushing yards per game and 18 touchdowns on the ground. Roquan Smith and the Ravens’ rebuilt front must prevent Taylor from reaching open space.4. Lamar Jackson vs. Indianapolis’ No. 31 pass defense
The Colts surrendered 247.9 passing yards per game. Jackson produced a 103.8 passer rating while averaging 8.4 yards per attempt, throwing 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions despite missing time.5. Daniel Jones vs. Baltimore’s No. 30 pass defense
Baltimore also allowed 247.9 passing yards per game. Jones completed 68% of his throws for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, finishing with a 100.2 passer rating.6. Zay Flowers vs. Sauce Gardner
Flowers caught 86 passes for 1,211 yards and five touchdowns, finishing with an impressive 14.1-yard average. Gardner gives Indianapolis a long, physical cornerback capable of disrupting routes, but Flowers’ quickness and movement could neutralize that advantage.7. Alec Pierce’s 21.3-yard average vs. Baltimore’s secondary
Pierce turned 47 catches into 1,003 yards and six touchdowns. His 21.3-yard average makes him Indianapolis’ primary vertical threat. Baltimore surrendered 4,403 gross passing yards and 23 touchdowns last season.8. Tyler Warren’s 76 receptions vs. Kyle Hamilton
Warren recorded 76 catches for 817 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie. Hamilton finished with 105 tackles, nine passes defensed and seven tackles for loss. Baltimore can use its All-Pro safety to counter Warren’s versatility.9. Ravens’ third-down offense vs. Colts’ third-down defense
Baltimore converted 40.9% of its third downs, ranking 13th. Indianapolis allowed opponents to convert 42.5%, ranking 26th. Staying out of obvious passing situations will help Baltimore protect its inexperienced interior offensive line.10. Colts’ third-down offense vs. Ravens’ third-down defense
Indianapolis converted 42.6% and ranked eighth. Baltimore’s defense allowed a 37.8% conversion rate and ranked 11th. Jones’ connection with Keenan Allen, Josh Downs and Warren could become particularly important on third down.11. Indianapolis’ red-zone offense vs. Baltimore’s red-zone defense
The Colts scored touchdowns on 65.2% of their red-zone possessions, tying for fifth. Baltimore ranked sixth by allowing touchdowns on only 50.8% of opponents’ trips inside the 20.12. Baltimore’s red-zone offense vs. Indianapolis’ red-zone defense
The Ravens ranked 27th with a 47.5% touchdown rate despite having Jackson and Henry. Indianapolis allowed touchdowns on 53.7% of red-zone possessions. Improving that efficiency will be one of Declan Doyle’s first priorities.13. Baltimore’s protection vs. Indianapolis’ pass rush
The Ravens surrendered 45 sacks last season and will start Jovaughn Gwyn at center and rookie Vega Ioane at right guard. Indianapolis recorded 39 sacks, led by Latu’s 8.5 and Buckner’s four.14. Indianapolis’ protection vs. Baltimore’s revamped rush
The Colts allowed only 29 sacks. Baltimore produced 30, with Travis Jones leading the team at five. The additions of Trey Hendrickson and Calais Campbell should give Minter and Anthony Weaver more ways to pressure Jones.15. Tyler Loop vs. the Colts’ kicking operation
Loop converted 30 of 34 field-goal attempts, including 29 of 30 from inside 50 yards. His primary concern was distance, where he went 1-for-4 beyond 50. Indianapolis’ three kickers combined to convert 34 of 36 attempts.
These teams finished with identical 8-9 records, but their paths were different. Baltimore leaned on its rushing attack while Indianapolis scored 466 points behind Taylor and a productive passing game.
Final analysis
The Ravens must control Taylor, finish drives, and protect Jackson against a Colts defense built to create pressure without sacrificing coverage. Indianapolis’ clearest path is to establish the run and attack a Baltimore pass defense trying to improve under a new staff.This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: