The wait is over

Months of hype about Lamar Jackson in a brand-new offense finally meet a real defense on Sunday against the Colts.

A rookie play caller

Declan Doyle, 30, calls plays for the first time in his career. He will do it from the press box, and where he stands became actual news.

Jackson is talking big

He spent the offseason praising the chances for explosive plays and backing Doyle's ability to scheme receivers open into favorable matchups.

“New season, it feels like a new breath of fresh air.”

Take the praise lightly

Jackson is always publicly behind his coaches and teammates. His optimism tells you about his character, not about the offense.

His future is unsettled

Jackson has committed to nothing past 2026. His contract lets him pick his spot as a free agent after this season unless Baltimore changes his mind.

He is his own agent

Jackson represents himself, and he has little appetite for negotiating while playing. That may have already closed the window on an extension.

Doyle wants the mystery

He is happy to let defensive coordinators guess. But his coaching lineage and the preseason tape already gave away formation and scheme changes.

Under center most snaps

Expect Jackson under center on 60 to 70 percent of snaps, a huge shift for a quarterback who has lived in shotgun and pistol since becoming a starter.

Follow the coaching tree

Doyle's mentor Sean Payton leans under center. So did the Bears last year under Ben Johnson, where Doyle coached and Caleb Williams took snaps there constantly.

He is already good there

Jackson led the NFL in Expected Points Added from under center last season, and Todd Monken had begun shifting that direction before the change.

It helps Derrick Henry

Henry is entering his age 32 season, where most backs fade. Under center suits him, and Ravens backups thrived on boots, misdirection and play action in preseason.

He owns this coordinator

Jackson is 9-1 against defenses run by Lou Anarumo, now in Indianapolis, averaging roughly 10 carries for 66 yards in those meetings.

They cannot stop QB runs

Anarumo's Colts defense had a 31.6 percent success rate against quarterback runs last season, 31st in the league. Jackson has run nine-plus times in six of the last seven meetings.

A linebacker problem

Indianapolis is cycling through linebackers with nobody locked in. Anarumo handled Henry well in their last two meetings, but containing Jackson is a different job.

Slot and tight end feast

Against Anarumo, Jackson has hit tight ends on 72 percent of throws with 9 touchdowns and no picks. To the slot: 73-for-107, nine scores, a 116.5 rating.

The prediction

Around 350 to 375 total yards for Jackson, plenty on the ground, one interception behind a shaky interior line, and a shootout he probably decides.

“Jackson is likely the difference in this game.”