Eight months, one afternoon

Minter was hired in late January. Sunday in Indianapolis was the first time anyone could see whether the plan worked.

“The opener obviously sort of feels like that first real opportunity to be the type of team we want to be.”

A hug in victory formation

With 95 seconds left and a 41-23 win locked up, Minter's father Rick, a longtime college coach now on the Ravens staff, put an arm around his son. Minter called it surreal.

Exactly what was promised

Ravens officials hired Minter expecting explosive offense, sturdy defense, reliable special teams. For 60 minutes, that is what showed up.

The offense went off

Lamar Jackson threw for 324 and ran for 40. Derrick Henry rushed for 144 and three scores. Zay Flowers set a career high with 150 receiving yards.

506 yards, 7.9 a play

New coordinator Declan Doyle's first game produced 506 total yards and matched the 41 points the Ravens scored against Green Bay last December, their 2025 high.

The best offense, erased

Indianapolis had the NFL's top offense through two months last season. Sunday they managed 251 yards, their fewest in 14 Daniel Jones starts, and went 3-for-10 on third down.

A rough first drive

The Colts opened with a 65-yard, nine-play touchdown march. Presnap communication looked shaky and the pass defense had holes.

Then the punches landed

Over the next five Colts possessions: two turnovers, one first down. Indianapolis did not cross midfield again until late in the second quarter, down 28-6.

“They're going to throw punches, and we've got to take their punch and have a strong chin.”

Teaching points, visible

Jackson played on time, then scrambled on broken plays. Receivers turned into downfield blockers, worth 171 yards after the catch. Linemen fired off in Doyle's outside-zone run game. Jones had one completion of 15-plus air yards.

The old ghosts stayed quiet

A 31-16 fourth-quarter lead felt thin with Flowers out and the run defense leaking. John Harbaugh lost his job partly over late-game collapses like the one brewing.

Good enough, on purpose

Henry pushed it to 38-16, then the Ravens burned six minutes on a 10-play field goal drive and held the ball for the final 3:22. Not their best, but enough.

“Last year's flushed. We're focused, one game at a time.”

Now find a rhythm

Minter told the team the celebration has a shelf life. A normal week starts now, and the standard is playing to their identity every week and living with the result.

“He's always preached, 'Be the best when your best is needed.'”