Week 1 preview: Colts’ offense and revamped secondary face tests in season opener vs. Ravens
Colts.com previews the 2026 season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, saying Sunday’s game (between 1 p.m. and about 4 p.m.) will test whether Daniel Jones’ offense can recapture its 2025 form and whether the Colts’ offseason investments in the secondary will change how the team defends Lamar Jackson under new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter.
Colts.com frames the 2026 season opener as an important early test for the offense: can Daniel Jones, OC Jim Bob Cooter and Jonathan Taylor reproduce the efficiency and explosiveness the team showed in the first half of 2025? The preview lists measurable questions fans will watch in Week 1 — offensive efficiency, turnover avoidance and whether Taylor’s production increases with a healthy Jones — while noting past single-game performances don’t guarantee season trends.
The preview also spotlights DC Lou Anarumo’s deeper secondary — including Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward, Justin Walley, Cam Bynum, AJ Haulcy and Hunter Wohler — and asks whether that group will meaningfully affect the Colts’ ability to generate sacks and contain Lamar Jackson. The story cites Jackson’s 2025 pressure-to-sack ratio (sacked 26.3% of the time he was pressured) and his passer rating of 114.0 when blitzed as context for defensive game-planning under new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter.
BusinessIndy examines this development and its implications for Indiana businesses and communities using the linked sources.
Related coverage
- Colts kicker Spencer Shrader delivers late game-winning FGs despite groin injury; Indianapolis team moves to 1-2
- Colts’ 19–17 win over Texans sparks celebration for Lucas Oil Stadium tailgating community
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway notes death of Gordon Johncock, two-time Indy 500 winner, at 90