The Baltimore Ravens vs Indianapolis Colts is a Week 1 matchup of the 2026 NFL regular season. Baltimore travels to Indianapolis for the Colts’ home opener at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, September 13, 2026. The game kicks off at 1:00 PM ET and will be televised on CBS.

📅 Match Information

Detail	Information
Match	Baltimore Ravens vs Indianapolis Colts
NFL Season	2026
Week	Week 1
Date	Sunday, September 13, 2026
Kickoff	1:00 PM ET
India Time	10:30 PM IST
Venue	Lucas Oil Stadium
Location	Indianapolis, Indiana
Home Team	Indianapolis Colts
Away Team	Baltimore Ravens
TV	CBS
Streaming	Paramount+
Competition	NFL Regular Season
Ravens Division	AFC North
Colts Division	AFC South

The Colts officially announced this as their 2026 home opener, while Baltimore’s official schedule lists the Ravens as the visiting team.

🟣 Baltimore Ravens

Team Overview

Category	Baltimore Ravens
Conference	AFC
Division	AFC North
Head Coach	Jesse Minter
Quarterback	Lamar Jackson
Running Back	Derrick Henry
Home Stadium	M&T Bank Stadium
Week 1	at Indianapolis
2025 Record	8–9

The Ravens enter 2026 with a major coaching change: Jesse Minter is beginning his first season as Baltimore’s head coach. The Ravens’ official schedule information identifies this as his first season leading the team.

⭐ Lamar Jackson — QB

Lamar Jackson remains the biggest attraction on the Ravens roster.

His combination of:

Elite speed
Running ability
Deep-ball capability
Improvisation
Play-action effectiveness

makes Baltimore extremely difficult to defend.

For Indianapolis, containing Jackson outside the pocket will be one of the biggest challenges of the afternoon.

🏃 Derrick Henry — RB

Henry gives Baltimore a completely different dimension.

While Jackson threatens defenses with his mobility, Henry can punish defenses with physical downhill running.

The Ravens can therefore attack Indianapolis in two very different ways:

Jackson’s explosiveness + Henry’s power.

🛡️ Ravens Defense

Baltimore’s defense is entering a new era under Jesse Minter.

The team added several defensive pieces during the offseason, including:

Arden Key
Michael Clemons
Akeem Davis-Gaither
Cam Taylor-Britt
Jonathan Owens

The Ravens will be hoping the revamped unit can create pressure while limiting Indianapolis’ passing game.

🔵 Indianapolis Colts

Team Overview

Category	Indianapolis Colts
Conference	AFC
Division	AFC South
Head Coach	Shane Steichen
Quarterback	Daniel Jones
Running Back	Jonathan Taylor
Home Stadium	Lucas Oil Stadium
Week 1	vs Baltimore
2025 Record	8–9

Indianapolis finished 8–9 in 2025 and enters the new season with Shane Steichen continuing as head coach.

⭐ Daniel Jones — QB

Daniel Jones will be one of the most closely watched Colts players.

His mobility can help Indianapolis deal with Baltimore’s pressure, but he will need to make accurate decisions against a talented Ravens defense.

The matchup gives Jones an immediate opportunity to establish himself as Indianapolis’ offensive leader.

🏃 Jonathan Taylor — RB

Taylor remains one of the Colts’ biggest offensive weapons.

If Indianapolis wants to beat Baltimore, establishing Taylor early could be crucial.

A strong running game would:

Reduce pressure on Jones
Keep Lamar Jackson off the field
Force Baltimore to respect play action
Help Indianapolis control the clock

⭐ Alec Pierce — WR

Pierce is one of the NFL’s premier deep threats.

He had a career-best 1,003 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2025, averaging 21.3 yards per catch. He is expected to be available for Week 1 after recovering from ankle surgery.

That makes him particularly interesting against Baltimore’s secondary.

⭐ Keenan Allen — WR

The veteran receiver gives Jones another experienced target.

Allen signed with Indianapolis during the offseason and is expected to play in Week 1.

⚔️ Key Matchups

1. Lamar Jackson vs Colts Defense

This is the matchup.

Indianapolis has to prevent Jackson from turning broken plays into 20- or 30-yard gains.

The Colts’ defense needs to:

Keep Jackson inside the pocket
Maintain disciplined edge contain
Prevent scramble lanes
Force third-and-long
Make Baltimore win through sustained drives

Advantage: Ravens

2. Derrick Henry vs Colts Run Defense

Henry could be the foundation of Baltimore’s offensive strategy.

If Indianapolis allows him to consistently gain 4–6 yards, Baltimore can control possession and set up play action for Jackson.

Advantage: Ravens

3. Jonathan Taylor vs Ravens Front

Indianapolis needs Taylor to have a productive afternoon.

If Taylor can establish the run, the Colts can slow the game down and prevent Baltimore from dictating the pace.

Advantage: Close

4. Alec Pierce vs Ravens Secondary

Pierce’s deep speed gives Indianapolis a potential way to create explosive plays.

If Baltimore brings extra pressure, Jones could look for Pierce downfield.

Advantage: Colts as a potential X-factor

5. Daniel Jones vs Ravens Pass Rush

This could determine whether Indianapolis can stay competitive.

If Baltimore creates consistent pressure, Jones will be forced into difficult third-down situations.

If Indianapolis protects him, the Colts have a much better chance of producing points.

Advantage: Ravens

🧠 Coaching Battle

Jesse Minter vs Shane Steichen

This matchup is particularly interesting because both teams enter 2026 with different expectations.

Jesse Minter — Ravens

2026 is Minter’s first season as Baltimore’s head coach. He inherits a talented roster and enormous expectations.

Shane Steichen — Colts

Steichen enters his fourth season as Indianapolis’ head coach. The Colts are looking to improve after an 8–9 season.

🔥 Why You Should Watch This Game

1. 🏃 Lamar Jackson

Any game involving Lamar has enormous entertainment value.

His ability to turn a routine play into a huge gain makes Baltimore dangerous throughout all four quarters.

2. 💪 Derrick Henry

Jackson and Henry together create one of the NFL’s most difficult rushing combinations.

3. 🏟️ Colts Home Opener

Indianapolis begins its 2026 campaign at Lucas Oil Stadium, giving the Colts an important home-field advantage.

4. 🧠 New Ravens Era

This is the first regular-season game of Jesse Minter’s Ravens head-coaching tenure.

5. ⚡ Alec Pierce’s Deep Threat

Pierce averaged 21.3 yards per reception in 2025, making him a genuine big-play threat.

6. 🏈 Jonathan Taylor vs Derrick Henry

Watching two powerful running backs on opposite sides adds another fascinating element.

7. 🔥 AFC Playoff Implications

It’s only Week 1, but both teams have postseason ambitions. A strong start could be extremely valuable in what is likely to be a competitive AFC landscape.

🔮 Prediction

My Pick: Baltimore Ravens

Ravens 27 — Colts 20

I would give Baltimore the advantage despite Indianapolis having home-field advantage.

Estimated win probability

Team	Prediction
🟣 Baltimore Ravens	65%
🔵 Indianapolis Colts	35%

This is my analytical estimate, not an official sportsbook probability.

Current Week 1 betting markets also have Baltimore favored; exact lines can move before kickoff.

Why I favor Baltimore

1. Lamar Jackson

The quarterback matchup is the biggest reason.

2. Derrick Henry

Baltimore can attack Indianapolis without putting everything on Jackson’s arm.

3. Defensive advantage

The Ravens appear to have the stronger overall defensive unit.

4. More explosive offense

Jackson gives Baltimore a unique ability to generate explosive plays.

How Indianapolis can win

The Colts’ path is straightforward:

Jonathan Taylor controls the clock → Daniel Jones avoids turnovers → Alec Pierce creates explosive plays → Colts defense forces Baltimore into field goals.

If that happens, Indianapolis can absolutely pull off the upset.

🏆 Final Prediction