Derrick Henry scored three touchdowns and powered the Ravens past the Colts 41-23 in Indianapolis on Sunday.
Henry had 144 rushing yards and buoyed Baltimore’s offense in the second half after injuries knocked wide receivers Zay Flowers and Ja’Kobi Lane out.
Flowers (hamstring) had five receptions for a career-high 150 yards before he was ruled out. Lane (wrist), who had one catch and a TD overturned by an offensive penalty, left in the third quarter.
Baltimore’s offense ran in overdrive early and the Ravens outgained the Colts 506-251.
Lamar Jackson had 324 yards passing with a touchdown pass to Flowers and ran for a score.
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor had 121 yards from scrimmage and ran for 98 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns.
Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (19 of 31, 166 yards, one TD) was under pressure until his final snap. The Ravens had an interception, two sacks and 10 QB hits.
Jones rushed the Colts down the field and found Tyler Warren for a 9-yard TD with 10 minutes to play, but the Ravens came back with Tyler Loop’s 45-yard field goal for a 41-23 advantage with 4:09 to go.
Ravens coach Jesse Minter won in his debut as a head coach while the Colts fell to 1-8-1 in regular-season openers the past 10 years.
Without Flowers and Lane, the Ravens lulled the Colts to sleep with a heavy dose of Henry in the third. Jackson went over 300 passing yards with a 53-yard throw lofted to Chris Moore to the Indianapolis 19. Henry did the rest, capped by a 3-yard run for his third rushing touchdown, stretching Baltimore’s lead to 38-16 early in the fourth.
With under five minutes left in the first half, Laiatu Latu’s sack and forced fumble to set the Colts up at the Ravens’ 15. Taylor ran in untouched from 3 yards out to whittle the deficit to 28-13.
Flowers left the Colts in the dust on a 54-yard touchdown in the second quarter. It was his fourth catch for 138 yards with more than six minutes left in the second quarter.
Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey ripped the ball away from Taylor. Henry’s second TD of the game, a 32-yard romp off left tackle, made it a 28-6 game.
Ravens first-year offensive coordinator Declan Doyle’s debut was a smashing success. Baltimore scored two touchdowns on its first nine plays (10 including a penalty) and led 14-6 only 11 minutes into the game.
Roquan Smith intercepted Jones to give the Ravens only 31 yards to paydirt, which Baltimore covered in six plays.
Henry cut back a stretch running play designed to go right and shuffled into the end zone untouched from 4 yards out for a 14-6 lead. Henry’s 123rd career touchdown pulled him even with Marcus Allen for third on the all-time list, then he passed Allen on his second score in the second quarter. He added TD No. 3 in the first minute of the fourth quarter. Only LaDainian Tomlinson and Emmitt Smith have more career rushing touchdowns in NFL history.
Baltimore’s first play from scrimmage was Jackson’s 49-yard pass to Flowers to the Indianapolis 2. Jackson sprinted to the left pylon for a touchdown on a designed run two plays later, responding to the Colts’ opening-drive touchdown run by Taylor.
Ravens cornerback T.J. Tampa was ruled out in the first quarter with a knee injury.
–Field Level Media
