The Ravens dropped a staggering 506 yards on the Colts in a 41-23 road win this Sunday, proving exactly what Lamar Jackson was talking about earlier this month. He warned everyone that defenses wouldn’t be ready for offensive coordinator Declan Doyle’s scheme, and boy, was he ever right.
Doyle’s First Game Was an Absolute Masterclass
Jackson wasn’t just talking trash earlier this month; he was dropping truth bombs that reverberated across the league. He straight up said he didn’t “believe a defense is prepared for what’s in store for them” when facing a Ravens offense orchestrated by Declan Doyle. After what we saw in Week 1, who’s going to argue with that? The Colts certainly couldn’t. Head coach Jesse Minter backed up Jackson’s sentiment big time in his postgame, saying, “I thought Declan, man, first NFL game [calling plays], came out of the gates on fire. Did a great job.” Think about that. First ever NFL game calling plays, and he orchestrates an offense that rolls up over 500 yards and hangs 41 points on the board. That’s not just good, that’s an immediate, undeniable statement that the league needs to pay attention to.
Jackson and Henry: A Nightmare for Opposing DC’s
This offensive explosion wasn’t just about the new guy calling plays, it was about the absolute dynamite he had to work with. Lamar Jackson was incredible, throwing for 324 yards and a touchdown, while also scrambling for 40 yards and another score on the ground. That dual-threat wizardry is what makes him so impossible to contain. But he wasn’t alone in lighting up the stat sheet. Derrick Henry, the King, gashed the Colts defense for a monster 144 yards and three touchdowns. Seriously, three scores! And let’s not forget Zay Flowers, who was on pace for an absolutely ridiculous day with 150 receiving yards before he unfortunately got injured in the second quarter. Imagine what the final numbers could have been. The league’s got a clearer picture of what’s coming now, for sure, but the source makes it clear: knowing what’s coming and actually stopping a healthy Jackson and Henry? Those are two very different things, folks.
So, while other teams can start to study the tape from Week 1, the reality is stark. With Declan Doyle “dialing it up” and a healthy Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry firing on all cylinders, the challenge for defenses across the NFL just got a whole lot tougher. Get ready, because this offense looks like it’s just getting started. It’s going to be a wild ride watching how the rest of the league tries to figure out this new puzzle.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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