Ravens vs. Texans: Open Thread

Week 1 is here — we’re back!

By Frank Platko@FrankJP0 Sep 10, 2023, 12:30pm EDT

After a long offseason and Summer session, Baltimore Ravens football is officially back. The Ravens kick off what figures to be an eventful 2023 season at M&T Bank Stadium for Week 1, hosting a young Houston Texans team with a rookie quarterback and first-year head coach.

For the second straight year, the Ravens played little-to-no starters in the preseason, so we’ll have to see if any rust will be present out of the gates. Last season there was not, as they won their season opener against the New York Jets by 15 points.

There’s great anticipation and excitement surrounding the Ravens’ offense entering the season opener — far more than in year’s past. Lamar Jackson, now under a long-term contract, is set to play his first regular season game since December of last year. He has a new-look wide receiver core at his disposal and, most importantly, a new offensive coordinator in Todd Monken.

The vibes have been high in recent weeks as the offensive hype train has built, specifically around newcomer wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Zay Flowers. The returns of Rashod Bateman and J.K. Dobbins are reasons for optimism, as well. Now, it’s time to see if Jackson and this group can put it together in live action for the first time.

Defensively, all eyes will be at cornerback, where the Ravens are without All-Pro veteran Marlon Humphrey and have had other health-related questions throughout the summer. Also the edge rusher position, where hopes are high for a breakout year from the tandem of Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo.

Under Head Coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens have historically been successful against rookie quarterbacks, especially at home. They’ve also been successful in Week 1 games. We’ll see today if these trends continue against No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud, who’s making his first professional start at quarterback.