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As the Orioles’ season fades into oblivion, the Ravens and the NFL are back for a pick-me-up.
The 2026 season kicked off Wednesday night with former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and his Seattle Seahawks beating the New England Patriots to start their Super Bowl title defense. On Thursday night, the San Francisco 49ers stunned the Los Angeles Rams, this year’s Super Bowl favorites, in Melbourne.
How will the Ravens fare under first-year coach Jesse Minter? Their season kicks off at 1 p.m. Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
Here, in alphabetical order, are Banner staff members’ predictions for the playoffs, league Most Valuable Player and the Ravens’ season.
Kyle Goon, columnist: 13-4, AFC championship game
Gosh, even as I type “13-4,” I feel like such a sucker for the New Coaching Staff Energy that every team buys into when leadership changes. I don’t want to overhype a young, relatively inexperienced coaching staff, but what I buy is the Ravens’ talent — and how much potential was unrealized last year.
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With Jesse Minter’s schematic know-how, a group that includes Kyle Hamilton and Trey Hendrickson should be much improved (calling it now: a top-five unit the NFL). I like the spark I hear in Lamar Jackson’s voice when he talks about Declan Doyle’s offense, even if I don’t love the lack of depth of his receivers. Derrick Henry and the run game should balance the attack.
Although I’m skeptical of a rookie head coach guiding the Ravens to the cusp of a Super Bowl, what I really love is Baltimore’s schedule. The AFC North feels soft, and the path to being a conference contender is shockingly straightforward (10 wins feels breezy, honestly). I can’t believe I’m putting this much faith in the Ravens again after last year’s letdown, but I also can’t talk myself out of it. All aboard for one more ride on the bandwagon — somehow, I can’t get off.
Giana Han, reporter: 12-5, AFC championship game
The Ravens have been infused with new energy, and their star quarterback said he’s healthy and ready to go. This is going to be a much more fun season. But they’re still going to need to work out kinks with the new coaching staff. The Ravens will most likely lose on the road to the Buffalo Bills, drop two division games (probably one to the Pittsburgh Steelers) and then drop one or two others they could have won. They’ll go further than last year, but will they get over the hurdle of the AFC championship game?
Paul Mancano, ‘Banner Ravens Podcast’ co-host: 11-6, divisional round
You really can’t ask for a softer start to the schedule. Unlike last season, when the Ravens looked cooked through the first seven weeks before climbing back into the AFC North race, I expect Jesse Minter’s squad to go wire to wire in winning the division. The talent is there, and this brand-new coaching staff will inject life into a team that looked listless at times in 2025.
Still, it won’t be a cakewalk: Only five rookie head coaches have ever reached the Super Bowl, and only two have won it. My guess is Baltimore bows out in the divisional round in a close loss to the eventual champion Denver Broncos.
Jonas Shaffer, reporter: 12-5, AFC champions
There are offenses I trust more in the AFC, and there are defenses I trust more in the AFC. But how many of the conference’s so-called contenders have the Ravens’ ceiling? I’m picking Lamar Jackson to win his third NFL Most Valuable Player honor, seduced by the potential of this team’s outside-zone running game and a more on-rhythm pass attack. On defense, the Ravens should be more buttoned up in coverage, even if their pass rush only improves to average. The Ravens are favored in 10 of their first 11 games overall, according to DraftKings’ early odds, and their new schemes should be second nature by the end of the season. History and the Los Angeles Rams make it tough to pick the Ravens to win it all, though.
Childs Walker, contributor: 12-5, AFC championship game
Pair a healthy Lamar Jackson with a capable defense, and the regular-season wins will pile up. We’ve seen this again and again throughout Jackson’s career. He might need a few weeks to find his rhythm in Declan Doyle’s offense, but the Ravens will jump to a fast start anyway thanks to a forgiving schedule. And they’ll be less susceptible to dumb losses with a beefed-up pass rush and Jesse Minter calling the defense. So why won’t they win it all? There are enough depth questions with their offensive line and pass catchers that one or two injuries could derail them, and they might need a full season with Minter and Doyle before they hit fifth gear. But this season will be a significant step forward from 2025.
Brandon Weigel, editor: 13-4, AFC championship game
The Banner sports staff almost unanimously picked the Ravens to win the Super Bowl last year and, oof, did that flop. Even with some of the issues that plagued the team during its 8-9 campaign lingering into this season, I had to think long and hard about not picking them again. The defense, which was expected to be a strength in 2025, should be sharper under first-year head coach Jesse Minter, a defensive wunderkind who will call plays. The pairing of two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson and new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle offers tantalizing possibilities.
But the offensive line feels like a huge question mark, and a significant injury there could lead to things going south real quick. Although the team’s brain trust assures us defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike is trending in the right direction in his rehab from a season-ending neck injury, it’s entirely unclear whether he’ll return to his old self. Setting those flashing red lights aside, the schedule is incredibly forgiving at the start of the season, and there’s plenty of talent to kick off this new era with a division title and a postseason run.
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