The Indianapolis Colts are fully aware of how Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson can ruin defenses.
The Indianapolis Colts enter the 2026 season under immense pressure after missing the playoffs for five straight years, but they are still trying to take things one week at a time.
Up first in Week 1 are the Baltimore Ravens, who have a new coaching staff for the first time since 2008, but are led by two-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Replacing John Harbaugh is first-time head coach Jesse Minter, who hired 30-year-old Declan Doyle, a first-time play-caller, as offensive coordinator to lead Jackson and the Baltimore offense.
Jackson, who enters 2026 with his own scrutiny after accumulating a 3-5 postseason record and never having advanced beyond the AFC Championship, is healthy again after a banged-up 2025 and has the full attention of the Colts this Sunday.
"Lamar, he's a guy that can kind of do everything," Colts head coach Shane Steichen said on Wednesday. "He can beat you with his legs, his arm. So, we've got to just do a great job of containing him.
"He's become an incredible passer as well," Steichen continued. "I mean, he can make throws in the pocket... He's calm, cool back there. He's good in the pocket, having vision; really feeling the rush, not seeing it. I think that's a big part of playing quarterback in the pocket. I think he does a really good job of that. And so, we've got to just do a great job on the back end from a coverage standpoint and do a great job with our rush lanes as well."
Jackson holds the NFL record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a career (6,522) and in a single season (1,206 in 2019), but he is also the NFL's all-time leader in career passer rating (102.2) and is tied for the most career games with a perfect passer rating (four).
Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who held the same title with the Cincinnati Bengals and had to face Jackson and the Ravens twice a year between 2019-24, knows all too well the stresses that Jackson puts on defenses.
“He's such a dynamic player," Anarumo said. "He's hurt us when I was with the Bengals a number of different ways, certainly with his legs, but he can really throw the football. People that say anything otherwise are incorrect. I mean, the guy is a great runner of the ball, but he's also an accurate passer and sees everything, and he's hard to tackle. That's the thing. You can have him kind of dead to rights in the pocket, and then he somehow gets out. That's just what he does.
"So, you can say it like every other defense plans: you want to keep him in the pocket, contain him, but that's easier said than done. So, eliminating his scramble yards is going to be key and then keeping his overall explosive numbers, both in the run game and in the pass game down. That's going to be the key to success.”
The Colts host the Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
