Ravens Notebook: 3 Takeaways From Week 1 Victory Over Texans

The Baltimore Ravens opened the 2023 NFL season on a high note, defeating the Houston Texans.

The Baltimore Ravens kicked off the 2023 NFL season with a bang, taking down the Houston Texans 25-9 at home in M&T Bank Stadium. 

For head coach John Harbaugh, the win moves him to 12-4 in Week 1 games as Baltimore's coach. Additionally, the Ravens have now won seven of their last eight season-opening games. 

Read up on everything you need to know about Baltimore's Week 1 win.

Zay Flowers Is WR1

In his NFL debut, Flowers had a team-high nine receptions on 10 targets for 78 receiving yards and also had nine yards on the ground. With tight end Mark Andrews missing the game due to injury, Flowers became the favorite target of star quarterback Lamar Jackson, looking like a seasoned veteran in his first NFL game. 

The Ravens drafted him with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Boston College. Flowers' 10 targets was by far the most on the team, with Odell Beckham Jr., Rashod Bateman and J.K. Dobbins recording three each.

The Injury Bug Never Leaves Baltimore

The Ravens struggled mightily with injuries last season, resulting in an early playoff exit with a backup quarterback. Now, the injury bug has already landed in Baltimore after just one game. 

The biggest injury came to Dobbins, the starting running back, who suffered a torn achillies in the game ending his season in a crushing blow. In 2021, Dobbins' season ended in the preseason when he tore his ACL, and injury that would force him to miss half of the 2022 season as well. 

Additionally, safety Marcus Williams, tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum all suffered injuries throughout the game, but the hope is that none were serious. 

AFC North Is Wide Open

Baltimore sits at the top of the AFC North, tied with the Cleveland Browns after one week. While many predicted the division to be close, most thought the Cincinnati Bengals were the clear top dog. 

The Browns defeated the Bengals 24-3 in a game where Cincinnati's star quarterback Joe Burrow didn't show up, going 14-of-31 for 82 yards and no touchdowns. The Pittsburgh Steelers also failed to impress in their season opener, getting walked all over by the San Francisco 49ers in a 30-7 drubbing. 

While it's only Week 1, the Ravens beat a team that they should win against and took care of business, a good start to the season.