Baltimore’s special teams handed the Ravens a 24-16 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the 2025 NFL preseason opener on August 7 at M&T Bank Stadium, with LaJohntay Wester’s 87-yard punt return and Rasheen Ali’s 69-yard kickoff return doing more damage than either quarterback managed all night. Anthony Richardson lasted two drives before David Ojabo’s sack dislocated the pinky on his throwing hand, leaving Daniel Jones and rookie Riley Leonard to split the remaining snaps for Indianapolis. Baltimore’s two quarterbacks combined for just 49 passing yards on 5-of-16 attempts, but 177 rushing yards on the ground and the special teams advantage proved enough.
Shrader’s only miss came from 52 yards, hitting the left upright in the second quarter. Loop missed from 46 yards before converting from 52 in the fourth quarter.
Punting
Team
Player
NO
YDS
AVG
TB
In 20
LONG
IND
Rigoberto Sanchez
6
278
46.3
0
2
55
BAL
Jordan Stout
5
241
48.2
0
1
63
Fumbles
Team
Player
FUM
LOST
REC
BAL
Devin Leary
1
0
0
BAL
Ben Cleveland
0
0
1
BAL Team
1
0
1
Indianapolis had no fumbles in the game.
Officials
Role
Official
Referee
Shawn Smith
Umpire
Tra Blake
Down Judge
Jay Bilbo
Line Judge
Jeff Seeman
Side Judge
Boris Cheek
Back Judge
Dino Paganelli
Field Judge
Dyrol Prioleau
Indianapolis outgained Baltimore 366 to 226 in total yards, held the ball for 32 minutes and 39 seconds, and still left M&T Bank Stadium without a win — nine penalties for 107 yards and two Ravens touchdowns on special teams before halftime made the yardage advantage irrelevant. Richardson returned to practice on August 9 after X-rays on the dislocated pinky came back clean, with head coach Shane Steichen listing him as day-to-day following the game. Ravens defensive back Bilhal Kone, carted off the field in the first quarter with a severe knee injury, was not expected to return at any point during the 2025 season.
Cornelia Lindqvist is a Swedish-American sports journalist with 4 years of experience covering professional athletics. She previously worked at Sports Illustrated before joining Newzire. Cornelia reports on the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, international football, and cricket, covering game results, roster moves, trade deals, playoff standings, and player statistics. Her sports analysis background helps readers understand the strategies and numbers behind wins and losses.
