The Ravens will open their season with a new offense built around newly extended quarterback Lamar Jackson and a new collection of wide receivers. The Texans, 3-13-1 last season, will arrive with a rookie coach and rookie quarterback. Which team will have the advantage Sunday? — Childs Walker

Ravens passing game vs. Texans pass defense: The Ravens sputtered down the stretch last year with Tyler Huntley filling in for an injured Jackson and finished the season 28th in passing yards and 21st in yards per attempt. They answered with an extensive redesign, parting ways with offensive coordinator Greg Roman and replacing him with Todd Monken, who’s expected to use more three-wide-receiver sets and demand a quicker tempo, all while giving Jackson more authority to tweak plays at the line of scrimmage. Jackson, who completed 62.3% of his passes with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games last season, will also throw to a more gifted set of targets. Odell Beckham Jr. missed all of last season as he recovered from a torn ACL but was perhaps the best playmaker on the field in a Super Bowl victory the last time he suited up. First-round draft pick Zay Flowers embarrassed teammates in drills this summer with his electrifying jukes and cuts. They’ll join 2021 first-round pick Rashod Bateman, whose second season was cut short by a foot injury that required surgery, and Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews, who missed a recent chunk of camp because of a quad injury. Jackson will be protected by an offensive line featuring four returning starters from last season and led by 2019 All-Pro Ronnie Stanley, who’s coming off his first healthy camp in three years. Monken’s revamped attack will debut against a Houston defense that’s also receiving a face-lift under first-year coach DeMeco Ryans, who was previously defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. The Texans played decent pass defense last year, intercepting opponents 16 times while allowing just 15 touchdown passes. They’ll feature an exciting rookie in edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. and hope for improvement from 2022 first-round pick Derek Stingley Jr., who played just nine games at cornerback last season. Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and defensive end Jerry Hughes are productive veterans. EDGE: Ravens

Texans passing game vs. Ravens pass defense: Houston will begin the season as a mystery, with No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud starting at quarterback in an offense called by former 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik. The Texans also signed two new starting wide receivers in Robert Woods and Noah Brown and a new tight end in Dalton Schultz. Of their top receivers from last season, only Nico Collins (37 catches on 66 targets, 13 yards per catch) is back. Stroud was one of the most polished passers in college football, tossing beautiful deep balls to a star-studded Ohio State receiving corps. He won’t enjoy nearly such a cozy context in the NFL, with the Texans beginning a rebuilding project that’s expected to take several years. The rookie will at least be protected by high-end blockers such as left tackle Laremy Tunsil and right guard Shaq Mason, but Houston will be without starting right tackle Tytus Howard (hand) for the opener. The Ravens are also at less than full strength, with top cornerback Marlon Humphrey expected to miss at least the first game as he recovers from foot surgery. Free-agent additions Rock Ya-Sin and Ronald Darby could start on the outside, with Brandon Stephens also in the mix and Ar’Darius Washington and Arthur Maulet competing for snaps in the slot. The Ravens also face questions on the edge, where they hope 2021 first-round pick Odafe Oweh and 2022 second-round pick David Ojabo are poised for major leaps forward, with recent free-agent signing Jadeveon Clowney stepping in for Justin Houston and Jason Pierre-Paul as the veteran in the room. The Ravens are strongest at safety, where Marcus Williams and 2022 first-round pick Kyle Hamilton could compete for Pro Bowl berths. After a terrible start to last season, they held their last 10 opponents below 300 passing yards. EDGE: Ravens

Ravens running game vs. Texans run defense: Running back J.K. Dobbins was the team’s best offensive player down the stretch last year, averaging 99.3 yards per game after he returned in December from a cleanup procedure on his surgically repaired knee. After he sat out the start of training camp, Dobbins said he’s healthy and anticipating a great season as he pushes for a contract extension. His backfield partner, Gus Edwards, averaged 5 yards per carry last season as he also worked his way back from a torn ACL. Jackson remained one of the top running quarterbacks in the league, averaging 6.8 yards per carry as he led the team with 764 rushing yards. Will Monken ask him to tone that part of his game down? Will Dobbins and Edwards touch the ball consistently as the Ravens transition from Roman’s run-heavy approach? They have the talent to lead the league in rushing but might be pointed in a different direction. The Texans ranked last in run defense in 2023, allowing opponents to average 5.1 yards per carry. Ryans is a respected motivator and defensive mind, and he’ll work with a solid middle linebacker in Denzel Perryman, who made the Pro Bowl for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021. But Houston lacks a dominant interior run defender and will need to add more talent for Ryans, working with coordinator Matt Burke, to achieve the success he did in San Francisco. EDGE: Ravens

Texans running game vs. Ravens run defense: The Texans ranked 31st in rushing last year, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry and will again turn to Dameon Pierce (939 yards, 4.3 per carry) as their No. 1 option out of the backfield. Former Buffalo Bills starter Devin Singletary is his backup. Stroud was not a major running threat in college. Slowik ran the passing game in San Francisco, but he learned under Kyle Shanahan, whose running attacks have been prolific and efficient. The Ravens ranked third in run defense last year, holding opponents to 3.9 yards per carry. They’ll miss defensive end Calais Campbell, who was their most consistent interior run defender, but will benefit from the return of nose tackle Michael Pierce. Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen form one of the most productive linebacking duos in football. EDGE: Ravens

Ravens special teams vs. Texans special teams: Justin Tucker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history, coming off another Pro Bowl season in which he made 37 of 43 field-goal attempts, including 9 of 14 from 50 yards or beyond. Devin Duvernay also made the Pro Bowl as a kick returner, averaging 11.9 yards on punts and 25.5 on kickoffs. Second-year punter Jordan Stout struggled with precision at times last season, but the 2022 fourth-round pick said he’s more confident this year. The Texans rivaled the Ravens for special teams excellence last season, with Ka’imi Fairbairn (29 of 31) making a higher percentage of field goals than Tucker. Houston recently placed punter Cameron Johnston on injured reserve, signing Ty Zenter as his replacement. EDGE: Ravens

Ravens intangibles vs. Texans intangibles: The Ravens are stable in many ways, with John Harbaugh entering his 16th season as coach and Jackson his sixth at quarterback. They have excelled in season openers and against rookie quarterbacks during Harbaugh’s tenure. After a preseason in which few starters played, they’re as interested as everyone else to see how their offense functions with Monken calling the plays. The Texans are starting over after several lost seasons, with the well-regarded Ryans as coach and the sharp-throwing Stroud at quarterback. But they face a multiyear climb back to playoff contention. EDGE: Ravens