The Ravens handled Week 1 well enough to leave little room for panic, but Sunday’s matchup with the Saints still asks more of a few key players. Baltimore is dealing with injuries, roles are shifting, and several names need to answer that call if the team wants to stay rolling.
Mike Green is one of the clearest examples. After piling up 17 sacks at Marshall in 2024, he managed only 3.5 in his rookie season and opened 2026 with a quiet line: 15 defensive snaps and no standard stats to speak of.
Trey Hendrickson and Tavius Robinson soaked up most of the edge work in the opener, but Hendrickson is now nursing a finger injury and is listed as questionable. If Green gets a larger slice of the pass-rush pie, he has to do more with it.
His speed and bend off the edge are real tools, and against a Saints offense that threw it 56 times last week, Baltimore needs him helping close down Tyler Shough.
The same kind of expectation hangs over Jovaughn Gwyn. His Week 1 performance was a mixed bag that told two very different stories: excellent run blocking, shaky pass protection.
Gwyn helped clear the way for Derrick Henry in the ground game, but the pocket repeatedly broke down from the interior, and he was part of the problem. It was still a strong first career NFL start, but Ethan Pocic is working back from an Achilles injury, and that pressure is already building.
Gwyn needs to keep climbing against New Orleans.
Trenton Simpson faces a demanding assignment too. The Saints’ offense gives him plenty to chase, with Shough working the middle of the field and Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara both dangerous as receiving threats out of the backfield.
Simpson’s speed and athleticism give Baltimore a real weapon in space, especially if the goal is keeping those backs from popping big plays. But coverage remains the sticking point.
His anticipation and processing still lag behind, and that showed again in Indianapolis. With Teddye Buchanan out for another game while he ramps up, Simpson is the starter next to Roquan Smith again.
Baltimore needs him to make that count.
On the offensive side, LaJohntay Wester looks like a player who can help fill the void left by the absences of Zay Flowers and Ja’Kobi Lane. Devontez Walker should get plenty of work, but Wester may be the closest thing to Flowers’ role in terms of quickness and open-field juice.
He has already shown he can make people miss as a punt returner, and he got some passing-game work last week too, finishing with 2 catches for 15 yards. He was the only Ravens wide receiver outside Flowers to record multiple receptions.
The Ravens may need even more of that this week.
And then there’s Mark Andrews. With Flowers and Lane out and Rashod Bateman stepping in as the WR1, the door is wide open for Andrews to be the central figure in the passing game.
His production has dipped over the last couple of seasons, but he still sits atop the tight end depth chart, and this is the kind of setup that should put him back in the spotlight. In the opener, he was Baltimore’s second-leading receiver with 4 catches for 49 yards.
Solid, yes. Enough, probably not.
If the Ravens want the passing game to stay on track, Andrews has to be a steady outlet for Lamar Jackson - and maybe more than that.
In Other News...
Ravens Cowboys Situation In Rio Just Took A Telling Turn
The Ravens are still headed to Rio de Janeiro for next Sundays matchup with the Cowboys, even after concerns surfaced about the condition of the field at Maracan Stadium. The NFL has confirmed it will not move the game and says it has a plan in place to make sure the playing surface meets league standards before kickoff.
For Baltimore, that means the international spotlight stays on a game that was already drawing attention for its setting as much as the matchup itself. Soccer players have recently criticized the quality of the field, but the league appears determined to push ahead as scheduled, leaving the Ravens to prepare for a trip with a little more uncertainty around the venue than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Home Collapse Brings Back The Same Painful Questions
The Ravens had the kind of afternoon that can linger well beyond the final whistle, letting a 14-3 lead slip away in a home loss to the New Orleans Saints. It was another reminder of how quickly a promising start can turn sour when the offense loses its footing, especially with pass protection breaking down and the line taking hits along the way.
Ronnie Stanleys late injury only sharpened the concern around a unit that was already under pressure, and rookie head coach Jesse Minter was left trying to steer through the chaos as the game tilted. Beyond the sideline decisions, the result also feeds the larger unease around Eric DeCostas roster construction, because losses like this keep reopening the same questions about whether Baltimore has enough margin to survive when games get tight. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Face A Troubling Field Issue Ahead Of Brazil Opener
The Ravens first regular-season game in Brazil is already drawing attention for reasons beyond the matchup itself. Baltimore is set to meet the Cowboys on Sept. 27 at Maracan Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, and the spotlight has quickly turned to the field after local soccer players and the stadiums CEO raised concerns about the quality of the grass.
Weather and heavy use have taken a toll on the surface, and the NFL along with both teams is working to address the problem before kickoff. For Baltimore, it is one more wrinkle in a trip that already comes with the usual adjustment to an unfamiliar setting, and the condition of the pitch could become a major storyline long before the opening snap. [Read more 🡒]