The Ravens didn’t get the home-opening result they wanted against the New Orleans Saints, but Week 2 still gave Baltimore a few bright spots to file away. Right tackle Roger Rosengarten kept building momentum in what looks like a real Year 3 jump.
Linebacker Trenton Simpson flashed the kind of range and force that fit the modern game. And with Zay Flowers out, Rashod Bateman stepped into a bigger role and delivered Baltimore’s biggest plays through the air.
Rosengarten has been outstanding through two games, and the cleanest number attached to that start is simple: zero pressures allowed in 73 pass-blocking reps. But the tape tells the fuller story.
His strike is stronger now, his hands are more precise, and once he lands them, he’s doing a much better job staying in control of the block. That showed up in pass protection, where he repeatedly gave Jackson time to work.
Not every rep was perfect, but Rosengarten was steady enough to either win cleanly or “lose slowly.” Even when a rusher got the first step, he stayed connected and forced the pressure wider, buying Jackson that extra beat to get the ball out.
He also showed a new wrinkle in his protection game with the snatch-and-trap move, using the rusher’s momentum against him and finishing the block on top. That kind of counter is a good sign for where his technique is headed.
The run game offered just as much encouragement. On one play, Rosengarten climbed about seven yards past the line, found the linebacker at the second level, and sealed him away from Derrick Henry’s lane.
On another, he engaged a defensive lineman, flipped his hips, and established position to open another crease. If Baltimore can trust him one-on-one without extra help, that changes how the rest of the line can be protected.
It also gives the Ravens more freedom to use chips, slides, and other help in weaker spots.
Simpson’s day against New Orleans came with a clear stat line: 42 snaps, 21 in run defense, eight as a pass rusher, 13 in coverage, two pressures, five tackles, and 10 yards allowed on three catches. More important than the numbers was how he played.
He worked through a block in space on a screen, stayed square to the ball carrier, and made the tackle for a minimal gain. That’s the kind of play that shows athleticism actually translating on the field.
His physical growth showed up against the run too. On one snap, he met a guard at the point of attack, absorbed the contact, got free, and finished the play in the backfield. As a blitzer, he also made noise by crashing downhill, reading the quarterback’s throwing motion, and using his burst to take away the lane, which helped force the ball down and contributed to a sack.
The athleticism has always been part of Simpson’s profile. What stands out now is how much more controlled it looks inside the defense. He’s processing better, taking on contact better, and affecting passing plays in space with more purpose.
Bateman’s line was the kind of production Baltimore needed with Flowers sidelined: nine targets, seven catches, 88 yards, and a touchdown, along with 2.44 yards per route run. He was responsible for several of the Ravens’ most explosive plays through the air.
One of the knocks on Bateman in the past has been that he didn’t always make life easy for Jackson. There were times he could have shortened routes against zone, settled into open space sooner, and given his quarterback a cleaner window.
That wasn’t the story this time. Against New Orleans, he found the soft spots in zone coverage, adjusted, and made himself available instead of just running the route as designed.
He also created separation against tighter coverage. On two different plays, Bateman snapped off his route at the breakpoint, using quick feet and head fakes to shake the defender. Those details have long made him an interesting route runner when he’s healthy and involved.
The bigger question now is what happens when Flowers comes back. Flowers is still a major piece of Baltimore’s passing game, but Bateman showed he can handle more volume.
This wasn’t just a nice fill-in performance. It made the case for keeping him involved even when the receiving room is whole again.
In Other News...
Ravens Face An Early Derrick Henry Decision After Costly Loss
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For Baltimore, it is another chance for Jackson to face a franchise he has handled well in the past, and that matters in a game that already has plenty of attention attached to it. The setting is unusual, the opponent is familiar, and Jacksons comments only sharpened the spotlight on a meeting that was going to draw interest anyway. [Read more 🡒]
Lamar Jackson Is Already Feeling A Ravens Problem That Could Linger
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For Baltimore, the concern goes beyond a rough opening stretch because this is the kind of issue that can follow a team if it is not addressed quickly. The Ravens are looking at possible adjustments, including lineup changes, as they try to stabilize pass protection and give Jackson a cleaner platform to operate from, but the challenge is whether those fixes can come fast enough to matter before the seasons early pressure becomes a longer-term problem. [Read more 🡒]