Baltimore’s defense spent much of Sunday afternoon doing enough to hang around, but when the game tightened, Chris Olave kept finding answers.
The New Orleans Saints wideout finished with eight catches for 86 yards, and the biggest one came late: a 21-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that landed like a gut punch at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore’s secondary, with Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins sharing duties on Olave at different points, never fully solved him when it mattered most.
Olave also got under Humphrey’s skin early, with trash talk turning into a taunting penalty that pushed the Saints back 15 yards in the first half. That flag slowed New Orleans for a moment, but it didn’t change the long-term result. By the end of the game, Olave had become the central problem Baltimore couldn’t clean up.
The Ravens’ issue wasn’t a total defensive collapse so much as an inability to get off the field. Their offense couldn’t sustain drives at the key moments, which left the defense on the field for 64 total plays and wearing the consequences of that workload as the afternoon wore on.
For 45 minutes, Baltimore’s defense held its ground. In the end, though, it was the Saints who made the decisive plays.
Tyler Shough didn’t overpower the Ravens, but he was smart enough to extend plays and find Olave in the biggest spots. That was enough to tilt the game.
Now Humphrey and the rest of Baltimore’s secondary head back to the film room with a clear lesson from Week 2: a missed turnover chance and a few lost third-down battles were enough to let Olave take control when the pressure peaked.
In Other News...
Saints Home Opener Comes With A Revenge Twist Fans Will Feel
After opening the 2026 season with two straight road games, the Saints finally get to return to New Orleans in Week 3, and the matchup brings a little extra edge with it. Their first home game comes against the Las Vegas Raiders, a team now led by former Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, which gives the Superdome crowd a built-in storyline before the first snap.
The Saints arrive there with some momentum after a 24-17 win over the Baltimore Ravens, a game in which Tyler Shough threw for 252 yards and delivered the go-ahead touchdown. FanDuel has New Orleans favored by 3 points, but this one feels like more than just an early-season measuring stick, especially with a familiar face on the opposite sideline and plenty of Saints fans eager to make the home opener matter. [Read more 🡒]
Kellen Moore Sent A Clear Message After The Saints' Comeback Win
Kellen Moore had plenty to point to after the Saints pulled out a 24-17 comeback win over the Ravens, and he made sure to emphasize the kind of response New Orleans showed after halftime. The first-year head coach praised the way his team stayed prepared, competitive and willing to keep pressing for openings as the game tightened up, a tone that fit a victory built on composure as much as execution.
Moore also framed the game-changing decision to go for a two-point conversion as part of that same mindset, a willingness to seize chances instead of playing it safe. For a Saints team trying to establish its identity under a new coach, wins like this can matter beyond the standings, because they say something about how the group wants to play when the pressure is on and the margin is thin. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Suddenly Have A Left Tackle Problem They Can't Yet Explain
Kelvin Banks Jr.s ankle injury gave the Saints an unwelcome reminder of how quickly one spot on the offensive line can change the feel of a game. The second-year left tackle went down against the Ravens and was ruled out, leaving New Orleans to turn to its backups while the team waits for more clarity on what comes next.
Kellen Moore did not have much to offer afterward beyond saying Banks will need further evaluation, which leaves the Saints with more questions than answers for now. Left tackle is one of those positions where depth matters immediately, and New Orleans will spend the next stretch trying to figure out how long it has to manage without one of its key young linemen. [Read more 🡒]