The Ravens are heading to Rio de Janeiro with a chance to answer a few uncomfortable questions.
Baltimore’s 24-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday was about more than a missed opportunity. The Ravens took an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter and then watched it disappear, getting outscored 15-0 in the final period. They managed only three second-half points, piled up costly penalties and left chances on the table after moving the ball into Saints territory multiple times.
The last swing at salvaging it ended with Lamar Jackson’s interception after Baltimore had pushed to the New Orleans 37-yard line. That closed the door on overtime and left the Ravens with a familiar kind of frustration: a game that was there, then wasn’t.
Now comes Dallas, and with it a chance to show that Sunday was a one-off, not a pattern.
Baltimore’s offense should start with Derrick Henry. Against New Orleans, he got only 16 carries despite the Ravens controlling much of the game, and he turned that into 68 yards and a touchdown.
Baltimore ran the ball just 22 times overall, a number that stands out even more with Dallas allowing 173.5 rushing yards per game entering Week 3. That is the kind of matchup that invites Baltimore to lean back into its most punishing runner and use him to stay on schedule while keeping Dak Prescott and the Cowboys on the sideline.
Dallas, though, is bringing real firepower of its own.
After dropping its opener, the Cowboys bounced back with a 37-20 win over Washington. Prescott was sharp, completing 26 of 31 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns.
CeeDee Lamb did plenty of damage too, catching eight passes for 153 yards and two scores. For Baltimore, the margin for error in the secondary shrinks fast if the coverage busts and long drives start stacking up the way they did against New Orleans.
That challenge gets even bigger because this game comes with a setting unlike anything else on the NFL calendar this week.
Sunday’s matchup at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro will be the league’s first regular-season game in the city, and kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS.
It is a long trip, a new environment and a stage with plenty of attention attached to it. Baltimore is 1-1, so there is no reason to turn Sunday’s loss into a crisis.
But the Ravens do need a cleaner finish. A disciplined showing against Dallas would make Week 2 look like a fixable setback.
Another late fade would raise tougher questions as October approaches.
In Other News...
Saints Still Clearly Bother This Buccaneers Legend
Lavonte David is long gone from the field, but the Saints still seem to linger in his football memory. The retired Buccaneers linebacker looked back on the NFC South rivalry and made it clear that New Orleans has held a special place in Tampa Bays history of aggravation, especially from the days when Drew Brees was still steering those Saints teams and wins over them felt hard to come by.
David also pointed to the broader division backdrop, where New Orleans spent years setting the tone under Sean Payton and Brees while Tampa Bay chased it. Even with the Buccaneers playoff win over the Saints standing out as a major turning point, David drew a sharp contrast between how New Orleans carried itself and the more muted approach he associated with other rivals, which says plenty about how deep the Saints-Bucs edge still runs. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Home Opener Could Hinge On One Big Tyler Shough Concern
The Saints are getting ready for their 2026 home opener against the Raiders, and there is a familiar face on the other sideline in former New Orleans offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Las Vegas has been leaning on quarterback Kirk Cousins, while Tyler Shough has given the Saints a promising start by leading the league in several passing categories, which has helped shape the early conversation around what kind of team this can be.
Still, the matchup comes with more than a little uncertainty attached. Both clubs are dealing with injuries and trying to sort out defensive answers, and for New Orleans the biggest question may be how Shough handles the kind of pressure that a veteran coach and a well-schooled Raiders defense can bring. The Saints have reason to feel encouraged, but this game could turn on whether their young quarterback keeps the momentum going when the spotlight gets a little brighter. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Fans May Hate Where This Pass Rush Question Is Heading
The Saints pass-rush depth took another small but notable hit this week when Michael Heldman surfaced elsewhere, landing on the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad after his short New Orleans stint ended with an injury settlement and a waiver. It was a quick turn for the former rookie edge rusher, who had initially been one of the more modest investments the Saints made among their undrafted free agents before roster cuts and health concerns changed the equation.
Heldmans new number in Kansas City is 49, a reminder that the Saints are already watching a player they brought in to help chase quarterbacks continue his development somewhere else. For a New Orleans defense that is still sorting out who can consistently pressure the passer, moves like this tend to linger in the background, because even fringe additions matter when a team is trying to build enough edge depth to survive the long season. [Read more 🡒]