The Saints are back on the road in Week 2, heading to M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday to face a Ravens team that has usually had their number.
This matchup has not come around often. New Orleans and Baltimore first played on September 29, 1996, in the Louisiana Superdome, and the Ravens left with a 17-10 win. Since then, the teams have met only eight times, with Baltimore owning a 6-2 edge in the series.
The most recent meeting also went Baltimore’s way. On November 7, 2022, the Ravens beat the Saints 27-13 in the Caesars Superdome, with Lamar Jackson and Baltimore’s rushing game giving New Orleans trouble throughout the afternoon.
New Orleans did not get its first win in the series until 2018, when it pulled out a 24-23 victory at M&T Bank Stadium. That game ended in dramatic fashion after then Ravens kicker Justin Tucker missed an extra point with 24 seconds left.
The Saints come into Sunday trying to respond after a 31-30 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 1. They were down 21-0 before turning the game around and forcing overtime, and they had several chances to steal the upset.
Even in defeat, there was plenty for New Orleans to build on. Tyler Shough threw for 410 yards and three touchdowns despite three turnovers, and Chris Olave piled up 10 catches for 182 yards.
Baltimore, meanwhile, is 1-0 after opening with a 41-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts. The Ravens rolled up 506 yards of total offense, with Lamar Jackson passing for 324 yards and Derrick Henry running for 144 yards and three touchdowns.
For the Saints, this is another tough early road assignment and another chance to show the kind of fight they flashed in Detroit. Baltimore has had the upper hand in the matchup for years, but New Orleans will try to flip that script while going after its first win of the 2026 season.
In Other News...
Drew Brees Broncos Twist Could Put Saints In An Awkward Spot
Sean Payton has already tried to cool off the idea of a Drew Brees reunion in Denver, even as reports suggested the former Saints quarterback briefly considered joining the Broncos for their playoff push. Brees ultimately passed because of his arm condition, and Payton said the contact went through Broncos assistants Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael rather than landing directly on his desk. For Saints fans, it is one of those familiar crosscurrents involving a franchise icon, a former coach and the lingering connections that still tie New Orleans to the rest of the league.
The part worth watching now is the potential mess around Brees contract rights and whether the league sees anything worth examining further. There has been speculation about a tampering investigation, but nothing official has been announced, leaving the story in a gray area for the moment. Even so, the possibility of an awkward NFL inquiry is the kind of background noise the Saints did not need attached to a player whose legacy in New Orleans is already firmly established. [Read more 🡒]
Saints May Have Found An LSU Pass Rusher Worth Watching Closely
A familiar Louisiana pipeline could be worth tracking again, this time on the edge. Princewill Umanmielen has already shown the kind of pass-rushing burst and athleticism that gets scouts leaning forward, and he has kept producing after stops at Nebraska and Ole Miss before landing at LSU. Early in the season, he has been among the national leaders in sacks, which only adds to the growing sense that his name belongs on the list of players New Orleans will be watching closely over the next couple of years.
For the Saints, the appeal is obvious: a productive LSU rusher with the frame and movement skills to develop into something more if the rest of his game keeps coming along. There are still questions to answer, as there are with most young edge prospects, but the upside is enough to make him a legitimate draft watch as the 2027 NFL Draft approaches. If he keeps stacking performances like this, the Saints may not have to look far for a first-round conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Workout Just Turned Into A Bigger NFL Problem
The Saints recent workout scene came with a league-wide wrinkle after the NFL reminded clubs that defensive tackle Zxavian Harris and tight end DaeQuan Wright are off the board for the rest of this season. Both players had gone after additional eligibility at LSU, but neither appeared in a game, and that choice cost them the chance to circle back to the NFL before the year is done.
For New Orleans, it is a small note on paper but the kind that matters when teams are sorting through depth and trying to squeeze value out of every look. Harris and Wright will be eligible to sign with NFL teams next season without having to go back through the draft, but for now any club that had them on the radar has to move on and wait. [Read more 🡒]