The Ravens don’t need a complicated blueprint to handle the Saints on Sunday. They need discipline, a physical edge, and a home crowd that turns M&T Bank Stadium into a problem for New Orleans from the jump.
Baltimore has heard plenty this week about home-field advantage, and for good reason. Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey, and Jesse Minter all talked about it during media availability, and the Ravens know last season’s home results didn’t meet the standard. Week 2 gives them a chance to change that conversation while also getting off to a faster start in 2026.
The Saints are not walking in empty-handed, either. They have a quarterback willing to push the ball downfield, one of the league’s most dangerous receivers, and enough offensive talent to make life messy if Baltimore lets the game turn into New Orleans’ kind of fight.
That starts with Chris Olave and Tyler Shough. The Saints are looking for chunk gains through the air, and Olave just put together a monster performance that briefly put him atop the league’s receiving leaderboard.
Shough is also not shy about challenging defenses vertically. Baltimore’s secondary has to stay locked in all afternoon, with Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Kyle Hamilton, and Malaki Starks all expected to have a hand in keeping the deep ball under control.
If Olave makes catches, that’s one thing. The Ravens cannot let him take over with repeated explosive plays.
The other side of that equation is forcing the Saints into a more predictable script. New Orleans ran for just 91 yards and averaged 3.64 yards per carry in Week 1, and its top rusher finished with only 46 yards.
That is where Baltimore’s front should see an opening. If the Ravens can shut down the run and push the Saints into obvious passing situations, the pass rush gets to go to work.
Shough threw two interceptions and lost a fumble against the Detroit Lions, and the more he has to operate in obvious dropback situations, the better Baltimore’s chances of creating turnovers.
The Ravens also have a chance to make life difficult for Kellen Moore by attacking from different looks. One of the most interesting things from Week 1 was Baltimore’s willingness to bring pressure out of nickel and dime packages.
Kyle Hamilton helped force a sack by Trenton Simpson, and later Malaki Starks came free from a dime look for a drive-ending sack. That kind of versatility matters.
Baltimore has the personnel to disguise pressure from almost anywhere, and mixing those looks again would force Moore and the Saints to account for threats beyond the defensive line.
There’s also a passing-game wrinkle Baltimore would love to unlock: the Lamar Jackson-Rashod Bateman connection. Bateman didn’t catch a pass in Week 1, but both he and Jackson said they weren’t worried about it.
With Ja'Kobi Lane on injured reserve and Zay Flowers dealing with a hamstring injury, the Ravens may need more from Bateman. Early completions could help Jackson and Bateman get into a rhythm, and the chances should be there if Baltimore takes advantage of them.
Then there’s Derrick Henry, who remains the simplest answer on the board. Detroit ran for 165 yards against New Orleans in Week 1, and Jahmyr Gibbs found room consistently.
Now the Saints have to deal with Henry and a Baltimore rushing attack built to wear teams down. If the Ravens build a lead, Henry should see a heavy dose of carries in the second half as Baltimore tries to shorten the game and squeeze the life out of New Orleans.
The formula is straightforward: limit the explosives, stop the run, create pressure, get Bateman involved, and let Henry take over. If Baltimore does those things, 2-0 should be there for the taking.
In Other News...
Saints Lose First Tyler Shough-Jaxson Dart Test For One Frustrating Reason
The Saints were already preparing for a young quarterback challenge this week, but the matchup shifted when Jaxson Dart went down with a knee injury against the Rams. What had initially looked like an MCL sprain turned out to be more extensive after an MRI, and the Giants now appear headed toward a long absence for their rookie signal-caller.
For New Orleans, that means the first Tyler Shough-Jaxson Dart test will not happen after all, at least not in the form many expected. Dart is out for the upcoming game, and Jameis Winston is expected to start in his place, leaving the Saints to adjust to a different kind of opponent and a frustratingly altered version of the weeks quarterback storyline. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Already Made A Tough Call In Their Backfield Battle
Audric Estimes Saints stint hit a hard stop before he ever got the chance to settle into the backfield rotation. New Orleans waived the running back from injured reserve with an injury settlement after the thigh injury sidelined him, a move that both compensates him for time missed and clears the way for him to look for another landing spot once he is healthy.
For the Saints, it is another sign of how quickly the backfield picture has shifted around the injured list and the players who stayed available. Estime had been in the mix for playing time, but while he worked his way through recovery, others moved up the depth chart and carved out roles, leaving New Orleans to make a difficult roster decision with the season plan already taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Drew Brees Just Reframed That Strange Broncos Comeback Story
The odd little Broncos comeback idea got a lot clearer when Drew Brees addressed it on SiriusXMs Lets Go podcast. Brees said he was the one who reached out to former Broncos assistants Pete Carmichael and Joe Lombardi about the possibility of playing for Denver in the 2025 AFC Championship game, which is the kind of late-career twist that instantly gets attention around the league and in Saints circles alike.
Brees said he seriously considered the comeback, but his old injuries kept him from being able to follow through. The NFL has not commented on the matter, and nothing further came from the conversation, leaving the whole episode as one of those strange what-if stories that briefly surfaced, then slipped back into the background. [Read more 🡒]