3 Things Saints Must Do to Beat Lamar Jackson, Ravens in Week 2

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In Week 2, the New Orleans Saints visit the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore opened with a 41-23 win over Indianapolis, gaining 506 yards while allowing 251. New Orleans lost 31-30 in overtime to Detroit despite a 21-point comeback and 469 yards of offense.

Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson leads Baltimore's offense after throwing for 324 yards and a touchdown while adding 40 rushing yards and a score. Running back Derrick Henry added 144 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Baltimore's defense features former Saint Trey Hendrickson, who had eight pressures in Week 1, alongside interior defenders Travis Jones and Nnamdi Madubuike. Linebacker Roquan Smith leads the defense after recording 11 tackles and an interception, while safety Kyle Hamilton anchors a secondary with Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, and Malaki Starks.

This defense will test Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, who threw for 410 yards and three touchdowns against Detroit but took five sacks and threw two interceptions. Wide receiver Chris Olave caught 10 passes for 182 yards. New Orleans now aims to maintain its offensive rhythm against a formidable opponent.

Here are the three keys to victory for the Saints.

No Slow Starts

Slow starts have consistently troubled the Saints under Kellen Moore. Throughout last season, sluggish openings repeatedly hurt New Orleans, leading either to lopsided losses or forcing the team to overcome two-touchdown deficits to secure a win.

Yes, Tyler Shough is a good enough quarterback to get you out of those holes as we saw last week against Detroit. However, the Ravens have a much better, less-injured secondary led by All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, one of the league's better young players.

The better the start, the more likely you will win the game because New Orleans has shown that it is a strong second-half team.

The Offensive Line Must Protect Shough and Control the Line of Scrimmage

New Orleans struggled immensely upfront last week, surrendering five sacks and seven tackles for loss. The ground game stalled completely, managing a paltry 91 yards on 25 rushes (3.6 yards per carry). While Alvin Kamara's potential return could bolster the rushing attack and alleviate Travis Etienne's workload, this offensive line faces another daunting challenge ahead against a formidable front seven.

Baltimore boasts one of the league's top front sevens, featuring ex-Saints edge rusher Trey Hendrickson alongside linebacker Roquan Smith and nose tackle Travis Jones, all of whom present significant matchup problems for the Saints' blocking scheme.

The performance of the offensive line will be the biggest determinant of whether or not the Saints win this game.

Shut the Running Game Down

The Saints will have to do everything they can to shut down the Ravens’ rushing attack, as it is the one thing that sets up everything in Lamar Jackson’s skill set.

That means stopping All-Pro running back Derrick Henry from finding success on the ground. Last week, the Saints allowed Jahmyr Gibbs to rush for 156 yards on 29 carries (5.4 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. Now, they face an elite back in Henry, who is coming off a 144-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 41-23 win over Indianapolis.

You also have to worry about Jackson using his legs, whether escaping the pocket or on designed runs. Given the Saints’ issues in stopping the run last week, it would not be surprising if the Ravens try to exploit that, using Jackson to lighten the load on Henry.

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