Saints vs. Ravens: Staff Predictions for Week 2 Showdown

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Heading into Week 2, the New Orleans Saints head to Baltimore for a tough road matchup against a high-powered Ravens team coming off a dominant opening performance.

Baltimore kicked off its campaign with a commanding 41-23 victory over Indianapolis, racking up 506 yards of offense while limiting the Colts to 251. Meanwhile, New Orleans mounted a thrilling 21-point comeback before falling 31-30 in overtime against Detroit, generating 469 total yards in the effort.

At the heart of Baltimore's offense is two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, who turned in an efficient Week 1 performance with 324 passing yards and a touchdown on 17-of-25 passing, alongside 40 rushing yards and a touchdown. Alongside him is Derrick Henry, who proved as lethal as ever at age 32. The five-time Pro Bowler gashed Indianapolis for 144 rushing yards and three touchdowns, presenting New Orleans with the formidable task of slowing down two elite ground threats.

On the defensive side, the Ravens offer no relief. Former Saint Trey Hendrickson generated eight quarterback pressures in Week 1, posing a stern test for a Saints offensive line that allowed five sacks to Detroit. Travis Jones anchors the interior defensive line, with Nnamdi Madubuike potentially making his return from a neck injury.

The defense is anchored by four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Roquan Smith, who opened the season with 11 tackles, two passes defended, and an interception. In the secondary, versatile All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton headlines a deep unit featuring Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, and Malaki Starks.

This staunch Baltimore defense—which surrendered just 251 yards and forced two turnovers last week—will be a major test for Saints quarterback Tyler Shough. Shough showcased explosive playmaking against Detroit with 410 passing yards and three touchdowns, but also endured five sacks and threw two interceptions. His primary target, Chris Olave, posted a career-best performance with 10 receptions for 182 yards.

After proving it can push the ball downfield, New Orleans must now attempt to maintain that offensive momentum against one of the league's toughest defensive groups.

Doug Joubert, Publisher: L 35-27

Coming off a wild overtime loss in Detroit last weekend, the Saints are on the road again to challenge another very good team: the Baltimore Ravens.

This team is in much better shape than the Lions were. Against Detroit, the New Orleans offense was going against 2nd and 3rd string safeties, thus giving Tyler Shough's receivers more room than usual to make big plays, as shown by Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele's receptions.

The Saints running game, both on offense and defense, must do a better job than what they did in Week 1.

Throwing the ball 75% of the time the way the Saints did will not win you many ball games in 2026. Travis Etienne Jr must be given the chance to get an outside edge to use his speed and agility. Out of his nine rushes versus Detroit, only one of A-Chan's runs was outside the tackles. We expect Alvin Kamara to be back this weekend, but if the same blocking results from last Sunday appear this Sunday, it's going to be a very long day for Tyler Shough.

The Saints D must do a better job of stopping the run. The Lions star running back, Jahmyr Gibbs had a field day, usually getting little contact until two or three (or more) yards past the line of scrimmage. The defensive line has to get some penetration on plays to try to stop a pretty much unstoppable machine in running back Derrick Henry.

And then there's Lamar Jackson. The Ravens quarterback is truly a threat whether he's throwing or running the ball. Containment is the key here. I think it starts with the Saints athletic defensive backs, where players like Martin Emerson Jr can make the difference here, using his long, lanky frame as an additional spy on Jackson. If you leave the Ravens QB alone and not keep him under lock and key, it won't be pretty.

The initial game of 2026 showed signs that this Saints team is getting there quickly, just not quickly enough against a team like Baltimore.

Prediction: Ravens 35, Saints 27

Grant Chachere, Staff Writer: L 31-24

I think this game will be close, similar to last week, with a decent amount of offense.

I think this is another opportunity for Tyler Shough to shine. While he probably won’t put up the gaudy numbers he did last week — because Baltimore’s secondary, led by Kyle Hamilton, is much better than the injury-riddled unit the Saints played — I think he plays well enough for New Orleans to pull off the upset in a tough road environment.

However, I am concerned about the Saints’ offensive line, a unit that allowed Shough to be sacked five times and surrendered seven tackles for loss. The run game could never get going, largely due to the poor performance upfront. Still, the potential return of Alvin Kamara could help the ground attack.

The front seven of the Ravens is one of the best in the NFL. Former Saints edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, linebacker Roquan Smith and nose tackle Travis Jones will give the Saints’ offensive line fits.

Defensively, the Saints must find ways to prevent the electric Lamar Jackson from throwing dimes downfield and making big plays with his legs. New Orleans also must stop 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.

I think this will be a one-possession game, with the Ravens holding on for the win.

Prediction: Ravens 31, Saints 24

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