Playing their second straight road game to open the 2026 season, the New Orleans Saints emerged with a 24-17 victory at the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The Saints improved to 1-1 with the upset win. Once again, New Orleans had to overcome a slow start, with this time a victory being the end result. The Saints were outgained by a 312-298 margin in total yardage. However, they'd significantly outgain the Ravens by a 161-84 advantage in total yards during the final two quarters.
Quarterback Tyler Shough wasn't as off as he was in the first two and a half quarters last week, but still didn't play his best football. As was the case last week, Shough was his best in the final stretch. The quarterback completed 15 of 19 throws for 150 yards in the second
half as the Saints scored on three of their last four possessions to take control of the contest. Defensively, New Orleans struggled to stop the run and had some issues in coverage but were able to solidify themselves and come up with enough plays for the win. Shough certainly deserves recognition for the way that he played in the second half. Aside from him, here were the biggest Saints stars of the game.
Game Ball: Chase Young
Containing and pressuring Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was one of the major keys to the game. Chase Young came through big. Facing Pro Bowl Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley, Young looked like a perennial All-Pro himself. He had 1.5 of the Saints 3 sacks of Jackson and was in on the third while recording 7 pressures. Nearly as important was his discipline, being part of a defensive effort that didn't allow Jackson to cause damage with his legs. New Orleans created disruption along the line of scrimmage much of the afternoon, with Chase Young leading the charge.
Game Ball: Daniel Carlson
New Orleans has finally appeared to have found their kicker. And on a day when they needed to most. When Saints drives stalled through the first two and a half quarters, Carlson kicked field goals of 23, 47, and 51 yards to keep his team within striking distance. Carlson's accuracy on kickoff placement also aided in a good overall special teams performance on the day. Carlson has only missed a 60-yard field goal out of five attempts on the year, providing the team a reliable scoring threat as their offense continues to develop.
Game Ball: Chris Olave
Before our very eyes, Chris Olave is moving into the elite tier of NFL wideouts. Devaughn Vele and Juwan Johnson were again standout weapons for Shough, with both converting critical plays in big moments. However, Olave's performance stood above all. Locked in a physical battle with Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey much of the day, Olave had 86 yards on a game-high 8 receptions with a fourth quarter touchdown that tied the game. Baltimore geared their coverages toward containing Olave, but Shough was able to find his receiver time and time again. That is the mark of an elite wide receiver.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Game balls from the Saints' huge Week 2 road upset of the Ravens
