On Sunday, the 0-1 New Orleans Saints travel to play at the 1-0 Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. The Saints narrowly missed pulling off an opening week upset at the Detroit Lions, falling 31-30 in overtime. The Ravens handled the Indianapolis Colts fairly easily on the road by a 41-23 score.
Baltimore has a new head coach in Jesse Minter, but will still be formidable on the ground with the powerful Derrick Henry and explosive Lamar Jackson. New Orleans ranked 9th in total defense last year, but was only 19th against the run and had a lot of issues against Detroit's running game in the season opener. We'll look at that aspect of Sunday's matchup now.
Baltimore Ravens rushing offense
2025 statistics
- 156.6 yards per game (2nd)
- 5.3 yards per carry (1st)
- 23 touchdowns (3rd)
2026 Week 1 statistics
- 202 yards
- 5.5 per carry
- 4 touchdowns
Only the Buffalo Bills had more rushing yards than Baltimore in 2025,
with just the Bills and Indianapolis Colts having more touchdowns on the ground. The Ravens, as expected, carried that rushing commitment over into last week's season opener. Baltimore had more rushing yards in Week 1 than anyone but the Bears and Chiefs, with only Chicago (6) getting to the end zone more with the run. The Ravens have ranked no lower than fourth in rushing attempts in seven of the last eight years with only 2022 (7th) being the exception. Even with the offseason head coaching change to Jesse Minter and former Saints assistant Declan Doyle at offensive coordinator, we should expect that trend to continue.
Eleven-year veteran Derrick Henry continues to excel at an extremely high level as one of the top backs in the league. During his tenth season in 2025, Henry finished second in the NFL with 1,595 rushing yards while scoring 16 times. The latter tied the second highest of his career as he logged over 300 carries (307) for the third time in four seasons. Henry averaged an impressive 5.2 per carry in 2025 at age 31. He's one of the most effective power backs in NFL history with a brutal straight ahead running style and a jaw-dropping breakaway burst.
Henry has a simple style that has proven next to impossible to stop. He'll continue to be the workhorse for the Ravens and has shown little sign of slowing down. Just ask the Colts, who he victimized for 144 rushing yards, six yards per rush, and 3 touchdowns during Baltimore's Week 1 romp. Versatile Justice Hill is Henry's official backup. He sees very few rushing attempts but has good power with the speed to get outside the tackles. Additionally, Hill is a dangerous receiver who mainly only spells Henry in obvious passing situations.
The true rushing complement to Henry is Lamar Jackson, an explosive dual-threat quarterback. Jackson, 29, didn't take nearly as many rushing attempts in 2025 as he's taken in years past and finished with a career-low 349 yards and 2 scores on the ground. This is a running quarterback who as recently as 2024 had 915 rushing yards and has eclipsed the 1,000-yard barrier twice. Jackson is still far more dangerous with his legs than his arm, as the 1-2 punch of he and Henry continues to give defenses fits.
A Ravens offensive line already breaking in some new faces may be shorthanded against New Orleans. Star left tackle Ronnie Stanley (toe) and left guard John Simpson (groin) had yet to practice as of Thursday. Elite blocking isn't a necessity for the hulking Henry or elusive Jackson, but helps each of them get an easy start into the second level of opposing defenses.
New Orleans Saints rushing defense
2025 statistics
- 120.6 yards per game (19th)
- 4 yards per carry (6th)
- 12 touchdowns (6th)
2026 Week 1 statistics
- 165 yards
- 5 yards per carry
- 3 touchdowns
New Orleans showed some improvement against the run last season after abysmal performances the previous few years, especially in average per rush. However, the letdown of the run defense against Detroit in the opener was one of the primary reasons for their loss. This area was a concern going into training camp and has shown no signs yet of alleviating it.
A better performance up front is critical for the Saints. Vernon Broughton and Nathan Shepherd need to consistently win more matchups to get backfield penetration. In the middle, Christen Miller, Davon Godchaux, and John Ridgeway III must get push or at least stalemates. Doing so eliminates easy inside rushing lanes, especially vital against a back like Derrick Henry.
In the secondary, the Saints have an aggressive group that doesn't shy away from run support. Safeties Jonas Sanker and Justin Reid, along with Julian Blackmon, will be asked to quickly diagnose running plays and make decisive tackles. Expect one of these players to consistently be at the line of scrimmage against the Ravens. The possible return of edge Cameron Jordan, questionable with a hamstring injury, would be a huge boost to the run defense. Without him, the Ravens will test Carl Granderson and Chase Young by running right at them off tackle. This is also where safety play in the tackle box will be key.
Linebackers are the biggest key to slowing Henry or Jackson. The Baltimore quarterback has the athletic edge over nearly every linebacker, but cutting him off with properly read angles is critical. As for Henry, that key is matching his physicality and standing him up while slowing his tremendous leg drive. All easier said than done.
Kaden Elliss had some nice moments against the Lions in his first game back with the Saints. The same can be said about his complement Pete Werner. Danny Stutsman and Pete Werner often split reps. All three are physical players, but that will be tested greatly by Henry while Jackson has the huge athletic advantage over all three. The Saints are likely going to be without their most athletic linebacker, Isaiah Stalbird (shoulder), meaning that anticipation from Elliss, Werner, and Stutsman will be under an extra large microscope.
Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs had 156 rushing yards and over five yards per carry against New Orleans. Gibbs is a far different back than Derrick Henry, but Henry presents an equally monumental challenge. Elliss and Werner had a few very nice stops early on against the Lions, as did Sanker and Broughton. They'll need much more of that against Baltimore. It is likely the biggest key to this outcome.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Slowing dynamic Ravens run game is Saints' biggest Week 2 challenge
