In their second straight road trip to start the season, the New Orleans Saints visit the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. New Orleans comes in at 0-1 after a 31-30 overtime heartbreaker at the Detroit Lions. The Ravens cruised in their opening game, a 41-23 road win at the Indianapolis Colts.
Baltimore traditionally has a formidable defense. That seems unlikely to change under new head coach Jesse Minter and new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. However, the Ravens had uncharacteristic but major struggles against the pass in 2025. The Saints are expected to have a far improved offense with second-year quarterback Tyler Shough and several new offensive weapons The unit got off to a rocky start against Detroit but woke up with a roar in the second half,
particularly their passing attack. It is there that our focus is for this analysis.
Baltimore Ravens pass defense
2025 statistics
- 247.9 yards per game (30th)
- 63.8% completion percentage
- 23 touchdowns (10th)
- 11 interceptions (16th)
- 30 sacks
- 101 QB hits
2026 Week 1 statistics
- 49 yards
- 61.3% completion percentage
- 1 touchdown
- 1 interception
- 2 sacks
- 8 QB hits
Baltimore was among the league's worst at defending the pass last season and didn't exactly face a stiff test against Daniel Jones against Indianapolis. Focused on improving an anemic pass rush, the Ravens acquired Trey Hendrickson, the former Saints and Bengals star pass rusher. A power rusher with decent burst and constant motor, Hendrickson is coming off an injury-shortened 2025 season but had double-digit sacks in four of five seasons before that. The Ravens also added another power edge rusher in Zion Young with a second round draft choice.
The top two returning sack producers for the Ravens are nose tackle Travis Jones and edge Tavius Robinson, who combined for only 9.5 sacks last year. Also returning for his second stint with the Ravens in 19-year veteran Calais Campbell, who was with Baltimore from 2020 through 2022. Campbell brings valuable veteran experience, but hasn't had more than 6.5 sacks since 2018. Baltimore will be thinner up front due to the injury absence of end Nnambi Madubuike.
Linebacker Roquan Smith is by far the most valuable defender for Baltimore. Smith's leadership, instincts, and athleticism are invaluable. Against the pass, Smith provides outstanding coverage but can also be a disruptive blitzer. Fellow linebacker Teddye Buchanan (knee) will miss this game and will be replaced by Trenton Simpson and Jay Higgins. Mike Green, a 2025 second round choice, will provide additional pass rush depth along the edge.
A lack of pass rush in 2025 certainly didn't help, but the Ravens also suffered through several coverage breakdowns. The majority of their secondary returns, with the only major addition of former Falcons safety Jaylinn Hawkins. Cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins combined for 7 interceptions and 27 pass breakups last year, with safety Malachi Starks adding 2 interceptions of his own. Three-time All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton moves around the defense to exploit the best matchups. Hamilton has only 1 interception in two years since 4 picks in 2023, but still creates disruption in numerous ways.
New Orleans Saints passing attack
2025 statistics
- 219.3 yards per game (13th)
- 7.2% completion percentage
- 19 touchdowns
- 12 interceptions
- 49 sacks
2026 Week 1 statistics
- 410 yards
- 62.3% completion percentage
- 3 touchdowns
- 2 interceptions
- 5 sacks
Last year was an unfair statistical comparison, since Tyler Shough was a massively improved upgrade over Spencer Rattler at quarterback, but Shough had virtually no weapons around him. Additionally, so many new additions at wide receiver, tight end, and running back were going to make this a vastly different looking group anyway. Nevertheless, the Saints spun their wheels in one place through the first two and a half quarters against Detroit.
Shough and the passing game woke up with tremendous force in the third quarter last week and torched Detroit's defense. After looking like a baffled rookie making his first start, Shough turned into a seasoned All-Pro. He riddled the Lions for more passing yards than any other quarterback in Week 1, nearly pulling off an improbable comeback.Chris Olave was one of the league's stars in Week 1, catching 10 passes for a career-best 182 yards. Nearly as effective was fellow wideout Devaughn Vele. Both have a tremendous chemistry with their quarterback and should be weekly producers. Rookie wide receiver Bryce Lance had some nice moments against the Lions and will be a bigger part of the attack. Fellow rookie Barion Brown had a quiet opener, but has the skills to also make some noise in the offense.
Juwan Johnson also has incredible chemistry with Shough. The tight end got off to a frustrating start at Detroit but came on strong in the second half. Johnson is coming off his best season with 77 receptions and 889 yards, second only to Olave on the team. New offseason signing Noah Fant also made an impact against the Lions with 3 catches and a score. Rookie tight end Oscar Delp is also expected to play his first game against Baltimore, further opening the team's pass catching options.
Running backs Travis Etienne Jr. and Alvin Kamara are both terrific receivers. Each will test defenses out of the backfield, but also have the route tree to line up wide effectively. While Kellen Moore's system does not typically use the backs often as receivers, the skills of Etienne and Kamara could change that approach.
New Orleans must protect Shough better than they did in the opener. The Saints have an outstanding pair of tackles in Kelvin Banks Jr and Taliese Fuaga. They'll be under the microscope against Hendrickson and Campbell outside but have the ability to handle one-on-one protection assignments. If they can, it allows the team to apply double-teams on the inside. Guard Cesar Ruiz is the weak link up front, but veteran center Erik McCoy could slide over to help him in protection duties. Left guard David Edwards, signed this offseason, had a solid debut against Detroit and helps solidify the team's interior blocking. If the line can also open up the running game, it will open important play-action opportunities.
Shough and the passing game weren't helped by five drops against Detroit. However, the quarterback was also extremely inaccurate and looked rattled early against the Lions. Shough and the receivers came on strong, but must open today's game against the Ravens with that kind of effectiveness.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Tyler Shough, Saints passing game looks to continue momentum at Ravens
