The Baltimore Ravens walked into their home opener confident. That seemed appropriate after a dominant Week 1 performance against the Indianapolis Colts. They left M&T Bank Stadium victims ofa 24-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints. They'll have plenty to think about heading into next week's trip to Brazil.
The final score tells part of the story, but it doesn't explain everything that happened Sunday. Baltimore had to navigate Zay Flowers' absence, watched Lamar Jackson see one of his most notable NFC streaks end, and got an important milestone from Trey Hendrickson in his first game with the Ravens.
The final score also hid some interesting numbers that provide more context for where this team stands after two weeks. Here are four observations
from Baltimore's loss to New Orleans.
The Ravens played more snaps without Zay Flowers in Week 2 than they played without him all of last season
This was an unusual situation for Baltimore's offense. Before Sunday's game, Jonas Shaffer pointed out that the Ravens had only 25 drop-backs with Flowers off the field during the entire 2025 season. Baltimore surpassed that number in one afternoon against the Saints.
What will the Ravens' passing offense look like today? They had only 25 drop-backs with Zay Flowers off the field all last year.
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) September 20, 2026
Plus, more on the Ravens' run game advantage, Chris Olave's hot streak and Tyler Shough's big weakness: https://t.co/ruzPTTp28U
Jackson attempted 31 passes without one of his favorite targets available, completing 21 for 235 yards. He connected with seven different receivers and also contributed 34 rushing yards on four carries. The Ravens clearly weren't trying to replace Flowers with one player. Instead, the workload was distributed throughout the passing game, with Rashod Bateman leading the way and Devontez Walker also contributing.
It wasn't enough to produce a victory, but the game provided Baltimore with considerably more information about its offense without Flowers than it had entering the afternoon.
Lamar Jackson's incredible NFC streak has come to an end
Jackson entered Sunday's matchup with an extraordinary 25-3 record against NFC opponents. His most recent loss to an NFC team came against the Detroit Lions in 2025, meaning the Saints were trying to accomplish something that had become increasingly difficult for opponents from the other conference.
New Orleans did exactly that. The loss moves Jackson's record against NFC opponents to 25-4 and ends one of the more impressive conference-specific stretches of his career. Considering how rarely Baltimore has lost these matchups with Jackson at quarterback, Sunday's result carries a little more significance than simply adding another loss to the standings.
Trey Hendrickson joins elite company
Trey Hendrickson's first sack as a Raven came with history attached. According to Ravens Communications, Hendrickson became just the fifth player since 2017 to record at least 80 sacks, 75 tackles for loss, and 15 forced fumbles.
With that sack, Hendrickson joins Aaron Donald, Myles Garrett, Khalil Mack and T.J. Watt as the only players since 2017 to have recorded at least 80 sacks, 75 TFL and 15 FFs. https://t.co/5rPe1uhYmc pic.twitter.com/afXMFrG03k
— Baltimore Ravens Communications (@Ravens_Comms) September 20, 2026
As stated, he joined Aaron Donald, Myles Garrett, Khalil Mack, and T.J. Watt in that group. The milestone is another reminder of the type of pass-rushing production Baltimore added when it brought Hendrickson into the organization.
The Ravens didn't get enough from their defense late in Sunday's game. Even so, only a handful of the league's most productive defenders have reached Hendrickson's milestone in recent years. That alone gives cause to pause.
The Ravens haven't won a home game since four days before Thanksgiving
This one is becoming difficult to overlook. Baltimore's last home victory came Nov. 23 against the New York Jets. The Ravens have now lost four consecutive games at M&T Bank Stadium since then.
That makes Sunday's loss more significant than simply dropping the home opener. Baltimore spent the week talking about rebuilding its home-field advantage, with Jesse Minter emphasizing the role the Ravens can play in creating an environment their fans can feed off.
The crowd certainly provided energy Sunday. The Ravens simply couldn't turn that energy into a victory.
Final thought
Baltimore has a lot to digest from Sunday's loss, but the Ravens shouldn't need to invent a new identity because of one disappointing afternoon. The offense showed it can distribute the football without Flowers; Hendrickson made an immediate impact, and Jackson remains one of the league's most difficult quarterbacks to beat against NFC opponents despite losing that streak Sunday.
The more pressing issue is making sure those positive developments don't get buried underneath another home loss. Baltimore has a long season ahead, but the Ravens now have to take what they learned from Sunday and make it matter when they travel to Brazil next week.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: 4 notable stats from Ravens’ 24-17 loss to New Orleans
