The Baltimore Ravens will be looking to follow up their massive Week 1 win over the Indianapolis Colts with another victory in their home opener against the New Orleans Saints.
Injuries are already playing a major factor in this matchup. Nnamdi Madubuike and Teddye Buchanan are not yet ready for their 2026 debuts. Zay Flowers has been ruled out, and Ronnie Stanley is expected to join him. Starters Trey Hendrickson and John Simpson are also questionable but could play after participating in practice on Friday.
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So how do the Ravens navigate these absences and start 2-0?
Derrick Henry vs. Saints’ run defense
The Ravens’ offense in Week 1 against the Colts was centered around Zay Flowers and Derrick Henry, using the threat of one to play off the other. When Flowers went down, it took a while for the passing game to find its rhythm again, but Baltimore leaned on the run game to close the game out.
Last week, the Saints gave up over 150 yards to Jahmyr Gibbs, who averaged over five yards per carry. Henry is capable of a similar performance, but without Flowers, he will likely face a lot of loaded boxes. If the offensive line is missing a starter or two, New Orleans could slow Baltimore’s run game and put more pressure on a Ravens wide receiver room that is also missing Ja’Kobi Lane. Rashod Bateman, Devontez Walker, and/or Elijah Sarratt will have to take advantage of 1-on-1 matchups and burn the Saints downfield.
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Carson Vinson vs. Chase Young
Ronnie Stanley didn’t practice most of this week leading up to the game. He was listed as a limited participant on Friday, but reporters noted that while he was dressed, Stanley didn’t do much actual work compared to other veterans like John Simpson and Trey Hendrickson who were also listed as limited. The Ravens also elevated offensive tackle Gerad Lichtenhan off the practice squad, which makes Stanley’s ‘questionable’ status for Sunday look closer to ‘doubtful.’
That would position second-year lineman Carson Vinson to make his first career start at left tackle. He was drafted in the fifth round last year as a developmental tackle with long-term hopes of succeeding Stanley. Vinson started last year as a healthy scratch but eventually ended up taking the swing tackle job from veteran Joe Noteboom. Now he could face a massive test, protecting Lamar Jackson’s blind side against Chase Young. The former No. 1 pick had a quiet Week 1 statistically (with a strip sack that was strangely overturn), but he still gave Lions All-Pro Penei Sewell fits all game. Young is coming into the game with a calf injury, but is expected to play.
Declan Doyle will do what he can to help Vinson out, including extra help, running the ball at Young, and using quick game and play action. But there will be situations where Vinson has to hold the edge in a third-down, gotta-have-it situation. That will be the first real chance to gauge his developmental progress and long-term potential to take over for Stanley at one of the game’s most important position.
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Ravens secondary vs. the Saints’ high-volume pass attack
Against the Lions, Tyler Shough threw the ball nearly 60 times for 410 yards, three touchdowns, and two picks. On the other hand, the Saints didn’t have a single rusher who had 10 attempts or went over 50 yards. Part of that was the game script – New Orleans went down big early and had to play catch-up through the air most of the game.
But it’s also clear that the Saints want to lean on their young quarterback (and his big arm). His group of offensive weapons is thin on exciting names outside of Chris Olave, who led the league with 182 receiving yards in Week 1. But the team has a lot of trust in former Bronco Devaughn Vele and fourth-round rookie Bryce Lance, two young, big-body receivers who combined for 10 catches and 111 yards in Detroit. Veteran tight ends Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant are not particularly explosive, but they are still capable pass-catchers who allow the Saints to use a variety of personnel groups.
For the Ravens’ defense, this game will come down to Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins shutting down Chris Olave. That will force Shough to be perfect to his other targets while processing Jesse Minter’s mad-scientist defensive scheme. It is hard to see Shough being able to perfectly pick apart Minter’s secondary looks and disguises all game without a couple of mistakes that give the ball back to Lamar Jackson and company. The Saints will move the ball through sheer volume, but limiting Olave can cap their efficiency and make it nearly impossible to keep up with the Ravens.
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