Ravens Are Heavy Favorites to Defeat Saints

Jonas Shaffer Ravens 24, Saints 13 “Don’t let the 31 points the Saints allowed Sunday fool you. Their defense had a good game against an explosive Lions attack. New Orleans held Detroit to 5.1 yards per play and allowed just two drives of at least 50 yards — and the second came in overtime. The Saints had a top-15 defense last season, too, and might not have to worry about stopping Zay Flowers. But the Ravens’ defense should be the best unit in this game. Tyler Shough had 85 yards passing at halftime against a mediocre Lions secondary. The Ravens have the talent to keep Chris Olave from taking over, and an eager M&T Bank Stadium crowd should give them an edge in high-leverage spots.” Giana Han Ravens 38, Saints 21 “The Saints played the Lions close, helped by a standout performance from wide receiver Chris Olave. The Ravens defense will be put to the test again, but the one it passed last week featured great players as well. Meanwhile, the Saints defense struggled in Week 1, which sets up the chance for another high-scoring day for the Ravens.” Childs Walker Ravens 30, Saints 23 “Detroit sacked Shough five times and picked him off twice, so the Ravens will have chances to hand Lamar Jackson the short fields he capitalized on in their opener. Jesse Minter’s defense closed effectively in Indianapolis and will need an equally effective second-half pass rush this week. That, combined with another big day from Derrick Henry, will be too much for the Saints to surmount.” Kyle Goon Ravens 38, Saints 17 “I suspect the Saints will have a tough time corralling Derrick Henry and the Ravens’ rushing game after coughing up a ton of yardage to the Lions in Week 1. But, to keep this from becoming a shootout, Baltimore’s defensive front needs to bother Shough. Given enough time, the Saints QB is more than capable of making this a tight one. It’s up to Trey Hendrickson (and the rest of the Ravens’ pass rushers) to keep him in a blender.” Brandon Weigel Ravens 27, Saints 14 “New Orleans put up a strong fight against the Detroit Lions in Week 1, scoring 24 second-half points to force overtime. The Saints may have even won if not for a questionable interpretation of what constitutes a forward pass. But they’re still one of the weakest teams in perhaps the NFL’s worst division. Even with a possibly shorthanded wide receiver corps, the Ravens should ball out for the hometown fans.”

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