The Baltimore Ravens are ready to take the field for Week 2. As they look to go 2-0, they’ll battle the New Orleans Saints on home field for the first time in 2026.
In Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts, the Ravens looked dominant. There wasn’t much to be disappointed by. However, the team wasn’t completely free from flaws, and with injuries rearing their ugly heads in the equation, coaches will be looking for more from several players.
For these five players, they must play at a higher level on Sunday.
5 Ravens who need to play better in Week 2
Mike Green
Mike Green needs to take another step in his second NFL season. After notching 17 sacks in his 2024 campaign at Marshall, Green tallied just 3.5 in his rookie season. To kick off 2026, he only played 15 defensive snaps and posted a goose egg in every standard stat department—the bulk of the workload (rightfully) went to Trey Hendrickson and Tavius Robinson.
Still, with Hendrickson nursing a finger injury and being listed as questionable heading into Sunday, Green could be unleashed in a higher capacity. If that’s the case, he’ll have to show signs of producing on a more consistent basis.
Green plays a primary pass-rusher role on defense, as his speed and bend off the line of scrimmage can make him a menace along the edge. Against a Saints offense that threw the ball 56 times last week, Green should get more run. He must play his part in limiting Tyler Shough.
And if he does that, more opportunities should come crawling his way.
Jovaughn Gwyn
The interior offensive line had an up-and-down start to their year. Run blocking? Excellent. Pass blocking? Abysmal. No player fit that polarizing trend more than Jovaughn Gwyn.
In the run game, Gwyn was a game-wrecker in Week 1. He helped Derrick Henry have a monstrous outing, and another one could be coming. In pass protection, though, he couldn’t block a fly. The pocket was collapsing from the interior all day, and Gwyn was at fault for many of those mishaps.
Clearly, Gwyn is showing encouraging signs, and honestly, it was a solid audition in his first career NFL start. However, with Ethan Pocic working his way back from an Achilles injury, he’ll be breathing down Gwyn’s neck sooner rather than later.
Gwyn has to continue taking strides against the Saints.
Trenton Simpson
New Orleans presents a big task for Trenton Simpson. Shough often attacks the middle of the field, and running backs Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara are real threats out of the backfield. That means Baltimore will need Simpson on his ‘A’ game.
Simpson can be the perfect weapon to combat some of the Saints’ strengths. His speed and athleticism help him fly to the football, bringing the ability to limit Etienne and Kamara from breaking off big plays.
Where he needs to improve is in coverage. That’s a big step that it feels like we’re still waiting for Simpson to take. His nose for the football is strong, but his anticipation and IQ seem to always be a step behind—it was seen again in Indianapolis.
Teddye Buchanan is out for another game as he continues to ramp up into game-ready action, leaving Simpson as the starter next to Roquan Smith for at least one more week. These need to be reps Simpson takes advantage of.
LaJohntay Wester
Zay Flowers and Ja’Kobi Lane are out. While that likely means Devontez Walker will see a significant workload, the team needs a guy to fill the Flowers role. Enter LaJohntay Wester.
Wester feels like he can play that part well, too.
LaJohntay Wester studied Zay Flowers well before either became a Raven. On Sunday, Wester may be called on to step up in Flowers' absence.
— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) September 18, 2026
"Zay has a lot more experience than me as of right now, but other than that, I feel like I can mimic a lot of what he's doing on the field."
Obviously it won’t be to the level of Flowers, but if the Ravens want to avoid losing that electricity in the open field, Wester might be the player to turn to. He’s lightning quick and has shown he can make anyone miss as a punt returner.
We saw Wester get some looks in the passing game last week, as well, and he looked pretty decent. Just like the preseason, he was used as a short-yardage receiver, making 2 receptions for 15 yards. He was the only Ravens wide receiver outside Flowers to catch multiple passes last week.
In Week 2, he should get even more time in the sun.
Mark Andrews
Is this the game Mark Andrews finally turns back the clock? His production has taken a hit over the past couple of seasons, but he remains the TE1. With all the injuries, everything is falling into place for Andrews to perform like the All-Pro he once was.
No Flowers, no Lane, Rashod Bateman as the WR1; this game should have Andrews written all over it. If he can’t hit a new level, Baltimore’s passing attack may hit a big-time rut.
In the season opener, Andrews was the second-leading passing target with 4 receptions for 49 yards. That’s a fine start to 2026, but Week 2 should see a boost. At the very least, he must remain a steady target for Lamar Jackson.
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