The Baltimore Ravens took the field for the first time at M&T Bank in 2026, and it was…lackluster. Many had extremely high hopes for what the team would bring in Week 2, but it was severely underwhelming. They suffered a bad loss to the New Orleans Saints, 24-17.
After such a fantastic start to the Jesse Minter era, the Ravens looked sloppy. It was clear the week-to-week life might hold a bit of a learning curve for the new coaching staff. There’s a ton to clean up. You can't give up 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
Here are six instant takeaways from Sunday’s loss.
6 takeaways from Baltimore Ravens’ Week 2 loss to Saints
Trench play needs to be way more consistent
At some points, the Ravens looked really good in the trenches. They were getting sacks, the defensive front had Tyler Shough feeling the heat, and pass protection held their own. That was early on.
In the fourth quarter, though, much of that vanished. The Saints' defense stifled Baltimore’s offense; Shough had way too much time on his hands, and they gave routes way all the time in the world to develop. The dam was cracking throughout the entire second half, and in the mid-to-late stages of the fourth quarter, it finally broke.
The best teams win games up front. The Ravens have to do that better. Numbers are cool, but consistency is key.
Penalties are still a HUGE issue on offense
The Ravens can’t get out of their own way. They’ve shown they don’t have many issues moving the chains and dicing up the opposing defense. The issue is: it’s only a matter of time before penalties ruin that momentum.
In all, Baltimore was tagged for 7 penalties for 34 yards. It felt like they came at the most untimely moments. Twice in the third quarter, the offense had outstanding field position, but both times a barrage of holding and false start penalties had the sky falling.
If the Ravens want a realistic chance at being a Super Bowl contender in 2026, they must clean up those errors.
The coaching staff has some growing up to do
I’m not going to put the full blame on the playcalling efforts from Jesse Minter and Declan Doyle—the players had their chances and have to perform better. Still, Minter and Doyle each had their questionable moments.
Minter’s challenge on that Chris Olave catch in the fourth quarter was silly. It was a clear catch. Yes, he bobbled it initially; however, it was quite obvious he regained control before hitting the ground. That wasted a critical timeout that the Ravens would’ve liked to have in their back pocket later.
Declan Doyle couldn’t get his unit in a rhythm. The plays were there, and while penalties and poor offensive line play threw them off course, Doyle could’ve called a better game. Specifically, we’re all going to remember that 3rd-and-1 play, where the Ravens opted to fire deep for Chris Moore, which resulted in an incompletion. It was an aggressive play and a great ball, but you have to hand it to Derrick Henry there and keep the drive moving late in the game.
They’ll learn.
Mark Andrews starts slow, but ends up holding up his end of the bargain
When Mark Andrews and Lamar Jackson couldn’t connect on that 3rd-and-6 play on the opening drive, fans probably had a gross, familiar feeling. There’s been a lack of trust in Andrews in recent years, and it wasn’t a good start to Week 2. He turned in a very good performance, though.
Jackson looked his way often in the first half. Andrews started the day with 3 receptions for 20 yards, and finished the day with 6 receptions for 49 yards. What mattered most, though, wasn’t truly his receiving chops. It was his play as a blocker.
Andrews had two plays that stood out there. He helped clear the lane for a Derrick Henry rushing touchdown out of the wildcat formation for Baltimore’s first score of the game. Later, he was a catalyst in LaJohntay Wester slipping past the first-down marker on a screen pass.
Blocking’s never been believed to be Andrews’ strong suit, but he held up his end of the bargain against the Saints.
Trenton Simpson stars in this one
Given how the Saints run their offense, Trenton Simpson was going to play a big role in Sunday's matchup. The Ravens needed his sideline-to-sideline speed to help limit Shough, Travis Etienne, and Alvin Kamara out in space. They got exactly that from him.
Simpson finished the day with 6 tackles and 1 tackles for loss. He was absolutely flying around the field, doing everything in his power to ensure no ball carriers got loose for chunk gains.
Most notably, though, it seemed like Simpson’s instincts also took over in a big way at times. There were moments where he fired through blockers with no hesitation, making stops with authority. That’s an area where many were hoping Simpson would take some strides. Safe to say, he took advantage of the opportunity.
Rashod Bateman answers the call...until he doesn't?
All the talk, all the noise; Rashod Bateman blocked it out and proved his worth. Due to injuries, he was Baltimore’s WR1 entering the game, and he looked the part. The veteran wideout finished with 7 receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown.
It was a very strong performance. Bateman may have started his 2026 campaign with a goose egg in Week 1, but he came ready to play in Week 2. His route-running expertise was on full display, finding open grass and being the reliable target Jackson needed...until that final offensive play of the game for the Ravens.
It looked like Bateman may run the wrong route on Jackson's game-ending interception. Stop me if you've heard that one before. Jackson seemed to be trying to direct Bateman toward the pylon, but they weren't even close to being in-sync. Blame who you want; regardless, it was evident the offense struggled to stay on the same page.
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