It's easy to overlook the New Orleans Saints' chances of upsetting the Baltimore Ravens, especially if you are a Ravens fan. Baltimore is coming off a dominant Week 1 win and is ultimately a better team. As much as I'd like to say this is a layup for the Ravens, I truly think the Saints have an underrated roster, and they shouldn't be counted out on Sunday.
Despite having a great overall roster, the Ravens' offensive line remains a concern, one that the Saints' defensive line, led by Cameron Jordan, could expose. Week 1 wasn't a perfect showing for the Ravens' line. Lamar Jackson was pressured on 14 of his dropbacks. While Lamar did a fantastic job of avoiding this pressure, that might be trickier with Zay Flowers likely sidelined. Last week, the young interior duo of Vega Ioane and Jovaughn Gwyn showed their inexperience by struggling in pass protection.
Jordan is listed as an edge rusher on the Saints' depth chart. However, he is highly versatile and often lines up against interior linemen. As such, he could expose the Ravens' inexperienced interior duo.
To make matters worse, Ronnie Stanley and John Simpson are questionable on Sunday after missing two practices earlier in the week. Even if both players are on the field Sunday, they won't be at full strength, and Stanley struggled in Week 1, posting a 56.3 PFF grade. So yeah, it's safe to say that the Ravens' line is a concern, especially going up against Jordan.
Cameron Jordan and the New Orleans Saints provide a challenge for the Baltimore Ravens' offensive line
Even at 37, Jordan is a remarkably productive player. The eight-time Pro Bowler is coming off a season in which he recorded 10.5 sacks. Furthermore, Jordan remains a skilled run stopper. Now, Jordan did miss Week 1 with an injury, but he's ready to go for Sunday, and as noted, he remains an extremely disruptive player.
From a pure experience standpoint, having a 15-year veteran will be a challenge for Ioane and Gwyn since both players will be making just their second career start. It's fair to expect that Jordan will have some tricks up his sleeve that will catch these two off guard when he lines up against them.
Plus, when he lines up on the edge, it's fair to expect that he'll give either an injured Stanley or backup Carson Vinson headaches. Jordan is far from the only Saints player Baltimore's offensive line has to account for; Chase Young and Kaden Elliss are two other disruptive front-seven players.
Whether it's giving Lamar ample time and avoiding sacks, or ensuring that they can establish the run game with Derrick Henry, the Ravens need to stave off Jordan and company. Unfortunately, doing so with their inexperience on the interior line and injuries to Stanley and Simpson will be tricky.
Now, the good news is that New Orleans allowed the Detroit Lions to score 31 points and 369 yards (including 165 yards). Furthermore, Lamar and Henry can overcome less-than-ideal circumstances. Regardless, there should be some concerns about how well the Saints' line can hold up.
Add us as a preferred source on Google