The Baltimore Ravens were firing on all cylinders in their season opener. It felt like there was really only one hiccup, coming on the first defensive drive. After adjusting, though, they hardly missed a beat.
Now, the honeymoon phase is over—it’s time for Week 2. Beating the New Orleans Saints shouldn’t be much of a challenge, but this is all about building a hot start into something sustainable. Jesse Minter and company need to live up to the hype they built from Week 1.
Can the meticulous preparation translate on a week-to-week basis, or will the new coaching staff hit its first speed bump?
Baltimore Ravens need to prove 2026 is more than just a hot start
Realistically, Week 1 was a prime chance for the Ravens to jump out in front. While much of their roster remained the same, they hired Jesse Minter and brought in an almost entirely new coaching staff. For the most part, the Indianapolis Colts didn’t have a great idea of what to expect.
Baltimore also had the upper hand in preparation, given that the Colts are running it back with a similar coaching staff in 2026. They had tons of film to watch on their opponents, while Indianapolis didn’t have much on them. Sure, it can be tough to adjust to a new era, but the game-planning process was an easy win for the Ravens.
Not anymore. The tape is out on them from Week 1. The Saints will come into M&T Bank Stadium in Week 2 knowing what they’re walking into to an extent.
The Ravens are going from several weeks of preparation to just one week’s worth now. That’s the significant difference between Week 1 and Week 2 for all teams. And this young coaching staff needs to prove it's ready for that test.
Minter knows what’s on the horizon, too. Earlier in the week, he spoke about that exact early-season shift.
“It is a week-to-week league though, and I have learned that myself as a coordinator,” Minter said. “So, it is now about a normal week, being able to get in everything that we need for this particular game…be able to operate now in a normal week rather than having a couple extra weeks.”
Minter and Declan Doyle are so precise in their process that there shouldn’t be many doubts about whether they’ll be ready for this slight, yet very important, transition. The schemes and packages on offense and defense were truly a marvel to look at last week. They sound and have shown they're ready.
And if they somehow hit a rut, this is a spot where the veterans step in. Specifically, it’s the team captains Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Calais Campbell, Roquan Smith, and Kyle Hamilton.
Each of them has been in it for the long haul and knows more than anyone how this league operates. If there’s anything Minter, Doyle, and Anthony Weaver miss, you best believe those guys have the leadership and game IQ to adjust and keep the rest of the squad on its P’s and Q’s.
Even with all the excited outside noise following Baltimore’s impressive Week 1 victory, they can’t get complacent. And they won’t. The coaching staff clearly has a new edge, and it should be on full display in front of the home crowd against the Saints in Week 2.
Add us as a preferred source on Google