Game Recap: Ravens Fall to Saints in Home Opener

After the Ravens lit up the scoreboard en route to a dominant Week 1 win, the tides turned quickly in Week 2, as the Ravens fell to the Saints, 24-17, in their home opener.

The Ravens held a 14-6 lead at halftime, but the Saints outscored them 18-3 in the second half. The Saints snuck in for a fourth down touchdown in the final minutes, and Jackson was intercepted in scoring range to seal the Ravens’ loss.

Turning Point

With the game tied at 17 late in the fourth quarter, Saints quarterback Tyler Shough stood tall in the pocket on third-and-8 and connected with tight end Juwan Johnson, who eluded defenders for a 26-yard catch-and-run to the Ravens’ 4-yard line. Four plays later, Shough scored on a quarterback sneak to give New Orleans the lead with 1:28 left in regulation. It was unclear whether Shough crossed the goal line, but the call stood after review.

Top Play

With under 30 seconds left in the first half, Jackson connected with Rashod Bateman for a 22-yard touchdown. It was Bateman’s first touchdown catch since Oct. 30 of last season, and it put the Ravens ahead by double digits.

Stats to Know

• Mike Green had two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits. Trey Hendrickson also had his first sack as a Raven.

• The Saints started 4-of-6 on third down and finished 8-of-15.

• Shough was 27-of-34 for 252 yards and a touchdown, and Saints wide receiver Chris Olave had eight grabs for 86 yards and a score.

• The Ravens committed seven penalties. One of them, a hold on safety Jaylinn Hawkins, nullified a stop on a game-tying 2-point conversion from the Saints. Moments later, Saints running back Travis Etienne beat the Ravens to the right corner of the end zone to tie the game at 17.

• Rashod Bateman’s 88 receiving yards weren’t just a team-high, but it was his most in a game since Oct. 30 of last season, when he had 121 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

• The two teams combined for eight drives of at least eight plays. When the Ravens got the ball back after the Saints scored a go-ahead touchdown with 1:28 left in regulation, they’d held the ball for 96 seconds the entire fourth quarter up until then.

Up Next

The Ravens will travel to Rio de Janeiro for a matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, which is slated for next Sunday at 4:25 p.m.

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