The New Orleans Saints will hit the road on Sunday afternoon for a Week 2 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. New Orleans enters at 0-1 after a dramatic overtime loss to the Detroit Lions, while Baltimore is 1-0 following a dominant opening-week victory over the Indianapolis Colts. The Saints enter as significant underdogs, but this matchup gives Tyler Shough and a young New Orleans team an early opportunity to measure themselves against one of the NFL’s best.

There was plenty to like about the Saints’ season opener even if the final result did not go their way. New Orleans fell behind against Detroit, battled all the way back and ultimately forced overtime before losing 31-30. That resiliency was encouraging, but it also highlighted one of the biggest priorities entering Week 2. The Saints cannot afford another slow start against a Baltimore team talented enough to turn an early deficit into a blowout.

Tyler Shough will once again be at the center of everything New Orleans does. The young quarterback already looks capable of becoming the long-term answer for the Saints, and this will be one of his toughest early tests. Going head-to-head with Lamar Jackson and a Ravens team with legitimate championship expectations provides Shough an opportunity to show that his strong opening performance was not simply a one-week flash.

Baltimore presents problems on both sides of the ball, but its rushing attack is particularly difficult to handle. Jackson remains one of the most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history, while Derrick Henry gives the Ravens another physical runner who can wear down a defense over four quarters. New Orleans has to remain disciplined, contain the edges and avoid allowing Baltimore to dictate the entire game on the ground.

The Saints are still early in their development, which makes this matchup interesting even beyond the final score. Baltimore is the better team on paper and should be expected to win at home, but New Orleans showed enough toughness against Detroit to make this a valuable measuring stick. Keeping the game competitive into the second half would be another indication that this roster has taken a step forward, while an outright upset would immediately change the way the Saints are viewed around the league.

For New Orleans, the formula starts with getting off to a much better start than it did in Week 1. Falling behind and asking Shough to engineer another comeback against Jackson and the Ravens is a dangerous way to play. If the Saints can stay within striking distance, protect the football and generate enough offense to keep Baltimore from controlling the tempo, they should have a chance to make this much more competitive than the spread suggests.

Following this contest, the Saints will return home for a Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders on September 27. After opening the season with difficult games against Detroit and Baltimore, that matchup will give New Orleans another opportunity to continue building around Shough and establish some early-season momentum.