The New Orleans Saints rallied from a first-half deficit to defeat the Baltimore Ravens in enemy territory on Sunday.
In a showdown between two teams led by young head coaches, it was Kellen Moore’s Saints that went from trailing 14-3 in the second quarter to outscoring Jesse Minter’s Ravens 21-3 the rest of the way to leave M&T Bank Stadium victorious. Moore is notably 38 years old and the second-youngest frontman in the NFL, sitting behind Buffalo’s Joe Brady, who is 36. Minter is 43-years-old and in his first year leading the charge in Baltimore after the franchise moved on from now-New York Giants head man John Harbaugh.
As for the battle between New Orleans and Baltimore, the Saints only orchestrated 298 yards on total offense, but their defensive pressure (3 sacks, 1 interception, 4 tackles for loss) forced standout Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson to make a few costly decisions that upended efforts to cross the end zone in the second half.
New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough came through for the Saints and led the team to consecutive touchdown drives in the last two series to take the lead and send the Saints back to the bayou with a win.
Scoring summary
Baltimore star running back Derrick Henry opened things up with a 1-yard run in the first quarter. The Saints rebutted with a field goal. The Ravens then drove 80 yards downfield and took a 14-3 lead on Jackson’s 22-yard scoring strike to Rashod Bateman with 24 seconds left in the half. A 53-yard kickoff return by Saints specialist Barion Brown gave New Orleans new life. Placekicker Daniel Carlson knocked in a 47-yarder to get the Saints within striking distance. Baltimore led 14-6 at the intermission.
Carlson’s name was quickly called upon in the third quarter. He connected on a 51-yard field goal to make the score 14-9 in favor of Baltimore. The Ravens expanded their lead on a 49-yard kick by Tyler Loop. From there, however, the Saints would take control of the ballgame.
Baltimore went backwards in its next offensive series and punted, allowing the Saints to tie the game with 9:42 on the fourth-quarter clock. A 21-yard touchdown pass from Shough to wideout Chris Olave got New Orleans within two points on the scoreboard. New Orleans attempted a 2-point conversion, and after a penalty on the Ravens moved the ball to the 1-yard line, Travis Etienne Jr. punched it in to make the score 17-all.
Following another Baltimore three-and-out, Saints tight end Juwan Johnson converted on third down and put the visiting team in scoring position on a 26-yard reception with 1:54 to play. Shough then scored on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line for the lead with 1:28 to play. Safety Julian Blackmon intercepted a Jackson pass on the Ravens’ next possession to secure the victory.
Coach’s comments
Moore was relieved to secure the first victory of the 2026-27 season, especially after opening the year with consecutive road games.
“It’s the NFL. The season is really hard. Our guys have stuck with it because these are the two great road teams we’ve played,” Moore said. “As frustrated as we got during this game, our guys kept going, and we made some big-time plays.”
When discussing their strength of the game against an AFC-dominant Baltimore team, Moore didn’t shy away. It was the defensive line and his quarterback who earned the highest praise.
“I thought of our relentless play from the defensive line and linebacker rushing the quarterbacks. I love the way our guys are playing,” Moore said. “Tyler [Shough] has been steady. He takes shots in the pocket, but delivers for us offensively.”
Numbers never lie
Even though there weren’t many yards, Shough completed 27 of 34 passes for 252 yards and one touchdown. He ran nine times for 23 yards. Olave had eight catches for 86 yards and one touchdown. Linebacker Pete Werner led the team with 11 tackles and a sack, while veteran defensive end Chase Young had 1.5 sacks.
Jackson finished with 235 yards on 21-of-31 passing with a touchdown and an interception. Henry ran the ball 16 times for 68 yards and a touchdown.
Next up
The New Orleans Saints host their first regular-season game at Caesars Superdome against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 27. The game begins at 3:25 p.m. CT and will air on CBS.