The majority of pundits are predicting Baltimore’s third win in a row
For the first time this season, the Ravens (5-3) are on the road to success. In fact, their two-game winning streak marks their first streak of any kind in 2022.
Can they get third in a row by defeating the New Orleans Saints under the bright lights of Monday Night Football (assuming the lights in Caesars Superdome actually stay on)?
The Saints (3-5) pulled off an impressive 24-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8, but the majority of pundits we looked at (40 out of 48) like the Ravens’ chances.
If the Ravens win their third straight win, they’ll be without All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews (knee, shoulder), who was ruled out, and wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who has foot surgery at the end of the season. Also, running back Gus Edwards (hamstring) is doubtful to play.
This is what the experts say about the game:
Special teams will lead the Ravens to victory.
NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal: “It’s too early to say the Saints’ defense is back, but the offense is efficient enough and the Superdome will rock. I only give the Ravens a small advantage because they might have the best special teams in football, while the Saints might have the worst.”
Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith: “The Saints made a mark with their win over the Raiders last week and I think they will be competitive with the Ravens. But ultimately, I think the Ravens’ tremendous advantage as a special team will make all the difference in this game.”
The Ringers Sheil Kapadia: “The Saints dominated the Raiders full force last week. Alvin Kamara had 27 touches for 158 yards. The Ravens have nothing to hang their hat on and I could see a low scoring game. But Baltimore can win in different ways and has a huge advantage over special teams. I like it when they take care of business here.”
The Ravens’ acquisition of inside linebacker Roquan Smith will pay off immediately.
Ebony Bird’s Chris Schisler: “There couldn’t be a better game to introduce Roquan Smith to defense. Smith leads the league in tackles and this could be another game where he wins 10-12. Kamara is second on the team in receptions and Juwan Johnson is no slouch on the tight end. The biggest thing Smith gives to this defense is a linebacker that can mark and as such could be used to neutralize the fast passing play down the middle of the field. He’s one of the few linebackers athletic enough to keep up with Kamara.”
Vinnie Iyer from Sporting News: “The Ravens have upped their pass rush with Roquan Smith and recently been running a vastly improved overall defense with a different cover-versus-pressure philosophy. This is bad news for [Saints quarterback] Andy Dalton, who tends to have a lot of nightmares in prime-time games.”
This time Dalton will shine in prime time.
CBS Sports’ John Breech: “CAN DALTON ACTUALLY DELIVER IN PRIME TIME? On the one hand, he has an 11-year history saying no. As a resident Bengals homer here at CBS Sports, I should point out that I’ve personally suffered from 21 of Dalton’s prime-time starts since his rookie year in 2011, and when he plays, it’s usually a good thing for the other team. That being said, the last time Dalton won a game in prime time it was against the Ravens and I think he can lead to upsetting the Saints here.”
The Ravens are picking up where they left off in the second half against the Buccaneers.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio: “I just think the Ravens are finding a groove; they looked great against the Buccaneers. And I just feel like the Saints are one fickle team enough this year [that] I could see them after a shutout win with a not great performance the following week as they started to find their balance and then lost their wobble.
Due to the Saints defense’s lack of success against dual-threat quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson could have a big game to lead the ball.
The Baltimore Sun’s Childs Walker: “Jackson remains the weapon that can’t explain a defense and leads the team with 553 rushing yards at 7.4 yards per carry. … The Saints aren’t as good against the run as they are against the pass, but they’ve held off the Raiders and Josh Jacobs for 38 rushing yards. They haven’t played as well against teams with ongoing quarterback threats, including the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals.
NBC Sports’ Chris Simms: “The Saints, two years in a row, against Jalen Hurts, … and some of those Lamar Jackson-type running games, they couldn’t stop Philadelphia when they do that and this is a team that I look at is similar.”
Bold Prediction: The Ravens will have two 100-yard rushers.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley: “With Baltimore’s top 2 passing targets (Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman), the Ravens will rely on their ground play. Lamar Jackson has run for the third-most yards in prime-time games (1,123) since 2018 and Kenyan Drake should be getting plenty of carries as JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards are both injured. This wouldn’t be the first time this has happened to the Saints, who conceded 100 yards to the Eagles’ Miles Sanders and Jalen Hurts in the same game in 2020.
The Saints are better than their record and will take the excitement.
CJ Doon from the Baltimore Sun: “For a team with a losing record, the Saints are pretty impressive. Demario Davis might be the best inside linebacker in the NFL. Running back Alvin Kamara is coming off a game with three touchdowns. Rookie wide receiver Chris Olave averages nearly 15 yards per catch. Defensive ends Marcus Davenport and Cameron Jordan can stop the run. Safety bully Mathieu is still a playmaker. Quarterback Andy Dalton is playing better than you think. It all adds up to a dangerous road test for the Ravens, especially when they say, “We miss Mark Andrews and Gus Edwards.”
Don’t be surprised if there are many penalties.
Joe Gibbs of Sharp Football Analysis: “[Head referee] Brad Rogers is taking the third-highest penalties per game in 2022 and the Saints are the third-most penalized team. …Rogers leads the NFL in defensive pass interference and penalty yardage penalties in this category in 2022. The Ravens have committed the fifth-highest defensive pass interference penalties in eight weeks of the NFL season. The Saints lead the NFL in holding penalties defensively. … Rogers takes third place in passer penalties. The Ravens are the top 10 in that category.”