Ravens’ First Loss in New Era Feels Too Familiar

Key Points:

• The Baltimore Ravens lost their home opener 24-17 to the New Orleans Saints, squandering an 11-point lead and continuing a troubling trend of late-game collapses, especially at M&T Bank Stadium where they've lost seven of their last ten games.
• The Ravens' defense faltered in the fourth quarter, allowing two touchdown drives and failing to contain Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, who completed 12 of 14 passes for 119 yards and a decisive touchdown in the final 15 minutes.
• Offensive struggles in the second half included questionable play-calling by rookie coordinator Declan Doyle, who opted for a deep pass on third-and-1 instead of leveraging running back Derrick Henry, who saw a reduced workload after a strong first half.
• Special teams contributed negatively with a blocked 49-yard field goal and a 53-yard kickoff return that set up Saints points, while rookie punter Ryan Eckley underperformed compared to his debut, averaging just 41.3 yards per punt.
• Penalties also hurt the Ravens at critical moments, including a holding call that gave the Saints a second chance on a two-point conversion attempt late in the game, underscoring the team's struggles to close out games under pressure.