What the Ravens must establish on their opening drive vs. Saints

To replicate Baltimore's fast start against Indianapolis, where they scored touchdowns on their opening possessions, Declan Doyle will need to capitalize on the remaining strengths of the Ravens' offense. This will require focusing on Derrick Henry, who is expected to carry the ball 24 times for 144 yards and three touchdowns in the upcoming matchup against the Saints.

Before relying on Henry, the Ravens should demonstrate that they can contain him by forcing the Saints to expend defenders near the line of scrimmage. To achieve this, Baltimore can employ three-tight-end personnel on a significant portion of their offensive plays, which created confusion and provided run-pass options. With Mark Andrews, Durham Smythe, and Matt Hibner forming the core of the tight end room, this strategy can create advantageous blocking angles for Henry while providing Lamar Jackson opportunities with play-action passes.

The absence of Zay Flowers and Lane, who are dealing with injury, means that the receiving corps must step up to share the workload. Rashod Bateman, Chris Moore, Devontez Walker, LaJohntay Wester, and Elijah Sarratt will need to divide the tasks, with Doyle playing a crucial role. Doyle can aid in setting up the rest of the receivers by making an early completion, delivering a manufactured touch, or providing simplified coverage reads.

For Bateman, a routine catch to establish rhythm can be valuable, especially considering he went without a reception in Week 1.