Ravens vs. Saints: Complete Week 12 Preview for New Orleans
After two straight home losses, the New Orleans Saints will attempt to get back in the win column when they entertain the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football.
New Orleans (4-6) was beaten up by the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, as the Saints’ widely celebrated home-field advantage was rendered insignificant. The Saints were thoroughly dominated on both sides of the ball in the contest, and with the loss, they relinquished control of the NFC South division to the Atlanta Falcons (4-6), who bested New Orleans in Week 1.
Quarterback Drew Brees and the Saints offense rank second in the NFL in yards per game, but their ultra-conservative approach last Sunday produced just 10 points against the Bengals. The unit will be looking to get back on track against a tough Ravens defense, which ranks fifth in the league against the run.
Defensively, the Saints have struggled for the better part of the season, and they’ll be challenged again on Monday night against a capable Baltimore offense led by strong-armed quarterback Joe Flacco.
The Ravens (6-4) are coming off a bye week, and they’ll be looking to keep pace in the highly competitive AFC North.
Continue reading for a complete preview of this Week 12 Monday night clash.
Week 11 Recap
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Last Sunday’s 27-10 loss at the hands of the Bengals was one of the most uninspired performances from the Saints in the Sean Payton era.
Cincinnati marched down the field on its first possession for a touchdown, and things only got worse for the Saints thereafter. The Bengals used a balanced attack to build a 13-3 halftime lead, as quarterback Andy Dalton and running back Jeremy Hill took turns gashing the outmatched New Orleans defense.
By the day’s end, Dalton, who had turned in a woeful 10-of-33 performance just a week earlier, had three scoring tosses, and Hill had racked up 152 yards on the ground.
Meanwhile, Brees and the Saints offense sleepwalked through a lackluster showing. The Saints signal-caller was overly passive with the football all afternoon, as he continually settled for short underneath routes in the passing game, while the fired-up Cincinnati defense kept Ingram bottled up.
New Orleans moved the football, at times, in a slow, methodical fashion, but the big play, or anything close to it, was sorely lacking from its offensive arsenal. The Saints struggled to find the end zone, and they didn’t cross the goal line until the early moments of the fourth quarter.
In short, the Bengals controlled every aspect of the game from start to finish, leaving the reeling Saints grasping for answers on their home turf.
News and Notes
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Saints-Ravens Series
These teams haven’t met often, but Baltimore holds a commanding 4-1 series lead.
After moving to Baltimore from Cleveland in 1996, the Ravens hosted the Saints in the teams’ first-ever meeting, and the home team claimed a 17-10 victory.
The two clubs’ last meeting occurred in 2010, as the home-standing Ravens outscored the Saints 30-24.
New Orleans’ lone win in the series came in 2002, as the Jim Haslett-led Saints scored a 37-25 victory at Baltimore’s Ravens Stadium.
Brees Seeking Elusive Victory
Drew Brees has accomplished quite a bit in his prolific NFL career. He’s hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, been named Super Bowl MVP and set seemingly countless passing records.
He’s also defeated 31 of the 32 teams in the league as quarterback of the Saints and the San Diego Chargers. There’s one team he’s never beaten, however, and that’s the Baltimore Ravens.
Brees is 0-of-3 against his next opponent, having lost to the Ravens in 2003, 2006 and 2010. On Monday night, he’ll be striving to change that and join Peyton Manning and Brett Favre as the only NFL quarterbacks to defeat every team in the league.
Ravens Return to the Dome
Baltimore’s last visit to the Superdome was for a preseason game back in August, when it handed the Saints a 22-13 loss. The Ravens' previous trip to New Orleans, however, was a tad more meaningful. In February of 2013, the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, 34-31.
Better known as the Harbaugh Bowl, the matchup pitted brothers John and Jim Harbaugh against each other as opposing head coaches, with current Ravens coach John coming out on top.
The contest was extremely competitive and entertaining, but the game is probably best remembered for a partial power outage that occurred just after halftime. With the Ravens leading 28-6, many of the lights in the Superdome suddenly went out, causing a delay of roughly half an hour.
When the issue was corrected and the lights came back on, the Ravens withstood a furious San Francisco rally to preserve the win.
Injury Report
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To say that the Saints are a banged-up football team would be a gross understatement.
Starting safety Rafael Bush and rookie wideout Brandin Cooks were placed on injured reserve this week, and New Orleans will feel the effects of both players’ absences from here on out.
On Thursday, a host of players were named on the injury report, according to the team’s official site, NewOrleansSaints.com.
Five players missed Thursday's practice, including starting cornerback Keenan Lewis (knee) and starting linebacker Curtis Lofton (ankle). Running backs Travaris Cadet (hamstring) and Khiry Robinson (forearm) were also held out, as was reserve linebacker Kyle Knox (hand).
On a positive note for the Saints, running back Pierre Thomas returned to practice, although he was limited in workouts. Thomas has missed the last four games with rib and shoulder injuries, and New Orleans could certainly use his services Monday.
Meanwhile, starting right tackle Zach Strief fully participated in practice. The Saints have Strief listed as having an injured chest, although he left last Sunday's game with a concussion.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Mark Ingram vs. Daryl Smith and CJ Mosley
Over the last month, Sean Payton has made a strong commitment to running the football, and Ingram has proved his worth as the Saints' featured ball-carrier. In the past four games, he’s rushed for 459 yards while showcasing his ability to shoulder a heavy workload with 104 carries.
The stout Baltimore run defense, meanwhile, yields just 84.5 yards per game and 3.4 yards per carry. Despite the Ravens’ impressive statistics, the Saints will likely try to establish a solid ground game with Ingram.
Waiting in the teeth of the Baltimore defense will be a pair of active inside linebackers in Daryl Smith and CJ Mosley. The latter is enjoying a fine rookie season after being selected in the first round of the 2014 draft, while Smith is recognized throughout the league as one of the best linebackers in the game.
If Ingram can get past the duo and into the Ravens secondary a couple of times early on, Brees and the New Orleans passing game should reap some of the benefits.
Saints Cornerbacks vs. Ravens Wide Receivers
This matchup will be one of the deciding factors in the contest. It’s no secret that every Saints cornerback not named Keenan Lewis has struggled this season, and with Lewis injured and not practicing Thursday, the matchup becomes even dicier.
The Ravens boast a pair of dangerous receivers in Torrey Smith and Steve Smith Sr., while the Saints counter with corners Corey White, Patrick Robinson and Brian Dixon.
Flacco has one of the strongest arms in football, and he’ll most likely attempt to test New Orleans often with his patented deep ball.
Whether in zone or man coverage, the Saints corners must be able to make some plays on the ball, or they could once again become a liability in this one.
Zach Strief vs. Elvis Dumervil
The Saints' success in the passing game will be dependent on right tackle Zach Strief's ability to contain Baltimore's ferocious pass-rusher, Elvis Dumervil.
The outside linebacker lines up on the left side of the Ravens defense on most snaps, which means Strief will be well-acquainted with him by game's end.
Dumervil has been on a tear this season, and he's tied for second in the league with 10.5 sacks. New Orleans will likely provide Strief with help on some plays, but the big tackle will have to hold his own against the three-time Pro Bowler throughout the contest.
Saints X-Factor of the Week: Tight End Jimmy Graham
With just three catches for 29 yards, Jimmy Graham had an underwhelming showing against the Bengals. The All-Pro was on the receiving end of a bone-jarring hit early on against Cincinnati, and he was largely a non-factor afterward.
Don’t expect a repeat performance against Baltimore, however, especially with Cooks now out of the lineup.
In Kenny Stills and Joe Morgan, New Orleans will still have some viable options in the downfield passing game, but Graham is a mismatch for almost anyone he lines up against, be it a corner, a safety or a linebacker. In an effort to find the most advantageous matchup, the Saints will probably line him up all over the field, and Brees will likely be looking his way early and often against the Ravens.
Prediction
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Three straight losses in the Superdome seems almost unheard of in the Payton-Brees era, but that’s the barrel New Orleans is staring down in this crucial Week 12 contest.
As far as the big picture goes, the Saints won’t reach .500 even if they do win, but they could reclaim control of the NFC South with an Atlanta loss.
It's safe to say that if there was ever a time for New Orleans to kick things into high gear, it’s this week, on Monday Night Football in front of a lively home crowd.
The Saints have been victorious 14 straight times in prime-time home games, and despite their recent struggles, they’ll be a tough out in the Superdome come Monday night.
Look for New Orleans’ defensive front to feed off the crowd and put some serious heat on Flacco early in the contest. Brees and the Saints’ No. 2-ranked offense should then take cue and redeem themselves after last week’s putrid performance.
If the Saints can find the end zone early on in the game, they won’t look back.
Prediction: New Orleans 27, Baltimore 20
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