Saints rally with two fourth-quarter TDs to stun Ravens in Baltimore, 24-17

BALTIMORE (WVUE) - The Saints scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and intercepted Lamar Jackson in the final 20 seconds Sunday (Sept. 20) to stun the heavily favored Baltimore Ravens, 24-17.

New Orleans (1-1) trailed 14-3 late in the second quarter before mounting another second-half comeback. Unlike the one a week earlier, when the Saints came back from a 21-point deficit in Detroit only to lose by one point in overtime, this rally got them into the win column.

“Our guys battled. Our guys handled all those moving pieces at the end very well,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “Our guys didn’t stop.”

Trailing 17-9, the Saints tied the game with 9:42 left in the fourth when quarterback Tyler Shough and receiver Chris Olave connected on a 21-yard touchdown play. Travis Etienne reached the end zone for a two-point conversion that tied the game at 17-17.

Then the Saints mounted a 16-play, 68-yard drive and took their first lead of the game with 1:28 to play, when Shough snuck across the goal line from 1 yard out.

The Ravens began marching toward a game-tying score, but Julian Blackmon secured the win with an interception of Jackson at the New Orleans 7 with 20 seconds to play.

With the comeback, Moore’s team avoided an 0-2 start. Oddsmakers had favored the Ravens by 8½ points on their home field before kickoff.

“It shows who we are as a team, top to bottom,” Shough said. “We feel like we’re never out of it. That was a really good team, so we feel like we’re ready to keep going.”

Shough outdueled two-time league MVP Jackson, especially in the final quarter. Shough completed 27 of 34 passes for 252 yards and had his single passing and rushing touchdowns. Jackson connected on 21 of 31 passes for 235 yards, with one TD and the game-sealing interception.

“The game is never too big for him,” Moore said of his second-year quarterback. “Tyler doesn’t flinch.”

Baltimore was without its top two wide receivers -- Zay Flowers (hamstring) and rookie Ja’Kobi Lane (wrist surgery) -- and it appeared Bateman might have run a different route than Jackson expected on the last-minute interception.

The Saints trailed at halftime, 14-6. Baltimore running back Derrick Henry had scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, and Jackson connected with Rashod Bateman on a 22-yard score.

New Orleans could only muster two Daniel Carlson field goals in the first two frames.

Baltimore outgained New Orleans, 312 yards to 298, but the Saints’ defense neutralized the Ravens’ biggest offensive threats. Henry managed just 68 yards on 16 carries, while Jackson gained just 34 on his four rushing attempts.

Etienne (25 yards), Shough (23) and Alvin Kamara in his season debut (15) were the Saints’ leading rushers. But Olave pulled in eight receptions for 86 yards and his critical score on a game-high 10 targets.

The Saints host the Las Vegas Raiders next Sunday in Caesars Superdome. Kickoff for the home opener is set for 3:25 p.m.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.

Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.