Five Things We Learned from the Ravens’ 30-27 win over the New Orleans Saints

Somehow, hand-wringing over the Ravens’ new backup quarterback became a dominant storyline early in training camp. The nadir probably came when outside linebacker Terrell Suggs taunted, “Hey,Matt, your guys are the guys in purple” after Schaub threw an interception in practice.

But the former Houston Texans starter came out sharp in his first game action. He quickly made his best throw as a Raven, hitting second-year receiver Michael Campanaro (River Hill) perfectly in rhythm for a 45-yard touchdown.

He would’ve had another touchdown had rookie tight end Maxx Williams handled a well-thrown ball in the end zone late in the second quarter.

Schaub did throw an interception in the second half, but that was as much on receiver Jeremy Butler, who didn’t fight for the ball on a curl route, as it was on the quarterback. He completed 11 of 18 passes overall.

The veteran hasn’t seemed bothered by all the questions about his practice interceptions. The coaches have stuck up for him.

Now, maybe we can let this story fade into the white noise of camp. If a few bad throws by the backup quarterback are among your leading concerns, you’re in good shape for the season.

With Timmy Jernigan sidelined by a foot injury, the third-round pick from Iowa played a huge chunk of the game and showed he might be ready to contribute quickly.

Davis helped stuff a run on third-and-short to stifle the Saints’ second drive of the game. He batted down a pass and made a tackle for a loss in the third quarter. Several times, he blasted his blocker well into the Saints’ backfield.

At 320 pounds, he’s a stout presence in the middle, but he also can cover ground to get to a ball carrier.

The Ravens have an incredible record of finding effective defensive linemen outside the first round of the draft. Davis looks like another one.

Pass coverage ranked No. 1 on the Ravens’ “Needs improvement” list in the offseason. With starting cornerbacks Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb sitting out, Thursday’s game offered little chance for an early referendum.

But many of the team’s defensive reserves played poorly, allowing the Saints to move the ball easily after the Ravens built an early 20-7 lead.

The defense looked positively helpless against third-string quarterback Ryan Griffin as he moved the Saints 90 yards in 1 minute, 28 seconds just before halftime. It was an uninspiring series for Kyle Arrington, expected to be the team’s nickel cornerback, and for familiar reserves such as linebacker Albert McClellan and safety Anthony Levine.

John Harbaugh was visibly disgusted with his second-team defense as he walked to the locker room.

He looked even glummer as Griffin continued to find open receivers on the first drive of the second half. Levine and newly acquired cornerback Cassius Vaughn were among the culprits for the shoddy coverage.

The Saints, sans Drew Brees, completed 25 of 38 passes for 266 yards. All three New Orleans quarterbacks posted passer ratings of 95.6 or better.

None of this will mean much if the starters remain healthy during the regular season. But as we saw in 2014, that’s a real big “if.”

You felt joyous anticipation at M&T Bank Stadium in the seconds before a kickoff reached Jacoby Jones’ hands. Jones was as fast as any Raven ever, and the possibility of something sensational always loomed when he accelerated out of an opponent’s end zone.

With Jones departed to San Diego, the Ravens lack a similar threat on special teams. In fact, we don’t know who will go back to take the first kick in Week 1.

With the Saints booting every kick through the end zone, none of the candidates got to show much Thursday. Asa Jackson (pictured) went back to take the opening kick. Campanaro and rookie DeAndre Carter also fielded kickoffs and/or punts.

They managed a total of 27 return yards.

I’m not going to pretend as if kick returns swing a season for your average playoff contender. But on a Ravens team with a lot of strengths, this is one of the few areas of real uncertainty. The picture is no clearer after the preseason opener.