Film study wasn't needed for the New Orleans Saints defense to understand the threats posed by Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry.

Jackson, in his ninth season, is a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and three-time All-Pro who holds the NFL record for most rushing yards (6,562) by a quarterback and tops the list in all-time quarterback rating (102.4). Henry, in his 11th year, is a four-time All-Pro who was NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2020 and holds six NFL records, including most seasons (five) with 1,500-plus rushing yards.

So, the Saints (0-1) know exactly what they'll be up against Sunday, when they face the Ravens (1-0) at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md.

"It's a pretty cool tandem for them when they've got those guys both on the field," Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss said. "A lot of different run game is available to them, because you've got arguably the best quarterback run game guy in the league, and then you've got Derrick Henry, a future Hall of Famer at running back. Two different styles, but they're extremely potent together."

The potency was unleashed on the Colts in the season opener.

Jackson completed 17 of 25 passes for 324 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 40 yards and a score on seven carries. Henry ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. The Ravens rolled up 506 yards, averaged 7.9 yards per play and scored 31 points in the first half of a 41-23 victory.

The numbers aligned with outstanding resumes: Jackson has completed 64.8 percent of his career passes for 22,932 yards and 188 touchdowns, with 56 interceptions, and has run for 6,562 yards and 36 touchdowns on 1,088 carries; Henry — listed at 6-foot-3, 252 pounds — is the NFL active leader in rushing yards (13,162), rushing touchdowns (125) and carries (2,686).

Each has breakaway speed (Henry is tied for the league record with a 99-yard touchdown run) and while Jackson can dazzle with elusiveness and creativity, Henry can square his shoulders and administer punishment.

For the Saints, pocket containment is the objective with Jackson. New Orleans understands he'll dance to space occasionally, but the occasions must be minimized.

"We've got to be aware of where he is," Saints edge Chase Young said. "He's that dude. Just got to be aware of him, try to contain him in the pocket and just be aware in general.

"You have to be aware when you're rushing. But also, I've learned that sometimes, quarterbacks who are scramblers run into sacks as well, because they're moving. Sometimes they might lose us (rushers). I think it's a balance. We're going to stay in our rush lanes, like we always try to, and do our best to take him down."

"For Lamar, he's going to make some plays off schedule," Saints coach Kellen Moore said. "I think that's the biggest thing — when you have quarterbacks that are able to play off schedule, we can't stop. We've got to keep pursuing. We've got to plaster on the back end — (defensive backs and linebackers) have got to cover guys for maybe a little longer, because inevitably Lamar is going to make one of those happen. We've just got to do a great job of continuing to play."

Elliss said Jackson once extended a play for 15 seconds.

"You're going to build the defense appropriately to corral him, to keep him kind of in the pocket," Elliss said. "But you also know he's going to get out. Eventually he's going to get out, something's going to happen, he's going to make a play and when that happens you've just got to preach to everybody covering, 'It's the second play.'

"With him, it's always two plays — you've got to shut down the first one and the second one comes available, you've got to shut that one down, too. It can be a really long play, you've just got to keep going."

Then, there's Henry, a Gulliver-sized back who has, and will, created Lilliputian defenders with arguably the most potent stiff arm in the league.

"He's outside the norm of what a running back traditionally looks like," Moore said. "The most amazing thing, I think, is how long he has done this. This has been going on for years and doesn't feel like it's tailing off at all. It's a tremendous challenge because it's group tackling in some cases. You need the whole group to pursue and finish, and that's what it's going to take."

"You can't let him get started," defensive lineman Davon Godchaux said. "When he gets to the second level, he's dangerous. You want to make him stop his feet, and stop. Because once he can keep going forward he's a train. So we have to do a good job getting off blocks, being disruptive and bringing whatever call that (defensive coordinator Brandon) Staley calls to get us home. Because this is a guy, once he gets to the second level, it's lights out."

Godchaux said it's imperative that the Saints play clean football.

"If we just don't beat ourself with mental errors, assignments, I think we'll be good," he said. "This is a team who made a living off trying to be the bully when (former Coach John) Harbaugh was there — I played them a lot of times.

"It's going to be a physical game and it's going to be the team that, early on in this season, doesn't beat themselves. That can line up, get set and play football. I think it's going to be the team that can start fast, not have mental errors and just line up and play football."

INJURY REPORT: Edge rusher Cameron Jordan, the franchise all-time leader in sacks, appears poised to make his regular-season debut against Baltimore. Jordan (hamstring) practiced full on Friday after being limited Wednesday and Thursday. Rookie tight end Oscar Delp (hamstring) also practiced full. Receiver Chris Olave (hamstring), edge Chase Young (calf) and defensive lineman Christen Miller (toe) practiced limited and are questionable, and linebacker Isaiah Stalbird (shoulder) didn't practice and is doubtful. Long snapper Zach Wood (calf) was placed on injured reserve and the Saints signed long snapper Scott Daly, who has been with five NFL teams since entering the league as an undrafted rookie in 2018. Most recently, he was on Green Bay's practice squad.