Torment.
That’s the word that best describes the ending to the last two seasons for the Ravens.
You don’t plan for the franchise’s all-time leading receiver to drop the game-tying pass in Buffalo like Mark Andrews did last January. And no matter how much conviction Baltimore had about Tyler Loop, there was no guarantee how the kicker would handle the first truly critical moment of his career to cap a rookie season devoid of high-leverage moments before that unsuccessful 44-yard attempt on Sunday night.
It’d be easier to accept such a fate if these were isolated incidents or the Ravens were an NFL also-ran, but they have an 18th-year Super Bowl-winning head coach in John Harbaugh and a two-time NFL MVP at quarterback in Lamar Jackson. In the wake of the heartbreaking 26-24 loss to Pittsburgh to cap a disappointing 8-9 season that began with such high hopes, a popular sentiment expressed by national pundits has been the need for the organization to “get back to being the Ravens.”
But what exactly does that mean at this point?
Tough defeats are a part of the game and sports in general, of course, and only one team is going to be happy at the end of every season, a reminder we all need from time to time. But when it comes to ripping your heart out in the most agonizing way possible, the Ravens have been working on a dynasty for the better part of a decade now. Going back to Antonio Brown’s “Immaculate Extension” in Pittsburgh on Christmas Day in 2016, such excruciating meltdowns in the most critical games have almost become an annual occurrence.
It’s only gotten worse during the Jackson era, which defies logic when you’re talking about a team flush with Pro Bowl talent and a generational dual-threat quarterback. No matter how impressive the Ravens have looked in the regular season, however, their stars have too often shrunk in the biggest moments, coaching decisions have prompted second-guessing, and at least one phase of the game has inevitably broken down in January.
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What’s missing? What needs to change to break the cycle?
Of course, this season was even worse with the Ravens not making the playoffs just two years after being the NFL’s best regular-season team and hosting the AFC title game. Other than the first 3 1/2 quarters of the season-opening collapse in Buffalo, this team rarely resembled anything close to the Super Bowl favorite many believed it to be and was already on its way to a 1-3 start before the injuries piled up and Baltimore entered its bye week at 1-5. The five-game winning streak that sparked hope ultimately proved to be more the product of a soft post-bye schedule than a true breakthrough as the Ravens then lost four of their final six — three of those defeats coming at home — to miss the postseason for the first time since 2021.
In fairness to all parties — the front office, the coaching staff, and the players — needing to take responsibility for arguably the most disappointing regular season in team history, the health woes of Jackson headlined the list of things to go wrong. Not only did the 28-year-old miss four games and fail to finish two others due to injury, but he didn’t look like himself for much of the year, which was evident in him rushing for a career-low 349 yards. Suggesting the Ravens would still be playing next week if they had a healthier version of Jackson throughout the season is hardly a hot take.
But that doesn’t give everyone else a pass.
Whether talking about the usage of Derrick Henry, the offense’s red-zone woes and issues in pass protection, or persistent breakdowns in pass coverage against quality quarterbacks, the coaching left much to be desired in 2025. That begins with Harbaugh, continues with his coordinators, and trickles down to every position coach.
General manager Eric DeCosta didn’t do enough to address the offensive line and pass rush last offseason despite many citing the need to improve those areas. Those turned out to be fatal flaws for this team and need to become greater roster-building priorities moving forward if the Ravens are going to reverse their fortunes and take the next step.
And yes, many players themselves failed to deliver, a list that included some of the highest-paid contributors on the team. Veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey is one example that immediately comes to mind as he will now enter the final year of his contract and carries a $26.3 million salary cap number for 2026.
8Where do the Ravens go from here?
That’s a question best suited for owner Steve Bisciotti, who hasn’t taken part in a football press conference in Owings Mills since Joe Flacco was still his team’s quarterback eight years ago. When the problems are this widespread, there’s a danger in everyone involved pointing elsewhere and no one of consequence being held accountable as a result. That’s when the owner — even one who trusts his people — may need to step in and make some difficult decisions to recalibrate.
Harbaugh has had an excellent run that no one should discredit, but he’s also 13 years removed from his Super Bowl win. It’s fair to ask if he’s getting the most out of this team, especially after a season in which the Ravens sprung leaks in every phase of the game at some of the worst times. And even if reported concerns about Harbaugh’s relationship with Jackson are overblown, there’s some merit to the idea of seeing if another head coach can extract more from this Jackson-led core of players after years of January disappointments.
As was the case with Harbaugh’s former boss — Andy Reid in Philadelphia — years ago, change sometimes works for both parties if you decide you’re no longer moving in the right direction together. But that’s ultimately for Bisciotti and Harbaugh — who has three years remaining on his current deal — to decide.
If the longtime head coach is staying put, what needs to happen with the rest of his coaching staff?
As popular as Zach Orr is as a person, his second year as defensive coordinator proved to be worse than the first with his defense getting off to a historically poor start and then faltering again down the stretch. The loss of star safety Kyle Hamilton to a concussion Sunday night was a difficult blow, but allowing 23 points in the second half to a Steelers offense that looked completely toothless without star receiver DK Metcalf in Cleveland a week earlier was just the latest example of his defense being below the bar in crunch time.
If this is an organization that still prioritizes playing high-level defense, bringing back Orr is an extremely difficult sell.
8Will offensive coordinator Todd Monken return after an inconsistent third season in Baltimore?
Given the pronounced struggles of their respective groups, are offensive line coach George Warhop and pass rush coach Chuck Smith the right men for those jobs?
The Ravens aren’t strangers to disappointment entering the offseason, but their approach in recent years has been to react without overreacting. But when you’re coming off a season as frustrating as this one, some degree of overreaction might be in order to send the message that this isn’t going to happen again.
At the very least, more difficult conversations need to be had and more drastic changes need to be considered. Otherwise, the continuity the organization champions has become nothing more than complacency.
With the Ravens no longer moving in the right direction with the status quo, what are they going to do about it?
