The Ravens aren’t fixing all of their problems.
The pass rush looks utterly hopeless, and the league’s worst scoring defense is too thin on the defensive line as well as at edge rusher and inside linebacker. No matter how aggressive general manager Eric DeCosta is willing to be before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, addressing all of those positions adequately over the next 2 1/2 weeks doesn’t seem realistic. But the transition to a three-safety secondary that enables two-time Pro Bowl selection Kyle Hamilton to play closer to the line of scrimmage was a start to raising the defense’s floor at the very least.
Meanwhile, the offense has been woeful in short yardage and inside the red zone and has surrendered the fourth-most sacks in the NFL through the first six weeks. The Ravens managed a total of just 13 points with backup quarterback Cooper Rush starting the last two games.
Overcoming this nightmare 1-5 start isn’t impossible, however, especially after Thursday night’s reminder that first-place Pittsburgh isn’t running away with the AFC North. No matter how frustrated fans currently are with the coaching staff, the front office, and underperforming players, a path to climbing back into the playoff race remains when sizing up the post-bye schedule.
Of course, there’s no better reason for optimism than the return of two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson from a hamstring injury. The 28-year-old superstar obviously can’t do this alone, but he is the force multiplier you pay $52 million per season to lead the way and elevate the rest of your football team. Baltimore obviously needs Jackson to stay healthy and play at an MVP level to have any realistic chance of winning nine of its final 11 games to get to the 10-7 record needed to have a strong chance of making the postseason and not have to rely on gobs of help from other teams.
That reality is why it’s most critical for the Ravens to come out of the bye week with answers for improving the group entrusted to protect Jackson. That the 15 sacks he’s taken in four games are only eight fewer than the total number of times he was sacked last season is alarming, especially after Baltimore returned four of five starters on its offensive line. It doesn’t take a football genius to recognize the need to keep your franchise quarterback healthy and to help him play his best possible football.
Sure, there are times when Jackson holds the ball too long or needs to live to fight another day by throwing a pass away such as that pivotal first-down interception he threw in the Week 4 loss at Kansas City. But that relative flaw is directly tied to the secret sauce of extending plays that makes Jackson such an incredible quarterback. No one is better at making something extraordinary out of nothing.
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“Lamar is not a quarterback that gives up on plays. It’s just not his nature. It’s just not how he’s made up,” quarterbacks coach Tee Martin said during the bye week. “Understanding that, we’re going to continue to help him, and I think Lamar’s going to be Lamar and be mindful of that because we don’t want that on our O-line and those guys up there working hard and doing the best they can.”
Unfortunately, the offensive line’s best hasn’t been nearly good enough in 2025. While maligned and below-average guards Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees have drawn the bulk of the criticism, right tackle Roger Rosengarten hasn’t taken the step forward in his second season that many anticipated. Veteran left tackle Ronnie Stanley has missed significant time in three straight games because of his problematic left ankle, which prompts concerns about his availability and effectiveness going forward. Even two-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum hasn’t been at his best in pass protection this season.
The numbers back up the concerning eyeball test with a composite of pass protection ratings from Pro Football Focus, Sports Info Solutions, and ESPN ranking Baltimore 28th in the NFL through Week 6, per NFL analyst Ben Baldwin. Those same metrics ranked the Ravens a solid 13th last season and eighth two years ago. Football Insights also recently broke down just how often Jackson had been leaving the pocket prior to his Week 4 injury and how much that was prompted by pressure.
Fans and even some media have been clamoring for offensive line changes for weeks, so it remains to be seen if the coaching staff pulls the trigger by giving someone like Ben Cleveland, Corey Bullock, or even former Houston first-round pick and current practice-squad member Kenyon Green a shot at a guard spot. Earlier this week, offensive line coach George Warhop didn’t sound like third-round offensive tackle Emery Jones Jr. is anywhere close to being ready to play in an NFL game, but perhaps the rookie will become a more viable choice in the weeks to come.
“We’re considering those kind of options for sure. That’s kind of what the bye week is for,” head coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “I think it helps you with that. Those guys will get a chance to practice [during the bye], which will be good for us to get those guys out there and see them. … We do have a couple veteran guys that have been practicing that would have a shot that we’ll take a look at this week and see how they look. That stuff is definitely on the table.”
We’ll also see whether DeCosta is able to acquire an offensive line upgrade before the trade deadline. Just as one example, outside observers have noted ex-Ravens right guard Kevin Zeitler still playing at a quality level in his age-35 season for a 1-5 Tennessee team that just fired its head coach.
If you’re looking for a sign of hope, Baltimore’s ground game finally began moving in the right direction in the Week 6 loss to the Rams with the increased use of outside-zone runs that led to Derrick Henry’s first 100-yard rushing day since Week 1. Of course, that production was accompanied by maddening short-yardage failures, which illuminate the lack of physicality from a group that’s also been without five-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard all season. But Warhop was adamant this week about the Ravens’ ability to run the football moving forward, which almost sounded like a subtle challenge to offensive coordinator Todd Monken to better commit to doing so. Running the ball at a higher level will be critical to keeping this offense on schedule and minimizing the third-and-long situations that expose below-average pass protection and leave little margin for error for Jackson and his pass-catching weapons.
We know Jackson must be healthy and playing at his best for the Ravens to have any practical shot at saving this 2025 season, which is why finding answers on the offensive line that protects him tops the list of the various areas needing to be fixed.
