With the Ravens trying to avoid a four-game losing streak and go into the bye week on a positive note against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday afternoon, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Facing a 1-5 start is brutal, but Baltimore’s taking the appropriate route by not rushing a hamstring injury for Lamar Jackson. Making a post-bye run with a healthy Jackson remains possible. A setback that sidelines him for another month ends any chance of that. Neither scenario is ideal, of course.
2. Cooper Rush will make a second straight start and try to find better rhythm after a three-interception performance last week. Given the Ravens’ difficulties running the ball for multiple weeks now, I’d like to see a change-of-pace package involving Tyler Huntley to help Derrick Henry get going at least.
3. With Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey returning and Kyle Van Noy and Travis Jones another week removed from injuries that cost them game action, there’s no excuse for this defense not to play better. Otherwise, I don’t know how you don’t make a meaningful coaching change during the bye week.
4. I’m not expecting the Alohi Gilman trade impact to be close to the past in-season arrivals of Marcus Peters or Roquan Smith, but any move allowing Hamilton to play closer to the line of scrimmage is welcome. Eric DeCosta really underestimated the trickle-down impact of Ar’Darius Washington’s May Achilles injury.
5. Though I have a hard time labeling Odafe Oweh a total bust when he was the 31st pick and registered a 10-sack season, he didn’t live up to expectations and wasn’t even the quality run defender many projected for his floor. His peak moment came in his second NFL game.
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6. After missing nearly two full games with an ankle injury, Ronnie Stanley returns to face Pro Bowl edge rusher Jared Verse. Stanley logged two full practices this week, so you hope he’s ready to play at a higher level rather than the diminished version we watched in Kansas City.
7. I’m not expecting changes to the starting offensive line Sunday, but Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele need to be on notice. This offense needs better guard play, and rookie third-round pick Emery Jones Jr. and former first-round pick Kenyon Green were recently added to the practice mix.
8. While there are absolutely problems on both sides of the ball that warrant serious criticism for the coaching staff, this offensive line needs to move people and the defensive front must shed blocks to make plays. Regardless of scheme and play calls, players have to win more 1-on-1 battles.
9. Good luck trying to slow down Puka Nacua as the third-year receiver plays out wide or in the slot and is currently on pace for 1,999 receiving yards. If the Ravens somehow find a way to do that, six-time Pro Bowl selection Davante Adams is still pretty good too.
10. Two years ago, these teams played a fantastic football game that ended with a Tylan Wallace punt return for a touchdown in overtime. For all the talk about the struggles on offense and defense, the special teams haven’t been doing anything to provide a boost either.
11. Similar to that 2023 matchup, the weather forecast doesn’t look great with rain and wind threatening to be factors. I’d like to say that favors the Ravens if the elements hinder Matthew Stafford’s passing precision, but Baltimore needs to be able to run the football consistently.
812. Knowing I’ll no longer see longtime Baltimore-Washington radio man Craig Heist covering Ravens or Orioles games hurts my heart. He was a caring, funny friend and one-of-a-kind broadcaster you’d expect to see at every notable — or even semi-notable — pro or college game in the region. Luke-ster will miss you, Heisty.
Prediction: It’s the NFL, so you never really know what will happen in this week-to-week league. This would hardly be the upset of the season, and we are talking about a West Coast team playing a 1 p.m. kickoff, which is always a red flag despite the Rams coming off extra rest from their Week 5 Thursday loss to San Francisco. That said, I can’t shake just how listless the Ravens looked in last week’s blowout loss to Houston and can’t solely chalk that up to the impact of being without multiple Pro Bowl players. That was a team that exhibited very little fight or belief in what it was doing, which was very uncharacteristic of a John Harbaugh team in an underdog position. The returns of Hamilton, Humphrey, and Stanley should help, but not having Jackson or Smith still leaves the offense and defense at significant deficits. The Ravens will put up a better showing on both sides of the ball this week, but that won’t be enough as the Rams win 27-17 to hand Baltimore its first 1-5 start since 2015.
