With the Ravens suffering an all-too-familiar fourth-quarter collapse in a 24-17 upset loss to New Orleans, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. I still don’t believe Tyler Shough broke the plane. But considering the missed facemask penalty, the third-down sneak that looked like a touchdown, and everything before that, it’s tough to be sympathetic. As Jesse Minter said, “We can be a whole lot better at the things we have control over.”
2. Even looking beyond Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore has invested much at safety for years now, but Malaki Starks and Jaylinn Hawkins were major factors in the defensive breakdowns, which included missed tackles and bad coverage. Pro Football Focus graded them as the Ravens’ two worst defenders, which matched the eyeball test.
3. How much do the Ravens miss Zay Flowers? They scored touchdowns on four of their five drives with him in Indianapolis. Since his exit late in that first half, Baltimore has touchdowns in just three of 15 possessions. That excludes the final Week 1 possession that ended with quarterback kneel-downs.
4. With a full week to plan without Flowers, there were no designed runs for Lamar Jackson, and he scrambled just once outside of two-minute drives at the end of each half. Especially with the offense playing at less than full strength, Jackson’s legs needed to be a bigger factor.
5. There were a couple times Derrick Henry took himself out that left me wondering if he was struggling physically with one being after the second offensive play of the second half. Minter downplayed there being any issue beyond “something small,” but you wonder if that factored into Henry’s lighter-than-expected workload.
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6. That said, throwing a deep pass on third-and-1 midway through the third quarter was the definition of overthinking the moment. Considering the youth and inexperience, this coaching staff was always going to experience some hiccups, and that was definitely one for Declan Doyle.
7. The special teams were awful with the blocked field goal and the Saints’ 53-yard kick return leading to a 6-point swing in the second quarter. With New Orleans still having three timeouts, I understood not conceding the 35-yard line with a touchback, but you have to cover the kickoff then.
8. Minter said Baltimore will have “a good shot with a lot of guys” when asked about injured players returning for Week 3, but Ronnie Stanley leaving late in the third quarter of a one-score game was concerning. Ravens fans know how problematic toe injuries can be for left tackles.
9. Trenton Simpson was one of the best players on the field for the defense with Minter echoing that sentiment Monday. Even with Teddye Buchanan nearing his return, I don’t see much of an argument for him playing over Simpson, who’s shown much growth going back to the end of 2025.
10. Chris Moore earned a 53-man roster spot after a strong Week 1, but the 33-year-old receiver committed two penalties on offense, made a bad decision on a kick return, and narrowly avoided a lost fumble on another. I would have preferred seeing more Devontez Walker and LaJohntay Wester on offense.
811. While Minter’s ill-advised challenge of a 3-yard completion wasted a timeout early in the fourth quarter, the clock management of the final offensive drive of the first half was very good. Baltimore took possession with 3:46 remaining, ran 10 plays, and scored a touchdown with 24 seconds to go.
12. The Ravens haven’t won at home since before last Thanksgiving. That’s now four straight losses — one shy of the franchise record set between 2021 and 2022 — and seven of their last 10 played in Baltimore. That so many of these fourth-quarter collapses have occurred at home make them even worse.
