With the Ravens falling to 1-3 for the first time in 10 years after a 37-20 loss at Kansas City on Sunday, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. On Monday, John Harbaugh expressed confidence in Zach Orr and the defensive coaching staff before saying, “We’re not too far away on defense.” Considering this group was in a bad place even before the injuries piled up, it’s next to impossible to buy such sentiments now.
2. Roquan Smith hasn’t played his most consistent football going back to last season, but being without him further exposes how thin Baltimore is at inside linebacker. You wonder if we’ll see something similar to 2019 when Eric DeCosta brought in veterans Josh Bynes and L.J. Fort in Week 5.
3. Long before Marlon Humphrey injured his calf, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs went right after him in coverage. Humphrey was excellent in a 2024 campaign considered pivotal to his future, but PFF has graded him 102nd out of 103 qualified corners so far this season. His play hasn’t been pretty.
4. In contrast to the positivity about the defense, Harbaugh being so critical of Todd Monken’s play calling and an offense ranking third in the NFL in scoring was interesting. “We’ve scored some points, but this game exposed us.” The play-to-play rhythm and high-leverage execution aren’t where they need to be.
5. It begins with an offensive line that isn’t protecting or handling the blitz. The onus falls on Monken, Lamar Jackson, and Tyler Linderbaum to clean up the pre-snap operation and the line itself to execute, but I’d like to see more quick passing game to try to neutralize the pressure.
86. Jackson’s ability to scramble and create out of structure is extraordinary, but I’d rather see him throw away a few more passes to avoid some sacks. His first-quarter interception was an example of a ball that needed to be thrown away, especially on a first down inside scoring range.
7. Tony Romo noted, “The threat of Derrick Henry is almost as important as giving him the ball.” Yes, the Ravens have had some failures running Henry in short yardage too, but taking him off the field entirely in such situations is really overthinking calls and making life easier for opponents.
8. The running game and the offense have been a high-variance mix of long gains and too many failed plays hindering drives at crucial times. Still, the Ravens rank 30th in rushing attempts and first in yards per carry. Henry can’t break a long run when you’re not giving him opportunities.
9. Given the injuries, I’d move Kyle Hamilton to the nickel — and closer to the line of scrimmage — to see if that unlocks more splash plays from him. If Baltimore can’t trust Sanoussi Kane as a deep safety, why hasn’t DeCosta added a veteran since Ar’Darius Washington’s Achilles injury in May?
10. The coaching deserves much blame for the NFL’s worst scoring defense, and changes are warranted if things don’t begin stabilizing soon, regardless of the growing list of injuries. But players need to execute, and even simple tackling has been abysmal these last couple weeks. It’s never just one thing.
11. It’s inevitable to question focus and effort after a showing as poor as Sunday’s, but Justice Hill played his tail off and was rewarded with a late 71-yard touchdown. When a team is 1-3 and teetering, find the guys playing their hardest, feed off that, and get back to work.
12. Monday reminded why all isn’t lost for Baltimore in the AFC North as Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati looks like one of the NFL’s worst teams. Cleveland still lacks a quarterback to be interesting. Pittsburgh is 3-1 and not going anywhere, but the Steelers aren’t built to sprint away with the division.
