(Photo: Newsweek)
After their Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills, I remember posting on social media, “This is exactly why I don’t trust the Ravens,” after they blew a 15-point lead on that opening Sunday night. I know they have a two-time MVP-winning quarterback—one of the best in the league—along with a former Offensive Player of the Year and one of the best running backs in Derrick Henry. Whenever I think of this group, I often think of the tough and physical defenses they’ve consistently put on the field each season. But this year, they’ve struggled significantly, and after a loss to the Houston Texans yesterday, they’ve fallen to 1-4. Let me dive into exactly what’s going on with them.
Offensively, they’ve gotten away from their core philosophy: running the football. When the Ravens are consistently pounding the rock, this becomes one of the toughest offenses to face. They’ll wear you down—whether it’s the big fella out of the backfield or Lamar torching defenses with his mobility. But I don’t understand why they always seem to get away from feeding Derrick the ball. How many times have I said that in order for them to win football games and be successful, Derrick must touch the ball between 20–25 times? That’s when he makes the biggest impact. Let me go down the list and share his carries so far: Week 1 vs. Bills: 18 carries for 169 yards and two touchdowns, Week 2: 11 carries, Week 3: 12 carries, Week 4: 8 carries and Week 5 vs. Houston: 15 carries. I sense hesitation, and it shouldn’t be this way—especially considering he’s their best offensive player. Here I was thinking, with Cooper Rush filling in for an injured Lamar, that this would be the day Derrick gets his and helps carry the offense. But that was far from the case. This is also exactly why I don’t trust them come playoff time. They run the ball to get to the playoffs, then think they can suddenly throw it over 30 times in January. That formula doesn’t work.
Defensively, the Ravens have historically fielded stingy, physical units. To this day, the 2000 Baltimore defense is still the greatest unit I’ve seen with my own two eyes. Even after that legendary group, the standard has always been high—you could pencil them in for a top-three defense most years. That’s far from the case this season. They’ve been giving up big plays left and right and have struggled to stop the run—shocking, considering they’ve long been known as one of the best run defenses in the league. I look back at their Week 3 game against the Detroit Lions, when they allowed over 200 rushing yards. They’re struggling to rush the passer, and the secondary can’t seem to keep anything in front of them. I never thought I’d say this, but they look soft—and I see no effort. That was on full display yesterday.
I also know that injuries have played a major role in their struggles. Lamar Jackson missed yesterday’s game with a hamstring injury. Roquan Smith was also out, and the defense truly misses Nnamdi Madibuike, who’s the anchor of their defensive line. What Jalen Carter is to the Eagles, Justin is to the Ravens—they miss his ability to stuff the run and disrupt up front. I never thought that after five games, they’d be sitting at 1-4. Hopefully, they can get healthy and turn their season around before it’s too late.
