What We Learned: Week 3

Thank goodness that game ended how it did. It should’ve never been that close, but given how it was that close, Baltimore got an unwelcomed opportunity to galvanize and keep pace with the rest of their division and conference.

Here’s what we learned in Week 3.

The (pass) defense still needs work

Make no mistake: if anything is holding this Ravens team back, it’s their defense—particularly, their 4th-quarter pass defense.

Way too often, thought they’re not perfect, the Ravens’ offense has given the defense plenty to work with, especially given injuries to Ronnie Stanley, Zay Flowers, and Ja’Kobi Lane. Though it’s early, Baltimore’s defense has still yet to click. They’re not bad, obviously, but if they don’t get their 4th-quarter (pass) defense corrected soon, the good vibes from yesterday will fade away in a hurry.

Through three games, Baltimore’s defense has given up an average of 321.3 yards per game, ranking 14th in the league. Not bad. Certainly, good enough to win on any given week.

But when it comes down to crunch time, and both teams know they other offense is going to pass, the Ravens have not found a good enough answer yet. The fact that every one of their defensive back starters are 1st round picks, and the Raven are still getting gashed is borderline embarrassing. It’s simply not good enough.

So far this season, the Ravens have allowed an average of 100.0 passing yards per game in the 4th quarter alone. Between Daniel Jones, Tyler Shough, and Dak Prescott, opposing quarterbacks have combined to throw for 300 yards on 25-for-34 passing (73.5 percent completion), 2 touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

Put differently, those 300 pass yards allowed in the 4th quarter account for 31.1 percent of all yards allowed by Baltimore so far this season. Just imagine what Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes will do to this defense if these mistakes aren’t fixed. Also, this pass rush is as fortified now as it has been in years, so you can’t blame them either.

That said, I’m not a fan of identifying a problem and not a solution. If I was in charge, I would immediately stop putting Kyle Hamilton as an edge defender or middle linebacker in late-game passing situations. At least twice yesterday, he was literally standing still after the snap, watching the play develop—which was not his fault. That was just his role on a particular play.

Instead, I’d like to see Baltimore’s best defensive player be mobile. Cover George Pickens man-to-man. Go to a 3-high-safety look with Hamilton over top of the other team’s best defender. Do something that doesn’t involve him potentially being a spectator.

To be fair, even Mike Macdonald struggled in the beginning of his tenure as Ravens defensive coordinator to find the right mix of personnel and play calls, so this is not a knock on Jesse Minter. I think Minter is the right man to lead the Ravens, period. I’m confident he will get things right, but if everyone is being honest, this 4th quarter (pass) defense is just not sustainable. Kyle Hamilton said it himself after the game yesterday: “Guys had their moments on defense, but it is unacceptable for us to keep putting ourselves in this position in the fourth quarter,” Hamilton said. “They should not have to go out there and score 30 points for us to win. It is unacceptable to be saying we are a ‘Ravens defense’ or whatever that means at this point and be going out there and doing that. Obviously, we have a new staff in, so it is on the players. We have to get it fixed as players and do right by these guys to put us in better positions.”

Mark Andrews and Ronnie Stanley haven’t started the way they (or we) would’ve hoped

Mark Andrews and Ronnie Stanley are Ravens Ring of Honor candidates. They’re multiple time Pro Bowlers and still have a lot of good football left. That said, this season has not started the way I’m sure they envisioned.

Through three weeks, Stanley (59.7 percent) and Andrews (65.0 percent) have played less than 2/3 of Baltimore’s offensive snaps. For Stanley, the snap count percentage is more telling, as tight ends aren’t always used on every play.

Stanley’s injury history has been documented, and now in his 11th season, he’s given Baltimore sufficient value on the whole of his contracts. His cap number will go from $9.85 million in 2026 to $24.1 million in March of 2027. So even if, when he returns, he doesn’t play to 100 percent of his capability, what value he does give should be plenty for the Ravens offense to stay on track.

As for Andrews, his cumulative stat line in 2026 is as follows: 13 receptions on 18 targets (.722 reception rate), for 122 yards (9.4 yards per reception) and no touchdowns. So, like Stanley, not bad per se, but not exactly what he or we have come to expect from him. Obviously, Andrews’ job includes blocking, too. Pro Football Focus currently ranks him 8th in the NFL in tight end performance (75.1 grade).

The good news is that the Ravens host the Titans this week. Andrews is three receptions away from becoming the 18th tight end all-time to reach 500 career receptions, and given

his current form, he should certainly reach that mark on Sunday. This is the perfect opportunity for Andrews to break out and announce to the rest of the league that he is still a high-caliber player.

Penalties are still an issue

Through three games, here’s the breakdown of penalties assessed to the Ravens:

· 10 for 86

· 7 for 34

· 9 for 78

At an average of 66 penalty yards per game, the Ravens are essentially giving the opposition a touchdown via penalties, given that touchbacks bring the ball to the 35-yard line now. This team is not yet good enough to afford the opposition those kinds of extra chances and still win on a regular basis.

This group has a lot of collective courage

Tyler Loop. Enough said.

As Lamar said in the locker room after the game yesterday, “This is the start of the season right here.”

That was exactly the kind of ending to a game the Ravens needed to ignite their focus. The talent has been and still is there. The focus has waned, but because of their collective courage, they got the job done.

Looking forward…

Entering Week 4, the Ravens are in a good place. They have a winning record, are tied for 1st place in their division, but also have also made mistakes recently enough that they should be locked in from start to finish this Sunday. The Titans are currently 0-3, and since the beginning of 2022 until now, they’ve only won 19 games (.268 winning percentage).

Given that Week 2 happened and Derrick Henry is set to face the team that drafted him for the first time, I don’t think Baltimore will overlook Tennessee. Hopefully, the Ravens start fast and finish strong this week, and are able to rest some starters toward the end of the game. Sunday’s forecast calls for a high of 70 degrees with a 35 percent chance of rain; perfect weather to run the rock, force the Titans into pass-only situations, and have our defense score it’s first touchdown of the 2026 season.

Prediction: Ravens 27, Titans 13