The Baltimore Ravens entered the 2025 season as one of the Super Bowl favorites.
The Ravens are entering October with a 1-3 record, and will be without Lamar Jackson when they host the Houston Texans Sunday.
Quick Hits:
- I thought they’d start 4-2, with 3-3 possible before the bye. The immediate goal is finding a way to win these two games vs. Houston and the LA Rans, and get healthier over the bye.
- Of course the Texans and Rams both have playoff team caliber talent, and the Ravens will be missing plenty of talent outside of Jackson Sunday. Lose either of these two games, and you are 2-4 at the bye. As is, I think CBS said Sunday that only one 1-3 team ever reached the Super Bowl. My thought has been even with their 3-1 start, I think the Pittsburgh Steelers are a 9 or 10 win team. If the Ravens don’t win these two games, is their only path to the playoffs going to be winning the North?
- If they get most of the walking wounded back after the bye, I think a 9-2, 8-3 stretch is within reach. I still expect them to win the North. Think what they’ve lost in the first month is potential home playoff games vs. Buffalo and KC. Of course you still have to be able to reach the post-season to potentially win games in the post-season, and at some point there are simply too many injuries to overcome. You can potentially deal with Jackson being out for a game or two. Losing Nnamdi Madubuike for the season (and potentially his career) is crushing. Next man up, next opportunity and all that; but you lose ceiling when you lose an All-Pro like that. Roquan Smith is out Sunday. Patrick Ricard remains out. Marlon Humphrey is out. Chidobe Awuzie is out. Broderick Washington is out for a few more games. Kyle Hamilton is banged up. Ronnie Stanley and Odafe Oweh too.
- The defense has been disappointing, and that’s before the injuries… but certainly exacerbated by them. How do you correctly judge the defense last Sunday when they were missing all of the Dlineman, and then losing Roquan and Marlon in game? And one could say, “Roquan wasn’t playing well before the injury.” Okay, but they’re still obviously better with him than with the backup.
- All of the defensive metrics were horrible, bottom of the league last year after 7 weeks. They ended the year Top 10 in most categories. The schedule got easier, and they stabilized. Particularly after they adjusted how Hamilton was being used. I think the same thing can happen this year if they’re not completely obliterated by injuries.
- I don’t see any supporters for Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr. Do you roll with him, or do you make a change (Chuck Pagano, Dean Pees)? Seems to me that Orr’s defense is similar to what you’d get from Pees, as you can see that influence. If you make a change, it figures to happen during the bye.
- The Ravens got a full season from Stanley last year. That hasn’t been the norm for him. Couldn’t have been the expectation for this year. Him not right, no Ricard… you don’t have the same blocking. The guards can run block, but not pass block effectively. More max protect, JUMBO sets? Run the ball, protect the QB? If you are going to spread the WR’s and attempt to pull defenders from the box, you’ve got to get rid of the ball quicker vs. always trying to find something develop downfield. I’d commit to running Henry more and more. Make teams tired of tackling him, set-up further play-action with the TE’s. Certainly has to be the playbook this Sunday with Cooper Rush under center.
- I sense the majority of the fanbase is out on John Harbaugh. I’ve always been lukewarm. My general take is that his teams have typically played hard, and maintained focus. He’s not a tactician. He’s effective Monday – Saturday, and less so on Sunday’s. Don’t love some of the in-game decision making each week, do appreciate that’s not as important as what happens during the week. I think commentary about his messaging going stale is off, as there is so much roster turnover year-to-year. These have been excellent teams the last few years by any metric (DVOA, our own eyes). You can hold him as partly accountable for the lack of post-season results, but for me that’s largely luck of the draw. I’d generally be fine with the Ravens moving on after the season, but an in-season would really shock me.
The Ravens have to find a way to beat Houston.
Doesn’t matter how ugly the game is, all that matters is finding a W.
Doesn’t matter how ugly the game is, all that matters is finding a W.
Currently the Ravens are given a 55.8% chance of winning according to ESPN’s Match-Up predictor, while the Texans are a 1.5 point favorite according to our friends in the desert.
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Chris Stoner
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.