Let’s be honest, a month ago, the Baltimore Ravens were a dumpster fire. Declared preseason Super Bowl contenders, they stumbled out of the gate to a disastrous 1-5 record. Lamar Jackson, the two-time MVP, was sidelined, and the defense?
Well, let’s just say it was about as effective as a screen door on a submarine. If you were looking for an obituary for their season, you didn’t have to look far. Social media was a graveyard of “I told you so” hot takes and premature eulogies.
But what a difference a few weeks can make.
Suddenly, the Ravens are 4-5, clawing their way back into the playoff picture. Jackson is back under center, and that once-porous defense is actually making plays. It’s almost as if they remembered they’re paid to play football. While it’s tempting to get swept up in this comeback story, let’s pump the brakes a little.
Their recent “dominant” stretch included matchups against the Bears, Dolphins, and Vikings. That’s hardly a murderer’s row of offensive juggernauts.
Still, you have to give credit where it’s due. The Ravens are taking care of business, and a few key players are starting to look like the stars we were promised.
The Rookies Are Finally Waking Up for the Ravens
Remember the early-season panic surrounding the Ravens’ rookie class? It was loud.
First-round safety Malaki Starks was getting absolutely cooked. In Week 6 against the Rams, he got juked out of his cleats by Davante Adams and later left Tyler Higbee wide open for a touchdown.
The Twitter GMs were already screaming “bust” and comparing him to the infamous Matt Elam. It was the typical internet overreaction, but you couldn’t blame them for being a little nervous. Fast forward a few weeks.
Starks, the same guy who looked lost at sea, is now the NFL’s highest-graded defender over the past two games, according to PFF. Seriously.
The rookie safety from Georgia has gone from a liability to a lockdown force, allowing just 10 yards in coverage and snagging two interceptions. His pick against the Vikings, snatching a deep ball intended for Justin Jefferson, was a game-changer.
Teammate Kyle Hamilton, with a healthy dose of sarcasm, said it best: “God forbid that a rookie takes more than 7 games in the NFL to get adjusted.” Touché.
And Starks isn’t the only rookie making noise. Fourth-round linebacker Teddye Buchanan has been a revelation.
Thrust into the starting lineup due to injuries, he racked up a team-leading 30 tackles in October and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month. Not bad for a Day 3 pick.
Then there’s edge rusher Mike Green, another player who had a sluggish start. After not recording a sack until Week 6, he’s come alive with a sack and a half, and some analysts are pegging him as a potential breakout star for the second half of the season. He’s finally being utilized correctly as a pressure specialist.
Can the Rookie Starters Keep the Momentum for Baltimore?
This defensive turnaround has been dramatic. The Ravens went from having one of the worst successful play rates allowed in the league to one of the best. They’ve transformed from a unit that couldn’t stop a nosebleed into a genuinely disruptive force. The front office’s trust in young guys like Starks, who has played more snaps than anyone on the team, is finally paying off.
The question now is whether this is sustainable. Is this a real transformation, or just a temporary high from beating up on a few struggling teams?
The Ravens are heading into a crucial stretch, and with the AFC North still up for grabs, they can’t afford to regress. Their young defensive core will continue to have growing pains, but if they can build on this recent success, Baltimore might just salvage this season yet. For a team that was written off a month ago, that’s more than anyone could have asked for.
