It’s ugly in Baltimore right now. The kind of ugly that makes you squint, turn your head, and wonder if what you’re seeing is real. At 1-3, the Ravens are in a freefall, and the landing looks a long way off. This isn’t just a slow start; it’s a four-alarm fire, and the team is fumbling for the extinguisher.
For the first time since 2015, the Ravens are staring up from the bottom of a deep, dark hole, and the 37-20 beatdown from the Chiefs felt less like a loss and more like a public humiliation. The numbers are staggering.
The defense has hemorrhaged 133 points in just four games. Let that sink in. That’s the most points a John Harbaugh-coached team has ever allowed this early in a season. It’s a defensive collapse of historic proportions, a complete system failure from a unit that was once the pride of the city.
A Tale of Two Units: Potent Offense, Porous Defense
Here’s the part that will drive every Ravens fan crazy: the offense is scoring. They’ve put up 131 points, which is almost unheard of for a team with a losing record. In fact, it’s the second-most points ever scored by a 1-3 team in NFL history. They can move the ball, they can find the end zone, but they can’t buy a stop when it matters and can’t punch it in when it’s needed.
It’s a cruel, frustrating paradox. You watch Derrick Henry explode for a massive gain, and for a moment, everything feels right. Then, disaster strikes. A fumble. A turnover. An opportunity squandered.
The offense shows flashes of brilliance, those explosive plays that remind you of what this team could be, but the inconsistency is maddening. They’re averaging a league-best 6.2 yards per carry, yet they rank a dismal 28th in rushing success rate. It’s feast or famine, with no in-between.
And then there’s the red zone. Last year, the Ravens were automatic, converting at a league-high 74.2%. This year? That number has plummeted to 53.8%. They’re moving the ball between the 20s, only to see drives stall out when it counts the most. It’s death by a thousand paper cuts.
The Injury Bug Bites Hard
You can’t talk about the Ravens’ struggles without talking about the injury report. It’s a horror show. The defense hasn’t just been hit by injuries; it’s been decimated.
By the end of the Chiefs’ game, Baltimore was missing six defensive starters. Key players like Kyle Van Noy, Nnamdi Madubuike, and the heart and soul of the defense, Roquan Smith, have all been sidelined.
This is where the blockbuster contract for Lamar Jackson comes into play. When you commit $260 million to one player, you’re forced to make tough choices with the rest of the roster. The depth chart becomes top-heavy, and when injuries strike, the drop-off in talent is severe. The Ravens are now paying the price for that gamble.
The defense ranks 30th in the NFL in EPA per play allowed. That isn’t just bad; it’s a full-blown crisis.
To make matters worse, Lamar himself went down with a hamstring injury against the Chiefs. The sight of him limping off the field was a gut punch to a team already on the ropes. If he misses significant time, this season could go from bad to catastrophic in a hurry.
Can This Ship Be Righted?
So, is there any hope? Can the Ravens pull out of this nosedive? The schedule does offer a glimmer of light. They have a stretch of winnable games coming up, and getting some of their defensive stars back would be a game-changer. The AFC North is still within reach, but the margin for error is gone.
If Lamar has to sit, the game plan will shift dramatically. Cooper Rush would step in, and the offense would lean even more heavily on Derrick Henry and the ground game. It would be a more traditional, grind-it-out style of football, relying on efficiency and mistake-free play from Rush. It’s a tall order, but it might be their only path forward.
ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the Ravens just a 2.5% chance of securing the top seed in the AFC. The dream of a Super Bowl run feels a million miles away. Right now, it’s not about championships; it’s about survival.
It’s about finding a way to win a football game, to stop the bleeding, and to rediscover the identity that once made this team so feared. The road ahead is long and treacherous, and for the Baltimore Ravens, the fight for their season has already begun.
