Something feels off with John Harbaugh in Baltimore. The 2025 Ravens, a team that should be soaring, feels grounded by a strange, nagging inconsistency.
It’s like watching a heavyweight champ who suddenly can’t find his jab. They can still win the AFC North, sure. The path is there, illuminated by the stumbles of the Steelers, the Bengals‘ self-dug hole, and the Browns… well, being the Browns. But even with a 79% playoff probability if they handle business against Cincy and Pittsburgh, a different, more unsettling truth is shadowing this team: they are deeply, fundamentally flawed.
This isn’t just a slump; it’s an identity crisis. And as the clock ticks down on the regular season, the questions are getting louder, echoing from the cheap seats to the front office. The biggest one of all might be aimed squarely at the man who has been the face of stability for over a decade: Head Coach John Harbaugh.
A Toothless Offense? What’s Ailing Lamar and Co.
The most shocking part of this whole saga has been the offense. It’s supposed to be a finely tuned engine, but right now, it’s sputtering like a clunker running on fumes. Since Lamar Jackson’s return from injury, the numbers are just plain ugly. Their points per drive have plummeted to 1.96, barely better than a Chargers team held together with duct tape. They’re scoring on drives at the same rate as the Texans, a team still trying to figure out which way is up.
The vibe is in shambles. And it all seems to trace back to one undeniable fact: Jackson isn’t himself.
He’s back on the field, but he’s not back. The electrifying scramble, the game-breaking speed, it’s been muted. Jackson is scrambling less than ever before in his career. His carries per game have been nearly cut in half.
Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken is calling fewer designed runs, a flashing neon sign that his superstar QB just isn’t 100%.
And without Lamar’s legs, the entire offensive ecosystem collapses. His threat as a runner is the gravity that bends defenses, opening lanes for Derrick Henry and unlocking Monken’s entire playbook. Without that threat, the margin for error becomes razor-thin. The offensive line, which only replaced one starter, has regressed horribly. They can’t create space. Baltimore’s 1.85 yards before contact per rush is the worst of the Monken era, and it turns red zone trips into a brick wall. This team, with Jackson and Henry, is 27th in red zone rushing success. It’s unthinkable.
The passing game isn’t safe either. Quick pressures are blowing up plays before they can develop. What should be explosive gains against certain coverages are turning into hurried checkdowns because the interior line can’t hold a block. It’s a systematic failure, and it’s putting the entire season in jeopardy.
A Defense That Breaks, Not Bends
Flip the script to the other side of the ball, and the picture is just as bleak. The 2025 Ravens defense is a sieve. They’re giving up chunk plays like it’s a Black Friday sale. Last Sunday, Aaron Rodgers, a quarterback who has been dinking and dunking all season, looked like his 2020 MVP self, torching them for four deep completions. Baltimore has surrendered 53 plays of 20+ yards, one of the worst marks in the league.
So, what’s the problem? It’s a two-headed monster.
First, there’s no pass rush. None. Without the disruptive force of Nnamdi Madubuike, the defensive front is getting stonewalled. Kyle Van Noy is finally showing his age, the rookies are still finding their way, and the depth is nonexistent. Quarterbacks have all day to sit back and pick the secondary apart.
This forces Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr to dial up blitzes, sending Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey just to create some pressure. But that opens up the second, more damning issue: constant, mind-boggling coverage busts. It feels like every week, a receiver is running free in the secondary for a game-changing play. Against the Steelers, on a crucial third-and-four, they didn’t just leave one player wide open for a touchdown; they left two. It was a complete breakdown when they needed to be at their sharpest.
Is the John Harbaugh Era Nearing an End?
This is where it gets uncomfortable. This isn’t just about players underperforming. This consistent lack of focus, the penalties, the coverage busts, the offensive inefficiency, it all falls at the feet of the coaching staff. It points to a team that lacks the discipline and edge of a true contender.
Let me be clear: this isn’t a knee-jerk call for Harbaugh’s job. His resume, his Super Bowl ring, and his legacy in Baltimore, it all speak for themselves.
But this is the NFL. It’s a “what have you done for me lately” league. After winning the Super Bowl in 2012, the Ravens have only made it back to the AFC Championship once. Pundits like FS1’s Nick Wright are starting to wonder if “this iteration of the Ravens has run its course.”
If this team, with this much talent, stumbles and misses the playoffs, the whispers will become a roar. Tough questions will have to be asked. The time for figuring things out is over. The time for winning is now. And if the Ravens can’t get it done, someone is going to have to take the fall.
