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The first time Julia Falcioni tried on her husband’s pants last year, she couldn’t get them on. That video went up in August, and Falcioni — the wife of Ravens punter Jordan Stout — filmed another attempt weeks later, one that has since gone viral on TikTok. “Jordan said he wasn’t surprised when he first saw my video,” Falcioni told The Baltimore Sun. “Last year, the pants were very uncomfortable — I couldn’t even get them on! But this year, they gave me a bigger size to try, and they actually fit — way more comfy!” Falcioni shared the clip of her first attempt on TikTok in August, rating the uniform as she struggled to put it on. “I am not impressed with these costumes, not comfy and not flattering IMO,” she wrote in the caption. “Also, why can’t I fit into the pants.” Falcioni kept the joke going in follow-up posts, holding up the snug pants with the caption, “We meet again.” In another, she joked, “Finally hit my goal weight — whatever it is that gets me into my husband’s work costume.” Fans flooded the comments, poking fun at the phrase “work costume,” which quickly became part of the joke. While Stout hasn’t tried on her office wear, Falcioni said the couple often swaps clothes at home. “Jordan does not really try on my work clothes, but in general, we do share a lot of clothes!” she said. Have a news tip? Contact Journey Burris at jburris@baltsun.com. View the full article

The Ravens’ first practice of a pivotal week was a mixed bag. Quarterback Lamar Jackson was not on the field during the open portion of practice Wednesday in Owings Mills as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for last week’s 44-10 loss to the Houston Texans that dropped Baltimore to 1-4. However, safety Kyle Hamilton was back at practice after missing Sunday’s game with a groin injury. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley was also practicing after sitting out Sunday with an ankle injury. Meanwhile, several key players remained sidelined for a Ravens team that has been hampered by injuries all season. Inside linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring), cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey (calf) and Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) and fullback Patrick Ricard (calf) were not on the field Wednesday after missing Sunday’s game. A pair of new safeties in Alohi Gilman and C.J. Gardner-Johnson were on the field Wednesday. Gilman was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers for pass rusher Odafe Oweh, while Gardner-Johnson was signed to the practice squad. This could be the second game that Jackson misses because of injury since 2022. The Baltimore Sun reported last week that the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player could miss two to three weeks with the hamstring injury. The Ravens are set to host the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday before getting a Week 7 bye. Cooper Rush made his first start for Baltimore on Sunday and struggled, throwing three interceptions in the blowout loss to Houston. Rush and third-string quarterback Tyler Huntley would be expected to step in again if Jackson remains sidelined. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. Related Articles The Ravens are 1-4. So why are they still the AFC North favorite? Watch ‘Overtime’ of Ep. 7 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Josh Tolentino: Ravens invite chaos with C.J. Gardner-Johnson | COMMENTARY Instant analysis of Ravens’ trading Odafe Oweh for Chargers’ Alohi Gilman Ravens trade OLB Odafe Oweh to Chargers for safety Alohi Gilman View the full article

The Ravens are 1-4 after five games, and they’ve dealt with terrible injury luck. Lamar Jackson missed the team’s 44-10 loss to Houston, and star defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike is out for the year with a neck injury. Several other superstar players missed Sunday’s loss. Not much has gone right for Baltimore through five games, with its only win coming against the since-benched (and traded) Joe Flacco and the lowly Browns. Yet, sportsbooks still list the Ravens as the betting favorite in the AFC North. Baltimore trails Pittsburgh by 2 1/2 games in the AFC North, but FanDuel has the Ravens at -105 to win the division and the Steelers at +130. What gives? “Futures odds don’t reflect the true chances of a team,” Covers senior betting analyst Jason Logan explained to The Baltimore Sun via email. “Books likely have some liability on Baltimore winning the AFC North and are hesitant to discount the Ravens, as they don’t want any more money on them to win the division. This lack of adjustment is also telling of the bookmakers’ confidence in Pittsburgh. With Cincinnati cooked and Cleveland being Cleveland, the AFC North is very much a two-horse race: Ravens -105, Steelers +130, Bengals +1300, Browns +1700.” Logan adds that the Ravens’ schedule gets a whole lot easier. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Ravens have played the second toughest schedule in the NFL through Week 5. Baltimore’s remaining schedule is the 25th toughest, per FPI. The Ravens expect to get key contributors like Jackson, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, linebacker Roquan Smith and safety Kyle Hamilton back in the coming weeks. Those are All-Pro talents who missed Baltimore’s Week 5 embarrassment. “Baltimore’s first three losses came against top-tier teams before injuries showed up in Week 5, so you can’t get too down on them,” Logan said. “The Ravens have an early bye in Week 7 and can get right in the final 11 games. The Steelers are playing beyond expectations, so bookies are bracing for regression and their wheels to wobble down the stretch.” Pittsburgh’s schedule through its first four games was 27th easiest in the NFL. The final 13 games for the Steelers include tougher tests, including two games versus Baltimore and games against the Packers, Chargers, Bills and Lions. ESPN says that it’s the 12th toughest remaining schedule in the NFL, a far cry from the *** I'm stupid for thinking this game is easy *** gifted to Pittsburgh to start the season. Yes, the Ravens looked awful Sunday, but they’re going to get healthier and they still have five games left against underwhelming division competition. The AFC North — and a playoff berth — isn’t out of reach quite yet. “[The Ravens] opened as a favorite to win the division, so they’re still getting the benefit of the perception of who they were entering the season,” Covers senior betting analyst Joe Osborne said via email. “Also factoring is that there’s really only one team in the division who can challenge them — the Steelers, and there’s definitely some uncertainty there given the age of Aaron Rodgers.” Related Articles Watch ‘Overtime’ of Ep. 7 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Josh Tolentino: Ravens invite chaos with C.J. Gardner-Johnson | COMMENTARY Instant analysis of Ravens’ trading Odafe Oweh for Chargers’ Alohi Gilman Ravens trade OLB Odafe Oweh to Chargers for safety Alohi Gilman Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey responds to criticism about hosting podcast ESPN’s FPI is far less bullish on Baltimore than FanDuel, though. FPI gives the Ravens a 39.7% chance of making the postseason. Pittsburgh is listed at 62.5%. Still, the metric suggests it’s a closer race than the current standings imply. “I think we have what it takes to pull ourselves through all this,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “It’s a tough circumstance, tough start to the season. At the same time, it’s what we make of it. You can’t sit there and say, ‘All is lost.’” Oddsmakers agree, but the clock is ticking. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article

Watch the “Overtime” segment of the seventh episode of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law. The longtime sports columnist answers reader questions from Baltimore Sun subscribers after the Ravens’ dropped to 1-4 with a 44-10 loss to the Texans. Baltimore faces the Los Angeles Rams at M&T Bank Stadium this Sunday. Missed the seventh episode of the pod? Watch here. Have a question for Preston about the Ravens? Message us at sports@baltsun.com. You can watch the BMore Football Podcast weekly, posting every Tuesday during the NFL season on YouTube and The Baltimore Sun, and listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and iHeart. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

When you’re a sinking ship in the middle of a grueling NFL season, you’ll try anything. For the Ravens (1-4), that means adding one of the sport’s loudest trash-talkers and shipping out a former first-round draft pick on the same day. Baltimore signed veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the practice squad Tuesday and later traded defensive end Odafe Oweh to the Chargers in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman. Gardner-Johnson joins his fifth team in five seasons, while Gilman arrives as a steady producer. Together, they represent the Ravens’ latest attempt to patch a battered defense. There’s at least one connection Baltimore can lean on. Gilman was a team captain during Kyle Hamilton’s freshman year at Notre Dame in 2019, before Hamilton eventually replaced him in the starting lineup the following season when Gilman entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick by the Chargers. The two safeties reunite now in Baltimore with a built-in familiarity that could help stabilize things. Fellow safety Malaki Starks, the team’s top selection in this year’s draft, should benefit from that kind of steadiness and experience around him. The moves also create depth in the secondary after Hamilton was absent during Sunday’s loss to the Texans with a groin injury. Meanwhile, Gardner-Johnson, 27, will need to prove he can be part of that solution and not emerge as another distraction. Gardner-Johnson brings talent and swagger to a desperate unit that ranks among the NFL’s worst in nearly every major defensive category. He also carries a reputation that’s contributed to his departure from multiple teams. From New Orleans to Philadelphia (twice), Detroit to Houston, Gardner-Johnson’s career has been defined by production and provocation. He creates momentum-changing plays and enemies alike. He’s a ballhawk who talks nonstop and, at times, struggles with turning the volume down in-house. Following his first stint with the Eagles, Gardner-Johnson took a shot at his former defensive coordinator and current Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon, in a since-deleted tweet: “You ain’t put us in position to make plays,” with a shoulder shrug emoji. He’s also engaged in online arguments with different fan bases, including the Eagles’ and Lions’. When the Eagles traded him to the Texans this past offseason, Houston coach DeMeco Ryans labeled Gardner-Johnson a “winner” with “Super Bowl experience,” only to release him three weeks into the regular season. According to multiple reports, Gardner-Johnson caused friction in Houston’s locker room. Leading up to his sudden release, he reportedly criticized the size of a secondary teammate’s contract, complained about his role and questioned well-regarded leaders. “I know what’s best for my team,” Ryans said following Gardner-Johnson’s Sept. 23 release. Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr, shown during training camp, is tasked with improving the defense and managing a handful of big personalities. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) In Baltimore, the level of leadership required to weather this current storm already is being tested. And now the front office is bringing in one of the league’s most combustible personalities. There’s little financial risk, which makes this a smart and calculated risk by general manager Eric De Costa. Houston is reportedly paying most of Gardner-Johnson’s salary, but there’s still emotional risk attached. Just last season, the Ravens acquired talented but embattled wide receiver Diontae Johnson, a move that quickly backfired. His fiery personality contributed toward a weird dynamic in the receiver room that took time to settle. Gardner-Johnson brings a similar, if not more intense edge to a locker room that’s already experienced emotional tolls over the first five weeks. The NFL’s worst-ranked defense is giving up points at a historical clip and Baltimore is struggling to create turnovers. The Ravens’ two takeaways rank second to last behind only the winless New York Jets. Related Articles Watch ‘Overtime’ of Ep. 7 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Instant analysis of Ravens’ trading Odafe Oweh for Chargers’ Alohi Gilman Ravens trade OLB Odafe Oweh to Chargers for safety Alohi Gilman Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey responds to criticism about hosting podcast Watch Episode 7 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Insert Gardner-Johnson, who boasts 319 career tackles, 18 interceptions and 51 passes defensed over 77 games. Unlike Gilman who is part of the active roster, Gardner-Johnson will begin his Baltimore tenure on the practice squad and can be elevated to the game day roster. The Ravens are scheduled to host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday before their Week 7 bye. This past January, Gardner-Johnson recorded six tackles, including one tackle for loss across 71 defensive snaps during the Eagles’ 28-22 over the Rams in the NFC divisional round. Maybe these additions work and help revive a broken defense. Or maybe the Ravens just invited more chaos to a room already on edge. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens traded away edge rusher Odafe Oweh and a 2027 seventh-round pick for Chargers safety Alohi Gilman and a 2026 fifth-round pick. Brian Wacker, reporter: Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday that a lot of decisions had to be made and he was right. Baltimore’s defense has been atrocious this season and as good as Oweh was at times in 2024, he wasn’t having near the same impact this year with zero sacks through five games and ranking 33rd in pressure rate, according to TruMedia. Consequently, the Ravens’ pass rush was practically nonexistent, with only the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers generating fewer sacks than Baltimore’s six. Gilman’s addition, meanwhile, provides experience to a banged-up secondary that badly needed it after the Ravens were forced to start five rookies on defense, including two at safety, in Sunday’s loss to the Texans. Primarily a free safety for the Chargers, he had a career-high 73 tackles in 2023 and has five career interceptions along with 21 career pass breakups. Also, by dealing Oweh, who was in the final year of his contract and was unlikely to be re-signed in the offseason, the Ravens saved about $8 million in cap space, clearing up room to make another move or two in what could be a busy next few weeks for general manager Eric DeCosta. Sam Cohn, reporter: Have to think this is an initial move in a larger plan for DeCosta. Oweh was Baltimore’s second most productive edge rusher last year. He’s largely been a disappointment through five weeks, still chasing his first sack (though he leads the team in pressures). Oweh bulked up this offseason. It hasn’t translated to the field in a noticeably measurable way for the former first-round pick. And something had to be done about this defense. They couldn’t go another week without addressing personnel. DeCosta got a solid return in safety Alohi Gilman and a 2026 fifth-round pick. But surely there’s more to be done here, having freed up about $8 million in cap space. Baltimore has a league-worst defense. As John Harbaugh said on Monday, “everything’s on the table.” Mike Preston, columnist: The Ravens traded Oweh on Tuesday, and that might touch off a few more trades for the Ravens within the next couple of weeks. The Ravens are in a desperate situation and they need some new blood, especially on defense. The Ravens are 1-4, and could use some better personnel, especially a pass rusher. Oweh, a first-round pick in 2021, has done very little this season despite it being a contract year and him vying for a contract extension. He hasn’t produced a sack and has only 10 tackles in the first five games despite being in the final year of a contract worth $13.25 million. With the deal, the Ravens are expected to save $8 million and maybe that can be used to find a cheap pass rusher. Oweh had a career high 10 sacks last season, but that in itself was misleading because most of them came against poor teams with poor offensive tackles. He has never lived up to expectations, and it was a mystery why the Ravens drafted him in the first round despite him not registering a sack in his last season at Penn State. Look for the Ravens to make a couple of more deals involving other players like receiver Rashod Bateman or outside linebacker David Ojabo. The best thing about the deal is that it allows safety Kyle Hamilton to play up near the line of scrimmage because he might be the best tackler on the team, and he is one of their best pass rushers. Josh Tolentino, columnist: The Ravens finally pulled the plug on another high-capital draft pick that ultimately failed to meet expectations. Oweh, already a questionable selection at the time in 2021 after he failed to record a single sack during his senior season at Penn State, never delivered on the promise of his first-round draft status. He showed flashes, but struggled to generate consistent pressure and defend the run. Despite playing in a contract year, Oweh has yet to record his first sack of the season. A fifth-year veteran, Oweh declined to speak to reporters following the team’s recent road loss at Kansas City, leaving his younger teammates and even undrafted rookies rookies to answer for the defense’s season-long struggles. Bennett Conlin, editor: Adding Gilman, a former Navy standout with more than 2,900 defensive snaps played in the NFL, improves an injury-riddled secondary. The rookie safety tandem of Malaki Starks and Reuben Lowery III wasn’t up to par in the ugly loss to the Texans, so the Ravens signed C.J. Gardner-Johnson and traded for Gilman. The additions should allow Baltimore to move Kyle Hamilton around, including playing him closer to the line of scrimmage to mask the team’s weaknesses at linebacker. That’s nice. But I’m skeptical of DeCosta’s plan. Oweh underachieved this season (no sacks) and he’s largely underachieved in the NFL since being a first-round pick in 2021, but he did have 10 sacks in 2024 and is a serviceable defensive end who led Baltimore in pressures this season. The Ravens’ edge grouping of Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson and Mike Green leaves a lot to be desired, as does the interior of the defensive line with Nnamdi Madubuike sidelined. DeCosta probably needs to make another move or two along the defensive front by the time the Ravens come out of their Week 7 bye, and it’s easier said than done to trade for high-level edge rushers. Is there a realistic path forward for this defense under coordinator Zach Orr, or is this the start of a desperate attempt to salvage a spiraling season? Tim Schwartz, editor: The Ravens’ six sacks are among the fewest in the league, and yet they still decided to trade their most productive edge rusher this season. That should say a lot about how the coaching staff feels about Oweh, a former first-round draft pick. He was set to become a free agent after the season and was overpaid for his current production, so turning that into a serviceable piece to help in the defensive backfield, another area in which Baltimore has struggled this year, seems like a good move. Alohi Gilman has been up and down throughout his career with the Chargers, but he can’t be any worse than what the Ravens have shown through the first five weeks this season. Oweh always had the talent and could prove to be a valuable piece for the playoff-bound Chargers, but he wasn’t getting it done in Baltimore. Time to move on. Good move. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. Related Articles Ravens trade OLB Odafe Oweh to Chargers for safety Alohi Gilman: source Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey responds to criticism about hosting podcast Watch Episode 7 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Bengals acquire Joe Flacco from the Browns in a trade that also involves draft picks Ravens sign controversial C.J. Gardner-Johnson to aid secondary View the full article

On Monday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said there were “a lot of decisions to make” following Baltimore’s 1-4 start. Just over 24 hours later, the shakeup began. The Ravens are trading outside linebacker Odafe Oweh and a future seventh-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman and a 2026 fifth-round pick, a source with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. Oweh, 26 and the 31st overall pick in 2021, had a career-high 10 sacks for Baltimore last season but has struggled through the first five games of this season. He has zero sacks and 10 tackles, ranks 33rd in pressure rate (11%), according to TruMedia, and has his seen his playing time cut to a career-low 45% of defensive snaps. He is also in the final year of his contract, worth $13.25 million, and scheduled to be a free agent after this season. With the trade, the Ravens save roughly $8 million in their salary cap, helping clear the way for general manager Eric DeCosta to almost certainly make more roster moves. With Oweh gone, the Ravens are left with only Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson, rookie second-round pick Mike Green and David Ojabo as their top outside linebackers. Robinson has two sacks and Van Noy, who had a career-high 12 1/2 last season, just one. Harbaugh said on Monday that the Ravens’ pass rush “has to be better.” Their six sacks are the second-fewest in the league after having the second most last season. They also rank 16th in pass rush win rate (41%), according to ESPN analytics. “We have to find a way to manufacture more pass rush on all three downs,” Harbaugh said. Gilman, meanwhile, was the second safety to be added on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, the Ravens signed veteran C.J. Gardner-Johnson to their practice squad, who was released last month by the Houston Texans. Their additions should help an injury-ravaged and struggling secondary that lacks depth and ranks second-to-last in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (262.4) and 24th in completion percentage (69). In Sunday’s 44-10 loss to the Texans, the Ravens were without Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton, who was sidelined with a groin injury, and started undrafted rookie Reuben Lowery III in his place. Gilman, 28, was a key contributor to the Chargers’ top-ranked defense last season and primarily played as a free safety along with Elijah Molden, which allowed Derwin James Jr. to play close to the line of scrimmage. Baltimore will now perhaps be able to do the same with Hamilton, who was an All-Pro in 2023 playing similarly. The Chargers and general manager Joe Hortiz, who is the Ravens’ former director of player personnel, meanwhile, hope that Oweh will be rejuvenated playing under Harbaugh’s younger brother Jim. Related Articles Instant analysis of Ravens’ trading Odafe Oweh for Chargers’ Alohi Gilman Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey responds to criticism about hosting podcast Watch Episode 7 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Bengals acquire Joe Flacco from the Browns in a trade that also involves draft picks Ravens sign controversial C.J. Gardner-Johnson to aid secondary In four-plus seasons with Baltimore, Oweh appeared in 67 games (25 starts) and tallied 23 sacks, 66 quarterback hits, 148 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, seven forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He also helps fill the void for Khalil Mack, who was placed on injured reserve after dislocating his elbow in a Week 2 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. There already is at least some familiarity with Gilman and the Ravens as well. He was a team captain during Hamilton’s freshman season at Notre Dame before being selected by the Chargers in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. He also played one year at Navy before transferring to Notre Dame. In five-plus seasons with Los Angeles, Gilman appeared in 73 games (39 starts) and had 252 tackles, five interceptions and 21 pass breakups. He is under contract through the 2026 season after signing a two-year contract with Los Angeles in March 2024. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Outside linebacker Odafe Oweh gazes through his darkened visor earlier this month. The Ravens traded the pass rusher to the Chargers on Tuesday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article

Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey has come under fire this season for not only a handful of defensive lapses, but also for hosting his podcast. Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard questioned “The Marlon Humphrey Show” on an episode of “First Things First” prior to Baltimore’s 44-10 loss to the Texans. Humphrey missed the game with injury. “He’s silly, and that’s fine,” Broussard said of the podcast, “but I don’t see Ronnie Lott, Rod Woodson, Ed Reed, I don’t see them doing this.” “I thought he’d be much more of an intimidator,” Broussard added. Humphrey responded to the criticism Tuesday in a new episode of his podcast. The two-time All-Pro defensive back says he knows critiques come with the territory of being a veteran NFL player putting himself in the spotlight off the field. “I’m an NFL player with a podcast, and when you have anything extracurricular, it’s always the, ‘Oh man, is he putting too much time into this?’” Humphrey said. Humphrey took exception to the implication that he’s not committed to his primary job. “I’ve been to the facility today, I got a full-body massage at 7 a.m.,” he said. “I daggum went to rehab at 9 a.m. I daggum ran. About to do this, going to the dentist and then going back to the facility.” He hopes to return to the field this week against the Rams, although it’s unclear if that’s a realistic goal as he battles a calf injury. The Ravens, despite a star-studded defense, have struggled with injuries and poor play through five games. Baltimore ranks last in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing just over 35 points per game. Humphrey hasn’t been at his best either, as he holds the second worst Pro Football Focus grade of any cornerback with at least 75 snaps this season. He’s allowed 16 receptions for 224 yards on 21 targets against him, according to PFF. Despite Broussard’s objection to Humphrey’s show, the cornerback isn’t the only Ravens defensive starter hosting a podcast, or at least something similar. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy posts a weekly YouTube video — he specifically calls it a TV show rather than a podcast but it’s essentially a short-form podcast — reacting to the result of the most recent Ravens game and sharing input on results around the NFL. Related Articles Watch Episode 7 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Bengals acquire Joe Flacco from the Browns in a trade that also involves draft picks Ravens sign controversial C.J. Gardner-Johnson to aid secondary L.A. Rams to practice at Camden Yards after facing Ravens Baltimore Ravens superfan Captain Dee-Fense has died Van Noy used his most recent episode to clarify some of his postgame comments, which included a brief pause before answering if messaging from coaches was getting through to defenders. “The messaging is fine … so don’t read too much into that,” he said in Tuesday’s YouTube post. Lions star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is among the other active NFL players with podcasts. Humphrey refrained from saying much more about Broussard’s opinion during his own podcast, which like Van Noy’s show included a segment discussing the team’s 44-10 loss to Houston. “I’m happy Mr. Broussard is listening to the pod, man,” Humphrey joked. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article

Episode 7 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law is here. Preston and Coleman break down the Ravens’ 44-10 loss to the Texans. Baltimore is just 1-4 on the season with a challenging game against the Rams this week at M&T Bank Stadium. You can watch it weekly, posting every Tuesday during the NFL season on YouTube and The Baltimore Sun, and listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and iHeart. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

CINCINNATI (AP) — Joe Flacco is staying in Ohio but heading to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals acquired the veteran quarterback from the Cleveland Browns along with a 2026 sixth-round draft pick on Tuesday for a fifth-round pick next season. The 40-year-old Flacco gives Cincinnati another option. Jake Browning has struggled since replacing Joe Burrow, who is out with a toe injury sustained in Week 2. Flacco started the first four games for the Browns this season, completing 93 of 160 passes for 815 yards and two touchdowns with six interceptions. Rookie Dillon Gabriel replaced Flacco in the starting lineup. Rookie Shedeur Sanders now moves up to the backup spot. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl View the full article

The Ravens’ depleted and struggling secondary is getting what it hopes will be some help. Veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is signing with Baltimore’s practice squad, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday. The move comes two days after the Ravens were blown out by the Houston Texans, 44-10, at home with a pair of rookies, first-round pick Malaki Starks and undrafted free agent Reuben Lowery III, starting at safety after two-time Pro Bowler Kyle Hamilton was inactive because of a groin injury. Gardner-Johnson, 27, was released last month after three games with the Texans. His addition provides plenty of experience to a defense that was down five starters because of injury last week, but his career has also been marked by controversy. The Ravens will be his fourth team in three years. A 2019 fourth-round draft pick by the Saints, Gardner-Johnson spent his first three seasons in New Orleans before being traded to the Eagles. In 2022, his six interceptions tied for the most in the NFL, and he helped Philadelphia reach the Super Bowl. After he spent 2023 with the Detroit Lions, he returned to the Eagles in 2024, tallied six interceptions and this time won a championship, helping them to a 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. The next day, though, Gardner-Johnson posted an Instagram story aimed at Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his relationship with Taylor Swift. Then, at the Eagles’ Super Bowl parade, he wore a sweatshirt with a derogatory message aimed at Swift’s fans. The following month, Philadelphia traded Gardner-Johnson to Houston in a salary dump for offensive lineman Kenyon Green and a 2026 fifth-round pick swap, though the safety believed it was for a different reason. “Scared of a competitor,” Gardner-Johnson said on “The Pivot” podcast in July when asked why he believed he was dealt. “Simple as that. … You can’t program a dog.” His stint in Houston was even shorter. Related Articles Watch Episode 7 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Bengals acquire Joe Flacco from the Browns in a trade that also involves draft picks L.A. Rams to practice at Camden Yards for a week after facing Ravens Baltimore Ravens superfan Captain Dee-Fense has died Josh Tolentino: 5 stats that define the Ravens’ first 5 games | COMMENTARY Gardner-Johnson racked up 15 tackles in three games, but had zero pass breakups and no interceptions while allowing six catches on eight targets, according to Pro Football Focus. “It was my decision to move on,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters at the time. “I know what’s best for my team. … Coming from me, the head coach, it was the best for our team. That’s why I made the decision.” Ryans also cited communication issues among the secondary after an 0-3 start. Now, the Ravens, who have lost four of five games this season and three in a row, hope the 5-foot-11, 208-pound hard-hitting defensive back can help turn their struggling defense around. Baltimore ranks last in points allowed per game (35.4) and second-to-last in yards allowed per game (408.8). It also ranks 31st in passing yards allowed per game (262.4), 24th in completion percentage (69) and has forced just two turnovers. For his career, Garnder-Johnson has appeared in 77 games (64 starts), has 319 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 18 interceptions, 51 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Los Angeles Rams will be calling Oriole Park at Camden Yards home for a week. The NFC West team faces the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m., then travels to London to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars the following week at Wembley Stadium. Instead of returning to the West Coast between games, the Rams have reached an agreement with the Baltimore Orioles to use Camden Yards as their practice site from Oct. 11 through Oct. 17, Michael J. Frenz, executive director of the Maryland Stadium Authority, announced at the agency’s monthly meeting on Tuesday. M&T Bank Stadium was not an option because of concerns about maintaining the field’s grass surface, Frenz said. “They would not have been able to get it in condition for the next Ravens home game, so they went to the Orioles,” Frenz said. “I think it’s an example of the cooperation of the two teams. I think it’s really cool. They’re going to be using the playing field, banquet areas, Orioles clubhouse and the visiting clubhouse.” Financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed. However, the Rams will cover all expenses associated with using the facility, including staff and security costs. The team will also sign waivers against claims for loss or injury and pay for insurance, according to the Maryland Stadium Authority. The practices will be closed to the public. The agreement was reviewed by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office for “legal adequacy,” Frenz said, and received the backing of the Maryland Stadium Authority Board. “I agree that it’s a great use of the facility and a demonstration of a partnership,” said Craig A. Thompson, chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority. Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@baltsun.com or on X as @ToddKarpovich. View the full article

Wes Henson, more commonly known as Captain Dee-Fense, has died. The Baltimore Ravens announced the passing of Captain Dee-Fense on Tuesday, thanking him for his dedication to the city’s football team. “His iconic fandom and service for others inspired our community in immeasurable ways,” the Ravens said in a statement on X. “A man who cared deeply about people and is enshrined as a Hall of Fame Fan, Captain Dee-Fense will forever be remembered for the remarkable joy, encouragement and love he regularly gave to everyone around him.” Captain Dee-Fense was an ambassador and fan for the team, donning his captain-themed costume and Ravens gear while rooting for the team since the 1990s. He was also inducted into the ESPN Hall of Fans. Related Articles Josh Tolentino: 5 stats that define the Ravens’ first 5 games | COMMENTARY Ravens coach John Harbaugh says ‘urgency is high’ as he considers changes Ravens’ John Harbaugh shares projected timeline for FB Pat Ricard’s return Baltimore Ravens partner with Boys and Girls Club for West Baltimore center NFL pundits react to Ravens’ 1-4 start to the season: ‘The defense stinks’ View the full article

Every NFL team has flaws. The Ravens right now are experiencing ugly trends. Coach John Harbaugh insisted Monday that the level of urgency shared between the coaching staff and players remains high. But each week of the regular season has presented similar concerning patterns. These five stats help explain how the Ravens (1-4) are drifting further from their own standard with another disappointing performance: 35.4 The Ravens’ defense, their backbone, is the unit that makes everything else churn. Those days seem to be long gone. After Houston dropped a 44-piece nugget in Baltimore, the Ravens’ dead-last defensive ranking only worsened. Baltimore is giving up 35.4 points per game, the most in the NFL and more than double the average (16.5) allowed by the 2023 Mike Macdonald-led defense that finished first overall. Missed run fits, soft zones, poor tackling and lack of adjustments from second-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr have all contributed to this serious issue. Injuries haven’t helped, but in the nonstop grueling NFL schedule, teams must adapt to their personnel. After all, entering the season, the Ravens claimed to boast one of the best rosters in the league and the best roster in franchise history. The inexperience is showing. And Baltimore’s depth is proving it might not be that deep after all. Related Articles Ravens coach John Harbaugh says ‘urgency is high’ as he considers changes Ravens’ John Harbaugh shares projected timeline for FB Pat Ricard’s return Baltimore Ravens partner with Boys and Girls Club for West Baltimore center NFL pundits react to Ravens’ 1-4 start to the season: ‘The defense stinks’ READER POLL: Should the Ravens make coaching changes? “At the end of the day, we do believe in ourselves, as frustrating and as tough as it’s been,” veteran defensive lineman Brett Urban said. “We do still believe. We have confidence in ourselves as players. It hasn’t been successful, so we need to figure out a way to just keep going out there and prepare and try to find whatever it is that’s causing us to not execute.” 6 Through five weeks, Baltimore has just six sacks, the fewest in the AFC North and tied for second-fewest in football. Pittsburgh (15), Cleveland (17) and Cincinnati (11) have all turned pressure into production while the Ravens are struggling to affect the pocket consistently. Plain and simple, the pass rush isn’t good enough. Outside linebacker Odafe Oweh, a 2021 first-round pick playing in a contract year, leads the team with 12 pressures but has zero sacks. Touted rookie second-round pick and outside linebacker Mike Green has just two quarterback hits and zero sacks. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who was ruled out for the season with a neck injury, still ranks second on the team with 10 pressures despite playing in only two games. 29.1% vs. 26.2% You got the sack number, but there are analytics that tell just how dysfunctional the pass rush has been. The Ravens have blitzed on 29.1% of opponent dropbacks, the 12th-highest rate in the NFL, according to TruMedia, but they’ve produced a pressure rate that ranks 23rd. That gap exposes a unit stuck between philosophies. Somewhat aggressive in intent, but extremely passive in impact and execution. Under the realization that Baltimore simply can’t win with four rushers, Orr notably has increased the volume of pressure calls since Week 3. However, the Ravens continue to struggle with collapsing the pocket and getting to the quarterback. Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh leads the team with 12 pressures but has zero sacks. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Aside from a missed protection call that aided in Kyle Van Noy’s first sack of the season, Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud handled Baltimore’s defensive fronts with ease, sliding through his protections and throwing into soft pockets across the field. The secondary, meanwhile, has been left out to dry in match zones that break down because the rush never gets home. “Sometimes the ball comes out really quick, and now you’re light downfield,” Harbaugh said. If Orr doesn’t find ways to better disguise the blitz and apply pressure, Baltimore’s defense will continue to fold. That Kansas City and Houston didn’t punt until late in the fourth quarter of both defeats was embarrassing and unacceptable. 2.2 Running back Derrick Henry averaged just 2.2 yards per carry on 15 attempts against the Texans, his second-worst mark as a Raven behind only his Week 2 outing against Cleveland (2.1). Houston often crowded the line of scrimmage, and Henry had virtually no room to maneuver. It was Henry’s fourth consecutive week with fewer than 50 rushing yards. “It just wasn’t good enough, us as a whole,” Henry said. “Not clicking right now. We just have to find ways to make it click, and when it goes, go dominate the line of scrimmage, be explosive. I have to be better. We all just have to figure it out. “I’m not going to be negative. It’s easy to be negative, and we’ll try to be positive, encourage everybody and tell Flock Nation, keep believing, because we’re going to keep going to work and try to fix this thing.” Added center Tyler Linderbaum: “We want to run the ball at an efficient level. We have the best back in the game, so we have to find a way to be better.” The Ravens ran only 40 offensive plays, marking a new season low. Consider that an indictment of their inability to control tempo without two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson and a functional ground game. Coordinator Todd Monken’s lack of creativity and backup quarterback Cooper Rush’s forgettable Ravens debut only added to the offensive woes. 2 Through five games, Baltimore has just two takeaways, both recorded in the Week 2 win over the lowly Browns. In each of their four losses, the Ravens have forced zero. That total ties Green Bay for second-fewest in the NFL, ahead of only the winless New York Jets. “We have to find a way to create plays, manufacture pressure, get some tip balls, step in front of some passes,” Harbaugh said. “I’d like to see us in third-and-long a lot more.” Takeaways typically involve both collective urgency and some luck. For a player to create a momentum-changing highlight, he needs to be in the right place but also display the instincts and express effort in swarming to the punch. The Ravens are struggling to tackle through five weeks, which has resulted in a lack of overall quality pursuit. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article

Everything is on the table, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said resolutely on Monday afternoon in Owings Mills. “We’ve got a lot of decisions to make,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of planning to do. “The urgency is high.” The task ahead is also daunting. After being embarrassed, 44-10, on Sunday at home against the Houston Texans to fall to 1-4, Baltimore, which entered the season as the favorite to win the Super Bowl, will have to buck history just to make the playoffs. Only 16 teams have reached the postseason after such starts and only four have done so after beginning a season 1-5, something that is not out of the question with a talented and physical Los Angeles Rams up next in Baltimore on Sunday and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s status still very much uncertain because of a hamstring injury that could keep him sidelined for a second straight game. With that as a backdrop, Harbaugh did not rule out changes. They could be coming in myriad ways and in multiple areas. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr It was five weeks into last season when Harbaugh hired former defensive coordinator Dean Pees as a senior adviser to help first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr stop the bleeding on a unit that at the time ranked 26th in points allowed and 31st in pass defense. Somehow, they’ve been even worse this year, which has only ratcheted up the criticism of Orr. Harbaugh has been a vocal supporter of Orr, including on Sunday when he said that he did not think a change is “productive” or “the answer.” On Monday, when asked how much the defensive staff is leaning on senior secondary coach Chuck Pagano — another former Ravens defensive coordinator who was hired in the offseason — he said, “immensely.” Related Articles Ravens’ John Harbaugh shares projected timeline for FB Pat Ricard’s return Baltimore Ravens partner with Boys and Girls Club for West Baltimore center NFL pundits react to Ravens’ 1-4 start to the season: ‘The defense stinks’ READER POLL: Should the Ravens make coaching changes? 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 44-10 loss to the Texans “He’s a big part of how the defense is built already,” Harbaugh said of Pagano, the former Indianapolis Colts coach. He added that Pagano is talking to Orr “all the time” offering suggestions, and that is one of the reasons he is confident the defense will turn around. Harbaugh also said that he had a phone call with Pees, who was not retained in the offseason, on Monday about the defense. Only twice in Harbaugh’s 18 years has he made a change at coordinator during the season. The first came in 2012 when he fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron after a Week 14 loss and replaced him with quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell; the other was in 2016 when he canned offensive coordinator Marc Trestman in October of that year and replaced him with quarterbacks coach Marty Mornhinweg. If Baltimore’s defense continues to struggle to the depths it has, it’s fair to wonder what Orr’s fate might be. Scheme Within the Ravens’ defensive woes is attention to their scheme. So far, Baltimore has deployed zone coverage about 20% more than man coverage, according to Sharp Football Analysis. While Harbaugh said that playing a higher rate of man is a “big energy burner” that will require more out of what has been an anemic pass rush, he said he does see them playing man “quite a bit.” “There’s a lot scheme stuff we have to look at, a lot of scheme stuff on all three sides,” he said in reference to defense, offense and special teams. “There’s things we just gotta look at and say we gotta find some different ways to put our guys in some spots to be able to make some plays. We gotta try to manufacture some things.” That perhaps includes at inside linebacker. With Roquan Smith sidelined this past week with a hamstring injury, both third-year linebacker Trenton Simpson and fourth-round rookie Teddye Buchanan struggled mightily. Could undrafted free agent rookie Jay Higgins IV also be an option? “You look at how guys did, where guys are at, what you need to do, and who else might need an opportunity,” Harbaugh said of potential personnel changes. “A lot of that’s with the injuries, too, getting guys back. That’ll take some pressure off some guys that were thrown into a tough spot. “There’s things that we just have to look at and say, ‘We have to find some different ways to put our guys in some spots to be able to make some plays.’ We have to try to manufacture some things.” That extends to putting pressure on the quarterback, which would, in turn, take pressure off a secondary that has been battered by a rash of injuries. After finishing with the second-most sacks in the NFL last season, only two teams have fewer than the Ravens’ six this year. Baltimore has also forced the second-fewest turnovers this season with just two. Offensive line With running back Derrick Henry held to 50 yards or fewer for a fourth straight game and Baltimore ranking in the middle of the pack in rushing yards per game (115.6), the offensive line has come under scrutiny. Asked directly if there could be changes up front, Harbaugh said, “Everything’s on the table.” “When Kyle’s [Hamilton] healthy, I know he’s gonna be our starting safety and Marlon’s [Humphrey] gonna be our starting nickel, but there are guys that are in that area where they still have to prove themselves, and those guys are under consideration all the time,” he continued. “There are other starters because they have earned that to a point, but you have to keep earning that. “You can’t plateau. … If we were hoping for you to make more progress as a player and it’s not happening, then at some point in time somebody else is gonna get a chance.” The biggest offender for the Ravens has been left guard Andrew Vorhees, a 2023 seventh-round draft pick who sat out his first year because of a torn ACL and lost his starting role in 2024 after an ankle injury early in the season. Who could the Ravens turn to? One option could be veteran Ben Cleveland, though they’ve been reticent to do so now and in the past, while another could be second-year former Maryland standout Corey Bullock. Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush warms up alongside quarterbacks coach Tee Martin before Sunday's game against the Texans. Rush struggled in his first start with Baltimore, throwing three interceptions. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Quarterback Against the Texans, backup quarterback Cooper Rush completed 14 of 20 passes for 179 yards. He also had zero touchdowns and three interceptions. With Jackson possibly, if not likely, sidelined for this week’s showdown against the Rams, would Harbaugh consider utilizing the more mobile and third-string quarterback Tyler Huntley? He certainly didn’t shut down the possibility. “We’ll consider everything,” he said. “Every part of it to try to get the win.” Huntley also brings familiarity. A former undrafted free agent in 2020, he spent his first four seasons in the NFL in Baltimore. During that time, he started nine games, with the Ravens going 3-6 in those games, including a playoff loss to the Bengals in 2022. Last season, he appeared in five games for the Miami Dolphins and guided them to a 2-3 record. For his career, Huntley has completed 64.6% of his passes for 2,786 yards and 11 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He has also rushed for 644 yards and five scores on 141 carries. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1 View the full article

Ravens fullback Pat Ricard is eyeing Oct. 26, a Week 8 matchup against the Chicago Bears after their bye week, to return from a calf injury that has sidelined him since training camp. It’s been a point of confusion among Baltimore’s lengthy injury woes. Coach John Harbaugh has previously spoken in generalities about Ricard’s status, while the team kept him off injured reserve — a sign they believed it would not be a prolonged recovery. Ricard hasn’t practiced since Aug. 14. On Monday, Harbaugh admitted the injury was supposed to be a 2-3 week ordeal, which would have had him back on the field at least in time for Week 2 versus Cleveland, before the veteran All-Pro “retweaked” it. “It was a surprise deal for us,” Harbaugh said. “I’m just gonna be honest.” The original 2-3 week timeline turned into another 2-3 weeks before he’d be able to play. Harbaugh called it a “slow burn,” acknowledging that if they knew Ricard’s injury would sideline him this long, they would have put him on injured reserve much sooner. That would have afforded Baltimore an extra roster spot. Instead, the Friday before the Ravens traveled to Kansas City, Harbaugh said Ricard was still in “rehab mode” and that he was unsure if “week to week” was a fair designation. “Nobody’s more frustrated than Pat,” Harbaugh said. “That’s been a tough one.” The Ravens play one game in the next 20 days, giving Ricard — and all the rest of Baltimore’s injured starters — a recovery runway for that Bears game. “If he makes it,” Harbaugh said, of that late-October game, “great. If he doesn’t make it, then whoever we play after the Bears, it’ll be that game.” Baltimore plays at Miami on a Thursday night on Oct. 30 after the Bears game. Without Ricard in tow, the Ravens’ ground game has struggled mightily. They rank 16th in rushing yards per game, after topping the league a year ago. The Ravens’ 5.5 yards per carry are second best in the league — a figure ballooned by the fact they’re bottom-five in attempts. Derrick Henry said the run game is “just not clicking right now.” Part of that blame falls on an offensive line that ranks 12th in the NFL in run blocking. Ricard, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, would certainly help. Practice squad tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden has backfilled at fullback in a smaller sampling thus far. Harbaugh didn’t shed much light on the laundry list of other injuries hampering the Ravens. Baltimore escaped a 44-10 drubbing at the hands of the Houston Texans without any more injuries. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens partner with Boys and Girls Club for West Baltimore center NFL pundits react to Ravens’ 1-4 start to the season: ‘The defense stinks’ READER POLL: Should the Ravens make coaching changes? 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 44-10 loss to the Texans Mike Preston: Ravens got outmuscled again. It’s OK to panic. | COMMENTARY When asked about Lamar Jackson’s status for Sunday against the Rams, as he nurses a hamstring injury, Harbaugh coupled in “the other guys” — safety Kyle Hamilton (groin), left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle), middle linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring), and cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey (calf) and Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) — saying that they’re in the process of determining individual timelines. Jackson’s initial diagnosis suggested he could miss a couple of weeks. “There will be some number of those guys back,” Harbaugh said, vaguely. “How many is up in the air. It won’t be everybody. We’ll have a pretty good handle on who those guys are as the week goes on. We should be in better shape than we were last game.” It can’t get much worse. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard and quarterback Lamar Jackson stand together during a 2024 practice. It's possible both players miss Sunday's game vs. the Rams, with Ricard definitely expected to sit out. The Ravens hope to get the fullback onto the field in late October. (Kim Hairston/Staff) View the full article

The Baltimore Ravens, The Bisciotti Family Foundation and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore have partnered up to create a Baltimore Ravens Boys & Girls Club at the Hilton Recreation Center in West Baltimore “to transform the Hilton Recreation Center into a state-of-the-art facility serving hundreds of youth and families,” the Ravens said Monday. “The Baltimore Ravens Boys & Girls Club will be an important and dynamic space, designed specifically not only to support but empower the bright and deserving youth of Baltimore,” Baltimore Ravens President Sashi Brown said in a statement. This marks the third time in the U.S. that an NFL team has partnered in such a manner with a Boys & Girls Club. The Baltimore Ravens Boys & Girls Club at Hilton Recreation Center will provide academic support, mentoring, leadership development, health and wellness programs, and athletic opportunities for children and teens. The newly renovated facility includes Dick Cass Field — named in honor of former Ravens president Dick Cass — a multi-purpose athletic field with sports lighting, Under Armour gymnasium, a teen center, activity and games spaces, tutoring spaces and indoor and outdoor community gathering areas, the press release said. The club will offer programs focused on health and well-being, academic success, character and leadership, and life and workforce readiness, the release said. Calling it a “game changer” for West Baltimore families, Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott applauded the collaboration, according to the release. “This Club represents the very best of what can happen when our city, local organizations, and private partners come together with a shared vision,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. “The Ravens Boys & Girls Club at Hilton Recreation Center will … [provide] our young people with safe spaces, strong mentors, and the resources they need to grow into the leaders of tomorrow.” Contact Kate Cimini at 443-842-2621 or kcimini@baltsun.com. View the full article

The Ravens hit a new low Sunday, losing to the Texans, 44-10. The defeat dropped Baltimore to 1-4, 2 1/2 games behind the Steelers in the AFC North. Baltimore’s season is far from over, but for a preseason Super Bowl favorite, the combination of meaningful injuries and a .200 winning percentage is cause for concern. Inside the locker room, the Ravens are preaching optimism. “This [is] not the end of the world,” cornerback Nate Wiggins said. “We can still win the division.” Outside the locker room, there’s not as much sunshine. Here’s what national pundits had to say about the Ravens’ 44-10 loss and 1-4 record: ESPN’s Booger McFarland “The defense stinks,” McFarland said Sunday night. The former Buccaneers defensive tackle is a two-time Super Bowl champion. “They can’t cover anybody. They’re giving up 35 points a game. One hundred and seventy-seven points through five games. This is the Ravens. There’s a sign in the facility, I’ve been there before, there’s a sign that says, ‘Play like a Raven.’ I don’t think they’re doing that, and that simply means effort, tenacity, hustle. The physicality, it’s not there. “I don’t know if it can come back during the season. You can’t just flip a switch and get those things. They’re 1-4 for a reason.” CBS’s Bryant McFadden “There are a lot of holes on this defense, all three levels,” the two-time Super Bowl champion cornerback said on CBS. “They don’t tackle well. There are issues in zone drops, you look at the coverage side of things. They’re not creating turnovers. You can just have your way with the Baltimore Ravens defensively, and that’s a hard thing to say when you look at historically speaking what defense has meant to said organization.” The Athletic’s Zak Keefer “With that much talent sidelined, it’s understandable the Ravens wouldn’t look as formidable,” Keefer wrote. “But a 34-point loss at home to a mediocre Texans team? That was the shocking part. Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud finished with as many touchdown passes (four) as incompletions. Even when the Ravens have missed key players in years past under Harbaugh, they’ve remained largely competitive. Not Sunday. This one was never close. They were outcoached and outplayed in every conceivable way.” ESPN’s Tim Hasselbeck “They have been an amazing defense through the history of being in Baltimore,” Hasselbeck told Scott Van Pelt. “So, yeah, when you have guys out, you still expect them to at least play well enough to let you compete in a football game. They’re not doing that right now.” CBS’s Damien Harris “What I want to talk about is the most concerning thing for me,” Harris, a former NFL running back and two-time national champion with Alabama, said. “It’s not even the defense. Let’s look at Derrick Henry. We have talked about the fumbling issue, but what’s even more important — well, I shouldn’t say more important because there’s nothing more important than holding onto the football — but he’s only averaging 3.4 yards a carry. He went for 170 almost against the Bills, and since then it’s just been nothing. We haven’t seen anything of him. “I don’t know if it’s a confidence thing. I don’t know if the offensive line is playing a part, or the fact that Lamar Jackson being hurt closes and condenses some of those lanes and makes the box a little bit tighter. … If you’re the Baltimore Ravens, you didn’t sign Derrick Henry to all this money for this. To have him running for 3.4 yards a carry, that’s not a Derrick Henry problem, that’s a team not being able to run the football well enough problem. And that’s nothing that we’ve ever talked about with the Baltimore Ravens.” Related Articles READER POLL: Should the Ravens make coaching changes? 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 44-10 loss to the Texans Mike Preston: Ravens got outmuscled again. It’s OK to panic. | COMMENTARY The Ravens’ core issue? They’re soft. | COMMENTARY The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 44-10 loss to Texans ESPN’s Ryan Clark “Who ever thought that the Ravens would become the ‘Get Right’ game?” the former Steelers defensive back posted on X. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer “I would say the Ravens’ position now is precarious. On Sunday, they’ll get a hungry Rams team, smarting from a TNF loss to the Niners,” he wrote. “They have their bye after that. Going into the off week at 1-5 would be tough, regardless of who you have coming back from the inactive list. “Which is to say, in a weird way, I may be more optimistic about the Texans’ lot in the NFL right now than the Ravens, which I wouldn’t have expected a month ago.” Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article

The Ravens’ season is on the brink. After a lopsided 44-10 loss to the Houston Texans at home, Baltimore fell to 1-4. Only 7.9% of teams that started 1-4 have made the playoffs since the NFL expanded to 32 teams in 2002, according to CBS Sports. Fans booed throughout much of the second half Sunday, and some have called for significant changes with the coaching staff. Should Baltimore fire coach John Harbaugh or defensive coordinator Zach Orr, or make any other coaching changes? We want to hear from you. After you vote, leave a comment and we might use your take in The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To read the results of previous reader polls, click here. View the full article

A chorus of boos rained down over M&T Bank Stadium as the Ravens, missing multiple starters on both sides of the ball, were outplayed and overmatched in a 44-10 loss to the Houston Texans. Their season is officially spiraling. Here are five things we learned: Ravens need to get their ‘[stuff] together’ When Derrick Henry fumbled in Week 3 for the third time in as many games, he stormed off the field and spiked his helmet. When Lamar Jackson hurt his hamstring after three quarters of subpar football, he ambled to the bench, peeled off his helmet and spiked it to the earth. On Sunday, when Mark Andrews assisted a fourth-quarter interception, so went his helmet. This Ravens season feels like one collective helmet spike, Super Bowl aspirations cast to the ground by collective regression and unthinkably poor injury luck. In Sunday’s loss, that all came to a head. Baltimore’s inactive list included seven regular starters, none more important than Jackson. Add two defensive tackles who are on injured reserve, and nearly half the team’s salary cap was relegated to the sideline in street clothes, watching a train wreck unfold in slow motion. Houston logged 417 yards of total offense and scored five touchdowns. These two teams have met four times since C.J. Stroud’s rookie year in 2023, and Sunday was the first time he found the end zone — as much an acknowledgement for what this defense has been as it is an indictment on the current group. Stroud threw for 244 yards and four touchdowns, completing 23 of 27 pass attempts without an interception. Meanwhile, Baltimore’s offense hit new lows in points and yards with a season-high three turnovers. A Jackson-less offense served Henry a get-right game on a silver platter. It was instead another uncharacteristic dud. Henry took 15 carries for 33 yards with one full-extension, goal-line touchdown. The run game “just wasn’t good enough, us as a whole,” he said. This all, after a week of imbued confidence that a battered Ravens team could give a fellow 1-3 team a fight. With the amount of talent still healthy in that locker room, how could they not? And yet, after getting molly-whopped by one of the least productive offenses in the NFL this season, outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy didn’t bite his tongue: “We got to get our [stuff] together,” he said. “Just being brutally honest. Doesn’t matter who you are in there.” Coach John Harbaugh called it a “complete disappointment.” After the third most lopsided loss in franchise history, he said, “We got beat in every way you can get beat.” The Ravens are now 1-4 for the first time since 2015, and the playoff window is letting through no more than a sliver of light, if anything. Seats could be warming up, but team backs Zach Orr Baltimore’s brass has a lot of figuring out to do. How did one of the league’s least efficient offenses hang 44 points on them, the most an opposing team has scored in Baltimore since Harbaugh was hired in 2008? “I thought we’d play a lot better than that,” the veteran coach said, “based on the way we practiced.” It’s hard to tell from the outside. The media isn’t afforded more than about 20 minutes of viewing time at the start of each practice, mainly to take attendance. But players and coaches, the ones who are most honest in confronting issues while frustratedly searching for answers, seem confounded. “It’s just not translating,” Henry said. “Not like we’re going in there and lollygagging and not doing our job.” “We practice just as hard or harder than anybody in the league,” Van Noy added. “I’m pissed.” And Van Noy refuses to give any credence to the injury bug. He pointed to the San Francisco 49ers, who also had multiple starters inactive, including their quarterback, beating the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night. Texans tight end Dalton Schultz, left, catches a pass for a first down while Ravens linebacker Teddye Buchanan defends in the second quarter Sunday. Baltimore allowed more than 400 yards in the lopsided defeat. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Still, Baltimore was forced to play without four guys of All-Pro ilk: Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey, Roquan Smith and Nnamdi Madubuike. There were six rookies on the field at one point. Two of them, Rueben Lowery and Keyon Martin, went undrafted and snuck into the final 53-man roster. As a whole, they were bullied by a Texans offense that ranked near the bottom of the NFL. The Ravens have now given up 177 points this season. That’s the most in a five-game span in team history. Statistically, Sunday wasn’t even the worst of the bunch. “There were a lot of things out there that weren’t done correctly,” Harbaugh said, specifically calling out the fundamentals. “So, we have to ask ourselves, ‘How does that not translate to the game?’ No. 1. And then, ‘What else can we do?’ What else can we come up with to figure out ways to challenge people and gain some yards and get some stops?” Harbaugh was asked point-blank if he felt a change needed to be made to the defensive coaching staff. Related Articles Mike Preston: Ravens got outmuscled again. It’s OK to panic. | COMMENTARY The Ravens’ core issue? They’re soft. | COMMENTARY The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 44-10 loss to Texans Ravens’ season hanging by thread after ugly loss vs. Texans | ANALYSIS Ravens crushed by Texans, 44-10, without Lamar Jackson: ‘Complete disappointment’ “I do not think that that’s the answer,” he said. “We have to go to work, is what we need to do. We need to stick together, is what we need to do. We need to find ourselves. And that has to do with coaches and players [working] together.” Something is wrong. The Ravens keep losing and they keep saying they need to fix it. Schedule-makers didn’t make the first four weeks easy on them, but Baltimore was supposed to be a team right there with — if not better than — the Bills, Lions and Chiefs. Even with warm seats and a dire need for improvement, players are still standing behind defensive coordinator Zach Orr and taking the blame, as they have been for much of his tenure. “I stand behind Zach 100%,” Brent Urban said. “We’re preparing the right way and having good practices, and we’re not executing. It’s on us, frankly.” Added John Jenkins: “He is great. He understands the game, and like I said in the beginning of the interview, I’ve just got to get better. He put me in good positions to make plays, and I didn’t capitalize, so I take a lot of the blame, [and] it was on me.” And Van Noy: “I think their messaging is fine, and we have to be the group to take that, go out and do the simple things right — the fundamentals. Easy, basic stuff.” Adversity snowballs much quicker without your usual game wreckers One troubling play led to another. There was no one to stop the bleeding. A second-quarter sequence ripped open the wound, and Baltimore didn’t have the strength to close it. The Ravens had the ball inside their own 30-yard line. It was third down. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush was yanked to the dirt by a few burly Texans defensive linemen 16 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Out came punter Jordan Stout. He fired a 62-yard missile, which would have been his second-longest kick of the season if not for a penalty forcing a retry. Stout’s next attempt traveled a paltry 35 yards. Houston held a one-score lead, and now they had plus-territory to tack on. As was the case much of the afternoon, Baltimore didn’t push back much. Stroud scrambled for the longest run of his career (30 yards). The Ravens suffered a costly defensive miscue four players later. Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, shown taking questions earlier this season, missed Sunday's game against the Texans. Baltimore was without several defensive starters Sunday. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Rookie running back Woody Marks burst from the backfield and curled to the right. Rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan, who was Baltimore’s defensive signal-caller in the loss, and rookie safety Malaki Starks both shadowed Marks in the flat. That opened Stroud’s throwing window over the middle, where he found Nico Collins in the end zone. Buchanan didn’t have a straight answer for what went wrong, deferring to the tape he’d have to watch later. The Texans put up points on each of their next five drives. They didn’t punt until their ninth time out. Houston kept one foot firmly on the gas. Rather than wall up and put the ball back in Baltimore’s hands, Jaire Alexander got into a shoving match with half of Houston’s offense in the back of the end zone. Baltimore had no answers. No one to make it stop. The clock was their only friend Sunday afternoon. Cooper Rush can’t keep this star-studded offense afloat Rush’s first drive of the day had all the makings of a serviceable backup quarterback. He was quick to get rid of the ball. Three passes to three pass catchers in a four-play sequence went for at least 9 yards. Rush then let one fly to DeAndre Hopkins for a 29-yard pickup that got them down into the red zone. Even though the running game stalled out the drive and Baltimore managed only a field goal, there appeared to be signs of life. Here’s how the rest of the game went for Rush and company: punt, punt, missed field goal, interception, punt, rushing touchdown, interception, punt, interception. “We just got behind the sticks,” he shrugged, having completed 14 of 20 passing attempts for 179 yards. “On offense, when you get behind the sticks, things like that, it’s hard. Especially against a good defense. … You hurt yourself, you’re just making it easier for them. It can be hard.” Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush went 14-for-20 with 179 yards and three interceptions Sunday against the Texans. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) It shouldn’t be so hard with the options around him, which includes four Pro Bowl selections. But the offense couldn’t get anything going. The running game was plugged up. The passing game looked out of sorts, Rush underthrowing receivers at every level. Rush had one nice long ball to Zay Flowers for 56 yards in the third quarter, which set up the offense’s only touchdown, but other than that, they only crossed midfield twice. “We tried to do the things that were in the game plan,” Harbaugh said, “and we never really generated a rhythm.” It’s likely Jackson isn’t back healthy in time for next week’s matchup against the Rams. This week of practice could crack the door open for third-stringer Tyler Huntley, who replaced Jackson in 2022. Rush is likely the starter, but perhaps his leash is shorter than three picks and zero passing touchdowns. The season is on the brink Linebackers coach Tyler Santucci gathered his position group in the corner of the locker room. Most of the players were still flooding in or starting to hit the showers. Each guy was attentive, including the injured Smith. The emotion was stoic, but raw. The message, according to Buchanan, was about “continuing to stay the course and continuing to fight.” Four of five weeks this season have elicited similar messaging. But correcting a season from hell is easier said than done. Words alone won’t do the trick. Injuries have made it impossible to find any continuity in getting anything right. As Derrick Henry said, they’re “all kind of surprised right now by what’s transpired.” A few players sat at their lockers Sunday afternoon, eye black smudged on their faces, staring blankly out at a solemn room. Others zipped up hoodies for shelter. Their season is on life support. Only 16 teams in NFL history have made the playoffs after a 1-4 start. To be No. 17, Harbaugh said, they’re “going to have to find” themselves. The Ravens already let a win slip away in Buffalo. They got beat up by the Lions at home in prime time. Then they got “exposed” in Kansas City. Houston was as close to a must-win game as a team can have in early October, and the Texans took their lunch money. Where do they go from here? Baltimore plays a tougher Rams team next weekend, and the bye week after should be good for their health. When the messaging of urgency stays the same but the product on the field doesn’t improve, or in some cases gets worse, it’s fair to wonder: Is there enough accountability after these sorts of losses? “I think I’ll be able to answer that better after the week, to be honest — just being blatantly honest,” Van Noy said. “I feel like there’s accountability, but we will see.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. View the full article

By the time the Ravens’ 44-10 loss to Houston was over Sunday, M&T Bank Stadium was half filled. There hasn’t been this much despair in Baltimore since the Colts left the city nearly 40 years ago, or when Ravens quarterback Elvis Grbac cried at the end of the 2001 season, and then tried to blame it on sweat running down his face. A highly anticipated 2025 season filled with Super Bowl aspirations has nearly evaporated with the team’s loss to the Texans on Sunday. It’s official now: time to panic. Rated at the beginning of the season as one of the top rosters in the NFL and certainly the best in the team’s 30 year history, the Ravens postseason aspirations are beginning to fade as quickly as a Cooper Rush swing pass to the flat, where it kept coming up short Sunday. What has happened? The Ravens have gotten away from a simple concept. A team can load up with all those pretty boy quarterbacks, receivers and cornerbacks, but football always comes down to which team controls the line of scrimmage, and the Ravens don’t have that dominating manpower. For three straight weeks opposing teams have dominated the line of scrimmage. First it was Detroit, then Kansas City last week. On Sunday, it was Houston. Of course, the Ravens will come up with excuses — and some of them are legitimate. They were without eight starters, five of them on defense. But the bottom line is that the Texans had 417 yards of total offense, 167 of those on the ground, compared to 207 for Baltimore. The Ravens got outmuscled. Again. The problem is that they’ve brought into the philosophy created by the NFL of being a pass-happy league. You pay your stars, especially your quarterback millions of dollars and surround them with great receivers like the Ravens have done with Lamar Jackson and wideouts Zay Flowers, DeAndre Hopkins and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. But, you pay little attention and money to the offensive and defensive lines. The Ravens aren’t the only team that have fallen for that approach. Look around the NFL. Most teams don’t have dominant offensive or defensive lines, but there is one team that does. Keep an eye on those Philadelphia Eagles. They mauled teams last year on the way to a Super Bowl title. Ravens players signal the team’s first and only touchdown of game in the third quarter. The Ravens ran for just 44 yards in the blowout loss. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Are you listening Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta? The Ravens need muscle up front instead of trying to scrape by with road graders like guards Daniel Faalele, Andrew Vorhees and right tackle Roger Rosengarten. They can’t pass block, and it’s even worse without a strong running game. As for creativity, there was none on offense Sunday. Where were the screens, slants and even draws? Then on defense — oh my — that defense. The Ravens started nose guard Travis Jones, tackles John Jenkins and outside linebacker Tavious Robinson, who shared the position with journeyman Brent Urban. Sorry, where is the beef? Where are the first-round picks on both interior lines? The only one was center Tyler Linderbaum. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley didn’t play Sunday because of an ankle injury. None of the guys who started on the defensive line were first-round picks by the Ravens. Even the backups like rookie tackle Aeneas Peebles was a sixth-round selection (Virginia Tech) and Jones was a third-round pick in 2022 out of the University of Connecticut. The Ravens need to put more time and effort into the bullies up front. On Sunday, Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud was as good as former Houston quarterback Dan Pastorini. He completed 23 of 27 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns. He finished with a QB rating of 143.9. That’s ridiculous. He tortured the Ravens defense. The Ravens had two sacks, but Stroud had enough time to eat, drink, smoke, go to the restroom and come back to complete passes. What was wrong with the Ravens’ secondary besides the eight or nine missed tackles? Related Articles The Ravens’ core issue? They’re soft. | COMMENTARY The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 44-10 loss to Texans Ravens’ season hanging by thread after ugly loss vs. Texans | ANALYSIS Ravens crushed by Texans, 44-10, without Lamar Jackson: ‘Complete disappointment’ Instant analysis from Ravens’ 44-10 blowout loss to Texans It’s a sign of bad investments again, including recently signed cornerback Jaire Alexander. The Ravens have five players who were former first-round picks including cornerbacks Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey and safeties Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks. Neither Humphrey nor Hamilton played Sunday, and Wiggins also battled injuries. There were times when the Ravens’ secondary looked absolutely lost Sunday, particularly inside the red zone. Some of that can be blamed on defensive coordinator Zach Orr, but it would help if the Ravens had a good pass rush. That’s another story. This team can’t find a pass rusher, and it’s been that way since outside linebacker Terrell Suggs left in 2018. The list of second round pass rushers who have failed here include Tyrus Bowser, David Ojabo, Kamalei Correa, Terrence Cody, Paul Kruger and Sergio Kindle. That’s ugly. Regardless of how much this league changes, it all comes down to controlling and dominating the line of scrimmage. If you win in those areas, you’re probably going to win a lot of games. Right now, the Ravens have won only one and lost four. They need some beef in the draft. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

By the middle of the third quarter of Sunday’s beatdown, the boos had quieted. Sections of empty purple seats stretched across M&T Bank Stadium, the product of an early exodus from a fan base that had seen enough. The disgruntled crowd made a statement that equaled the product on the field as the Ravens absorbed one of the most humiliating defeats of the John Harbaugh era. Houston’s 44-10 drubbing of Baltimore marked the most points the Ravens have ever allowed at home under Harbaugh. The veteran coach walked off to scattered boos from the few who remained. His team’s toughness and physicality, once the franchise’s defining traits, were completely missing. Rather, the Ravens represented a disappointing, undisciplined team that was all bark with no bite. Leading up to the Week 5 contest, players and coaches vowed to clean up their mistakes. “Dogs” and “fighters” were buzzwords frequently used to describe the locker room inhabitants. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr spent the week preaching physicality. “Everybody in that building says they’re a dog,” Orr said Thursday. “It’s time to go show it.” So much for that. For a franchise that once defined physical football, this team has gone soft. Charmin soft. The Texans came in with one of the league’s weakest offenses, ranking 29th in scoring, 25th in yards, and 31st in third-down conversion rate and red-zone scoring. They left with wide smiles after putting Harbaugh’s squad to school and improving on all of those offensive rankings. Houston scored on its first eight drives and made the Ravens’ defense look like it had no idea where to line up, let alone how to tackle and defend. Related Articles Mike Preston: Ravens got outmuscled again. It’s OK to panic. | COMMENTARY The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 44-10 loss to Texans Ravens’ season hanging by thread after ugly loss vs. Texans | ANALYSIS Ravens crushed by Texans, 44-10, without Lamar Jackson: ‘Complete disappointment’ Instant analysis from Ravens’ 44-10 blowout loss to Texans Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson, playing in his 37th career game, caught his first touchdown pass on the game’s opening drive, then recorded his second touchdown in the second quarter. Rookie Jaylin Noel added his first career touchdown reception. On a first-half scramble, quarterback C.J. Stroud broke free for a career-high 30-yard run. Stroud carved up the Ravens over and over again to produce his best outing of the season with 27 completions for 245 passing yards and four touchdowns. Veteran edge rusher Kyle Van Noy was asked about the team’s level of accountability. He paused for a long moment before answering. “That’s a good question,” he finally said. “We’ll see later in the week.” It felt like the most honest moment of another disappointing afternoon in Baltimore. Sure, the injury bug is real, as Derrick Henry recently noted. Between the seven players on Sunday’s inactive list, plus defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike, the Ravens were missing more than 40,000 career snaps. To make up for experience, Baltimore’s rookie class has logged the second-most snaps in the league behind only Cleveland. Not good company. But youth doesn’t explain how unprepared the Ravens look. And in the unforgiving NFL, injuries never excuse incompetence and lack of preparation. Harbaugh keeps insisting the effort is there. “I didn’t feel [a lack of effort],” Harbaugh said. “I didn’t feel that all week. I didn’t feel that in the game. I think the effort was there; I just didn’t think the execution was there. We didn’t do what we needed to do. And it’s going to have to start with us as coaches to figure it out.” What Baltimore is showing on the field says otherwise. This defense’s nonexistent backbone is a recurring theme, injuries aside. Even when healthy, Baltimore wasn’t playing quality football (see: Week 1 collapse at Buffalo). Now it’s being completely exposed. Players look lost before the snap. Communication breakdowns have become a weekly occurrence. Missed tackles — Baltimore was credited with nine, according to Pro Football Focus, tied for the second most in a single game this season — turn routine plays into highlights and chunk gains. In all four of the Ravens’ losses, Baltimore has recorded zero takeaways. The Ravens’ two takeaways all season rank second-fewest in the NFL behind the New York Jets. Overall, the Ravens look disorganized, disconnected and detached. It’s not time for heads to roll just yet. But the message clearly needs some tweaking because those confident buzzwords and weeklong practice reps are not translating to game day. Asked if the coaching staff’s message isn’t getting through to players, Van Noy replied: “That’s probably a question that’s above my pay grade, probably. I think that’s a Harbaugh [or] a [Zach Orr] question, to be honest. … I think their messaging is fine.” The city’s patience level is thinning. So are the team’s playoff hopes. Only 16 teams in NFL history have made the postseason after starting 1-4. Teams such as Houston used to fear coming to Baltimore. This season, though, the visitors are met with little resistance, boos for the Ravens and empty seats. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. Empty seats dot the stadium in the second half of the Ravens' lopsided loss to the Texans on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article

Here’s how the Ravens graded out at every position after a 44-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium: Quarterback This is my philosophy on doing grades: I treat it like physical education in high school. If you dress and participate but aren’t very good, you get a D. There are some occasions, like last week when the Ravens’ defense was horrible against Kansas City, that the entire group gets an F. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush wasn’t very good Sunday, but it’s basically what we saw in training camp. He had one long pass to Zay Flowers for 56 yards in the third quarter, but he consistently underthrew receivers, even on short passes. He had three interceptions and completed only 14 of 20 passes for 179 yards. He even tripped while dropping back during a goal line situation and finished with a passer rating of 58.1. Grade: D Running backs The Ravens have virtually no running game. After years of finishing No. 1 in the NFL, they have no home run hitter or short-yardage specialist with Derrick Henry (15 carries for 33 yards), Justice Hill or Keaton Mitchell. Henry had no rushing lanes and the Ravens wanted to use Mitchell as an outside threat, but Texans defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter got too much penetration. Right now, the running game is a shadow of itself. Grade: D Offensive line In simple terms, the Ravens can’t control the line of scrimmage. This group isn’t quick and explosive, and the Ravens can’t knock opposing players off the ball. This group is so ineffective that the Ravens run few counters and traps, and screens are out of the question. In fact, so are draw plays to slow down the rush. It made no difference who started Sunday. Without left tackle Ronnie Stanley, the chance of any possible upset dwindled, and guards Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees and right tackle Roger Rosengarten had very little impact. Grade: F Receivers Flowers had five catches for 72 yards, and tight ends Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar combined for four catches for 44 yards, but the Ravens were completely outclassed by Houston. Outside receiver DeAndre Hopkins had his moments, but the Ravens didn’t get receiver Rashod Bateman involved. It showed when Bateman didn’t even attempt to catch a long pass down the left sideline that was intercepted by cornerback Kamari Lassiter late in the game. It has become apparent that he either wants very little to do with this offense or wants to move on. Regardless, the Ravens don’t have much time to throw, which neutralizes any downfield threat. Grade: C- Defensive line This group was outmanned and outgunned by the Texans. The Ravens did get some penetration from linemen such as Aeneas Peebles, John Jenkins and Travis Jones, but they didn’t have the linebackers on the outside or the inside to back them up. Veteran reserve Brent Urban started, and that’s a sign that the Ravens are in trouble, especially in running situations. The Texans entered the game with the No. 23 rushing offense in the NFL, averaging 103.5 yards per game, but finished with 167 yards on the ground. Halfback Nick Chubb refused to be brought down, breaking several tackles and imposing his will on Baltimore. Grade: D Linebackers This group is hard to tolerate. Besides outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, the rest are hard to watch. The Ravens have wasted a lot of draft picks on this group, from first-rounder Odafe Oweh in 2021 to David Ojabo, a second-round pick in 2022. Neither can hold the edge, and neither can rush the quarterback. The only player who showed up Sunday was weakside linebacker Trenton Simpson, who finished with 10 tackles. Tavius Robinson wasn’t much of a factor. Mike Green, the rookie second-round pick out of Marshall last April, had two tackles, but the Texans ran at him at will, too. Rookie middle linebacker Teddye Buchanan, who started in the middle for injured veteran Roquan Smith and wore the green dot, was simply overpowered and outclassed in the middle. He finished with 15 tackles. The Texans had too much muscle. Grade: F Related Articles Ravens’ season hanging by thread after ugly loss vs. Texans | ANALYSIS Ravens crushed by Texans, 44-10, without Lamar Jackson: ‘Complete disappointment’ Instant analysis from Ravens’ 44-10 blowout loss to Texans Ravens vs. Texans, October 5, 2025 | PHOTOS Ravens vs. Texans live updates: Postgame reaction, analysis from 44-10 loss Secondary There were times when this group looked totally lost, especially inside the red zone. The worst part is that there isn’t as much field to cover down there, and the Texans still looked like the old Houston team when Warren Moon was the quarterback. Houston ran cuts across the middle and some deep routes and did whatever they wanted. You can say that the Ravens were without safety Kyle Hamilton and nickel cornerback Marlon Humphrey, but they have played like the “Keystone Cops” for most of the season. The Ravens did occasionally pressure Stroud, but he completed 23 of 27 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns and finished with a passer rating of 144.1. This secondary is lost. Grade: F Special teams When Tyler Loop missed a 55-yard field goal attempt near the end of the half, the Ravens were in big trouble. They already had problems, but they had nothing to mount a comeback. The Ravens allowed too much yardage on kickoff returns (two for 58 yards). Punter Jordan Stout didn’t help with a 35-yard shank in the first half after his 61-yarder was nullified by a penalty. He averaged 45.5 yards on four punts. Grade: C Coaching The Ravens talked a good game this week, but neither the players nor the coaching staff could back it up. The Ravens were without eight injured starters, including five on defense, but their backups weren’t very good either. At no time during the game did the Ravens show anything that resembled an offensive or defensive game plan, and this team played with no poise or energy. Like most of the players, the Ravens dressed for physical education class, but the participation was lacking, especially Bateman refusing to attempt to go up and catch that pass from Rush. He then walked right by coach John Harbaugh on the sideline, who didn’t appear to say one word. That’s unacceptable. Grade: F Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk, right, catches a 47-yard pass before being tackled by Ravens safety Malaki Starks early in the fourth quarter Sunday. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article

It was a gorgeous, sun-splashed Sunday afternoon at M&T Stadium. The setting also belied the dark clouds suddenly hovering ominously over the Ravens’ season. Just five games into its 2025 campaign — one that began with Super Bowl expectations from within and the favorite from the outside — Baltimore is broken, literally if not figuratively. With eight starters missing, including quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson and five on defense, the Ravens were always going to be facing an uphill climb in their critical AFC showdown with the Houston Texans. It quickly turned into a 44-10 avalanche, leaving the season teetering on the precipice and hanging on by the thinnest of threads. Only 16 teams in NFL history have started 1-4 and still made the playoffs, with the 2024 Los Angeles Rams being the most recent. That was the only glimmer of hope to come out of the Texans’ demolition of Baltimore, if it could even be considered one. There are much bigger concerns for coach John Harbaugh and the team he commands, which was overmatched, outplayed and bullied by a tougher Texans team. Houston (2-3), which came in with one of the least threatening offenses in the league in every significant metric, including ranking 29th in points (16) and 25th in yards per game (288.8), carved up the Ravens. Quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 23 of 27 passes for 277 yards and four touchdowns, while Nick Chubb ran for 61 yards and a score on 11 carries. The Ravens came into the game 13-2 all-time against the Texans, which included an 8-0 mark at home. They left it embarrassed. No Nnamdi Madubuike, no Broderick Washington, no Kyle Hamilton, no Roquan Smith, no Marlon Humphrey, no Chidobe Awuzie, no Ronnie Stanley, no Pat Ricard, no fight, no chance. Houston raced out to a 24-3 halftime lead and never looked back. The Ravens’ replacements looked the part, especially the rookies. Second-round outside linebacker Mike Green, first-round safety Malaki Starks, fourth-round linebacker Teddye Buchanan and undrafted free agents, safety Rueben Lowery and cornerback Keyon Martin, were among five first-year starters on a defense that was repeatedly gashed. The Texans scored on each of their first eight possessions and punted just once all day. They also racked up 417 total yards, including 167 on the ground. Things weren’t any better on the other side of the ball for Baltimore. Houston came in with the league’s best defense, allowing a scant 12.8 points per game, and dominated almost immediately. Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush walks off the field after throwing an interception during Sunday's loss to the Texans. Rush threw three picks in the defeat. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The Ravens showed some fight early, marching from their own 25-yard line to the Texans’ 9 on their opening possession, but quickly wilted. Tyler Loop’s 27-yard field goal to end the series were the only points of the half. Cooper Rush, who guided the Cowboys to a 9-5 record filling in for an injured Dak Prescott in Dallas over the past few years, completed 14 of 20 passes for 179 yards, but was intercepted three times. He never got in a rhythm, and neither did the offense. Derrick Henry has tormented the Texans over the years, with his 1,578 career yards against them his most against any team that he has played in his 10-year career that will one day end in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But without the dynamic Jackson alongside him, a shaky offensive line and with Houston jumping out to a big lead, he managed just 33 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Related Articles Ravens hit new low, get crushed by Texans, 44-10, without Lamar Jackson Instant analysis from Ravens’ 44-10 blowout loss to Texans Ravens vs. Texans, October 5, 2025 | PHOTOS Ravens vs. Texans live updates: Postgame reaction, analysis from 44-10 loss Ravens missing star-studded list of players for pivotal game vs. Texans It marked the fourth straight game that Henry, 31 and coming off a season in which he was second in the NFL in rushing with 1,921 yards, was held to 50 or fewer yards. Baltimore also fell to 4-10 in games that Jackson has not played during his tenure. The Ravens came into this season with perhaps the most talented team of starters on paper, but on grass, they have been continually exposed. Without so many starters, that was even more evident Sunday. Now, a season with Super Bowl expectations instead is falling further into the abyss. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Kyle Van Noy thought that his defense earned a rare stop after rookie cornerback Keyon Martin sacked C.J. Stroud on third down. But alas — on a day when the Ravens’ defensive woes became a calamity — even a “good” play was negated. Martin was flagged for being offsides, wiping out the sack and giving the Texans a first down. Van Noy looked skyward, hands on his hips, as if searching for a solution that never came. In one of the worst performances of the John Harbaugh era, Baltimore trailed 24-3 at halftime and got crushed by Houston, 44-10, on Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium. The 34-point loss is the third-worst in franchise history and tied for the team’s worst home defeat. The 44 points allowed are the fifth most in team history and the most at home under Harbaugh. The Ravens, who have lost their past five games without Lamar Jackson, who missed the contest with a hamstring injury, are 1-4 for the first time since 2015 and just the second time in franchise history. That team started 1-6 and finished 5-11. Baltimore’s defense has now surrendered the most touchdowns, passing yards and rushing yards in franchise history through five weeks. The unit has also generated the fewest quarterback pressures and turnovers during that stretch. After preaching all week that better results were coming, defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s unit allowed three touchdowns and a field goal in its first four drives. Houston rushed for 5.1 yards per carry, converted several third-and-shorts and rarely faced any pressure. The Ravens have forced two punts and zero turnovers over the past two games, and one punt came after Houston pulled its starters. Stroud’s 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson was the quarterback’s first against Baltimore. The Ravens had stifled the signal-caller into three of the worst starts of his young career entering Sunday’s game, including a 2023 divisional round defeat in Baltimore. But with five starters out, the Ravens’ defensive slide has turned into a full-blown disaster. Three players in the secondary — safety Reuben Lowery III and cornerbacks T.J. Tampa Jr. and Martin — made their first career starts, and beleaguered players such as linebacker Trenton Simpson, cornerback Jaire Alexander and defensive end Brent Urban also returned to the lineup after playing reserve roles for most of the season. Houston’s offense moved the ball at will against the depleted defense, going on drives of 5:36, 5:40 and 3:53. Stroud completed a career-high 85% of his passes to go with 244 yards and four touchdowns before being relieved by backup Davis Mills midway through the fourth quarter. One fan cried out, “Guard somebody, please,” midway through the second quarter. Boos rained down onto M&T Bank Stadium as Baltimore entered the locker room facing its largest halftime deficit since 2017. This wasn’t the Bills’, Chiefs’ or Lions’ offense, either. Houston entered Sunday with the 29th-best scoring offense in the NFL, averaging just 16 points per game. Those numbers were also bolstered by a 26-0 win over the Tennessee Titans (0-4) last week. Against one of the worst pass-protecting teams in football, Baltimore recorded just nine pressures on Stroud. And despite being the healthiest unit on the field, the defensive line struggled again, allowing 167 rushing yards. Without Jackson, the Ravens’ defense needed to control the game. Instead, they got dissected by Stroud and his counterpart — backup Cooper Rush — struggled mightily, reaching the red zone just twice. Rush finished 14-for-20 passing for 179 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions in his first start with the Ravens. Henry ran for just 33 yards on 15 carries, and the team finished with just 207 total yards. Rush rarely attempted a pass beyond the first-down marker, constantly checking it down to shorter options. Any hope of a comeback was dashed in the third quarter after a lazy pass to Henry in the flat was intercepted by Texans safety Jalen Pitre. The Texans scored three plays later to make it 31-3. Related Articles Ravens’ season hanging by thread after ugly loss vs. Texans | ANALYSIS Instant analysis from Ravens’ 44-10 blowout loss to Texans Ravens vs. Texans, October 5, 2025 | PHOTOS Ravens vs. Texans live updates: Postgame reaction, analysis from 44-10 loss Ravens missing star-studded list of players for pivotal game vs. Texans M&T Bank Stadium was less than halfway filled with more than seven minutes to go in the third quarter. Fans booed the offense, slumped their heads after each Texans touchdown and watched their team fall further into the abyss. Only 7.9% of teams that started 1-4 have made the playoffs since the NFL expanded to 32 teams in 2002, according to CBS Sports. Relief is not coming, with the playoff-contending Los Angeles Rams traveling to Baltimore next Sunday before the Ravens have their bye week. The fans who stayed tried to muster a “defense” chant with Baltimore trailing by 24 points in the third quarter. Houston promptly went on a seven-play, nearly four-minute scoring drive for its fifth touchdown of the day. A different yet faint chant of “Fire Harbaugh” started after that. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. Ravens defenders look on as the Texans celebrate a second-quarter touchdown. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article