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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

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 44-10 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 5 of the NFL season on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium: Brian Wacker, reporter Things were already in bad shape for the banged-up Ravens, and they got worse Sunday when Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton and Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley weren’t available because of injuries, either. Not that it would have mattered much. Between backup quarterback Cooper Rush getting the nod in place of Lamar Jackson, who was sidelined with a hamstring injury, and five rookies starting on Baltimore’s defense, this one had the look of a preseason lineup. As much as the Texans’ offense has struggled this year — 29th in points, 25th in yards — playing against a bunch of second-teamers really exposed the difference between NFL starters and backups, particularly when so many of the latter are first-year players. Baltimore came into this season with perhaps the most talented team of starters on paper, but on grass has been continually exposed. With the Ravens down eight starters on Sunday, this quickly turned into a get-right game for Houston and quarterback C.J. Stroud. Worse yet, Baltimore showed little fight, with a slew of missed tackles, an inability to get off blocks and making the kinds of mistakes that you usually see during training camp. The Ravens came into this season with Super Bowl expectations and instead are on the precipice of absolute disaster. Mike Preston, columnist By the time this game was over, the stands were nearly empty at M&T Bank Stadium. In fact, there have been more fans at preseason games than were in The Bank when the final whistle sounded. The Ravens were embarrassed and humiliated by one of the worst offensive teams in the NFL. There was a hope that this Ravens team could rebound after being humbled by Kansas City last week, but it was over after the coin toss. Not only did the offense look much like it did a week ago, but this was virtually a 7-on-7 session for Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. The Ravens had several starters out because of injuries, but they were supposed to have one of the deepest rosters in the NFL. Well, where were the reserves? It’s not the end of the season for the Ravens, but it might be time to call up Santa Claus and tell him to possibly cancel Christmas. Whew, this was ugly. Josh Tolentino, columnist What an absolute butt-whooping from the visitors. Both teams were billed as soul-searchers with identical 1-3 records entering the Week 5 contest, but the Texans emerged as the real team with palpable fight. Meanwhile, the Ravens were toppled in the “effort” department from the opening whistle. Even more discouraging, the Ravens committed some of the same mistakes that we’ve seen from this undisciplined group over the first month of the season. The heat meter continues to rise for Zach Orr, the second-year defensive coordinator whose adjustments have failed to reach the field from his depleted group. Some inside the organization will point to injuries for the team’s brutal start to this disappointing season, but the reality is that Baltimore has lacked identity and a defensive backbone dating to the Ravens’ Week 1 collapse at Buffalo. Sam Cohn, reporter Players and coaches spent all week imbuing themselves with the confidence that they could beat the Texans even without eight regular starters, including their two-time NFL Most Valuable Player at quarterback. “I know it sounds good up here, me saying it,” a self-aware defensive coordinator Zach Orr said, “but we have to go do it on Sunday.” That they did not. Baltimore’s defense looked lost. Its offense was almost laughably outplayed. Cornerback Jaire Alexander nearly fought a pack of Texans by himself. Mark Andrews spiked his helmet after handing over an interception — this team’s third helmet spike in as many weeks. ’Twas a cocktail that left the Ravens with one of the worst losses in franchise history. Sam Jane, reporter If you thought things were going poorly for the Ravens before Week 5, the concern levels are at an all-time high following the one of the worst losses in franchise history. Every unit of coach John Harbaugh’s team was outclassed Sunday. Baltimore’s defense never forced a punt or a turnover against the 25th-best offense in the NFL. The Ravens’ offense reached the red zone just twice and Cooper Rush threw two interceptions. Sure, the Ravens were missing several starters, but Sunday’s effort was one of the worst of Harbaugh’s tenure. Not a great sign for a team that was already 1-3 and playing in a critical game for its postseason hopes. C.J. Doon, editor This feels like the end of an era for the Ravens and John Harbaugh. Yes, Baltimore was missing a laundry list of talented players, including stars Lamar Jackson, Kyle Hamilton, Roquan Smith and Marlon Humphrey. Not including Nnamdi Madubuike, who is already out for the season with a neck injury, the Ravens were without a group of players with a combined 20 Pro Bowl appearances Sunday. The Ravens put five rookies on the field on defense. Any NFL team would struggle to overcome that. But it’s how lethargic, sloppy and uninspired the Ravens looked Sunday that is most concerning. And it’s not as if they were blown out by an elite team. Houston entered 1-3, too, and was 0-8 in Baltimore. After struggling to eclipse 20 points thus far this season, the Texans cruised to 24 first-half points and scored on their first eight possessions before C.J. Stroud exited the game with a career-high 85% completion rate. That’s after Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr vowed this week to increase the physicality and “hit people harder” in the search for more turnovers and more stops. Instead, the Ravens offered little resistance. Having rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan wear the green dot to relay the defensive signals certainly didn’t help the communication issues that have long plagued this team. And so much for Derrick Henry being able to carry the load on offense. Baltimore barely got any time on the field because of how soft the defense played, but when it did, Henry had no room to run behind what’s been a disappointing offensive line. Cooper Rush didn’t help matters by throwing three interceptions, either, though Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman didn’t do him any favors. From top to bottom on all three levels, this was a complete and total failure. Now the only thing Ravens fans should care about is who’s left to pick up the pieces on Monday. With how sparse the crowd looked at M&T Bank Stadium, maybe they’ve already given up. Related Articles Ravens’ season hanging by thread after ugly loss vs. Texans | ANALYSIS Ravens hit new low, get crushed by Texans, 44-10, without Lamar Jackson 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 Tim Schwartz, editor Worst home loss in Ravens regular-season history? It sure feels like it. With their backs against the wall, they looked completely and utterly lost and showed no lessons learned from their first four games. This feels like rock bottom, but with the Rams coming into town next week, perhaps there’s more earth to move to find a new low. Baltimore has owned the Texans historically; they made the Ravens look like a JV team. Something’s gotta give here. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr said on Wednesday, “This is a test. And in life, you’re going to get tested. You’re either going to step up or turn it down.” They didn’t turn it down. They turned it off. Pathetic. Bennett Conlin, editor This was embarrassing. I picked the Ravens to lose this week because of their injury situation, but Sunday’s showing was much worse than I imagined. Baltimore looked like a team ready to overhaul its staff and pick first in the NFL draft, not contend for a Super Bowl title. Injuries obviously hurt this team. Not having Jackson is almost impossible to quantify, and Baltimore’s defense was without its four Pro Bowlers from 2024. That’s significant. But to not put up a real fight at home against what was a 1-3 Houston team outside the playoff picture is inexcusable, injuries or not. The Ravens still had Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, Nate Wiggins and Kyle Van Noy, among others. If the Ravens can’t rally and make a late-season push as guys return from injuries, they’ll need to make significant organizational changes this offseason (or even midseason) to avoid wasting Jackson’s prime. Sunday’s performance was inexcusable. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

Texans’ Xavier Hutchinson, right, catches for a touchdown against Ravens’ T.J. Tampa Jr., in the first half at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) Texans quarterback C. J. Stroud, left, reacts after throwing a touchdown against the Ravens in the first half at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson sits on the bench to nurse a hamstring injure during game against the Texans in the first half at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh looks off after the defense failed to contain the Houston Texans after they scored their third touchdown during the second quarter of NFL football. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens safety Reuben Lowery III walks off after the defense failed to contain the Houston Texans as they celebrate their third touchdown of the game during the second quarter of NFL football. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop removes his helmet after missing a field goal against the Houston Texans to end the second quarter of NFL football. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush passes against the Houston Texans during the second quarter of NFL football. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens coach John Harbaugh reacts in frustration after his team allows 24 points by halftime against the Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens players look on as the Houston Texans celebrate a second-quarter touchdown at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush walks off the field after failing to convert a first down in the second quarter against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens coach John Harbaugh reacts in frustration after his team allows 24 points by halftime against the Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush after being sacked by the Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens injuried quarterback Lamar Jackson on the sideline during the Texans game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush is pressured by Texans’ Mario Edwards Jr. He was eventually sacked on the play. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens kicker Tyler Loop kicks a field goal in first quarter of game against the Texans. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens’ Deandre Hopkins celebrates first down catch against the Texans. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins makes catch over Texans’ Kamari Lassiter. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens TE Charlie Kolar makes catch for 1st down against Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens TE Charlie Kolar makes catch for 1st down against Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens kicker Tyler Loop makes a 27-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 3-7 against the Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Houston Texans WR Xavier Hutchinson catches a 5-yard touchdown against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterbacks coach Tee Martin talks with quarterback Cooper Rush during pregame before an NFL game against the Houston Texans. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterbacks coach Tee Martin talks with quarterback Cooper Rush during pregame before an NFL game against the Houston Texans. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley during pregame before an NFL game against the Houston Texans. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley passes during pregame before an NFL game against the Houston Texans. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens backup quarterback Tyler Huntley warms up before game against the Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush warms up along side coach Tee Martin before Texans game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley stands during pregame before an NFL game against the Houston Texans. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush enters the field during pregame before an NFL game against the Houston Texans. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush enters the field during pregame before an NFL game against the Houston Texans. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article

The Ravens (1-3) and Houston Texans (1-3) meet Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore with both teams looking to avoid a fourth loss in the first five games of the season. The Ravens will start Cooper Rush at quarterback with Lamar Jackson sidelined by a hamstring injury and will be missing several other key players. Kickoff is 1 p.m. on CBS. Follow along here for live coverage and analysis. View the full article

The beleaguered and injured Ravens defense suffered another blow Sunday. Two-time Pro Bowl safety and 2023 All-Pro Kyle Hamilton was made inactive for Baltimore’s game against the Houston Texans. The news comes two days after he was listed as questionable with a groin injury and after he was absent from practice Thursday and Friday. It also hits hard for a defense that is already the worst in the NFL, allowing a league-high 33.3 points per game. Hamilton, who is the Ravens’ best and most versatile defender, is second on the team in tackles (31), has two pass breakups, a forced fumble, a tackle for loss and one quarterback hit. His absence also means that rookie first-round draft pick Malaki Starks will start alongside either rookie undrafted free agent Rueben Lowery III or second-year safety Sanoussi Kane. Also out for the game are cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey (calf) and Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) and inside linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring). The Ravens are also without Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who suffered a season-ending neck injury, and defensive tackle Broderick Washington (ankle), who is on injured reserve. Things aren’t much better for the offense, either. Baltimore (1-3) is without quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson because of a hamstring injury as well as Ronnie Stanley (ankle) after the Pro Bowl left tackle was also made inactive after being listed as questionable. Stanley was a limited participant in practice all week. With Stanley sidelined, veteran Joseph Noteboom, who filled in after Stanley exited last week’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first quarter, is likely to start in his place, while veteran Cooper Rush will start at quarterback. Fullback Pat Ricard (calf), who hasn’t practiced since mid-August, is also inactive for Baltimore. In all, the Ravens are without the services of players who have combined for 20 Pro Bowl appearances. The Texans (1-3), meanwhile, are without linebacker Christian Harris, who is a healthy scratch. Other inactive players for Houston include wide receiver Braxton Berrios, offensive tackles Trent Brown and Jarrett Kingston, cornerback Zion Childress and quarterback Graham Mertz. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Related Articles Ravens vs. Texans, October 5, 2025 | PHOTOS Ravens vs. Texans live updates: Houston leads 24-3 in 2nd quarter Former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker reportedly drawing interest from teams Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell expected to be active vs. Texans: source Will the Ravens miss the playoffs? Another loss would be costly. View the full article

Justin Tucker’s NFL career might not be over. The suspended former Ravens star is working out at his alma mater, the University of Texas, and has already drawn interest from several teams, according to a report Saturday from the NFL Network. Tucker’s Ravens career came to a shocking end in May when Baltimore released him amid an NFL investigation into several sexual misconduct allegations brought against the kicker earlier this year. In June, the 35-year-old was suspended for the first 10 weeks of the 2025 regular season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He will be eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 11. The league did not release details of its findings, though that is often typical of its investigations unless a player files an appeal and the case goes in front of a disciplinary officer. Tucker was released by the Ravens about three months after more than a dozen female massage therapists accused him of inappropriate sexual behavior at several Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers. The team called the move a “football decision” in a statement from general manager Eric DeCosta. The statement made no mention of the allegations against Tucker, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. In a statement released in February, Tucker said the he’s devastated that “anyone I have worked with would not have felt respected and valued as a professional, but more importantly as a person.” “To anyone who has felt otherwise, I am sorry,” Tucker continued. “I want you to know I am committed to ensuring that everyone I interact with continues to feel that I respect them and care about them as a human being.” The NFL’s ruling was delivered five months after The Baltimore Banner first reported that six massage therapists said Tucker exposed his genitals, brushed two of them with his exposed penis and left what was believed to be ejaculate on the massage table following three of his treatments. In all, more than a dozen massage therapists made similar allegations, with all of the alleged incidents having taken place between 2012 and 2016. Tucker had been the Ravens’ kicker since 2012, was one of the faces of the franchise and has long been considered one of the greatest kickers in the history of the sport and a likely Pro Football Hall of Fame selection. Before he was released, he had three years remaining on a four-year, $24 million contract extension that he signed in August 2022. The Ravens drafted Arizona kicker Tyler Loop in the fifth round of April’s draft, and he won the competition with undrafted free agent John Hoyland over the summer. The rookie is 7-for-7 on field goal attempts to begin his career with one missed extra point but has also struggled with kickoffs. In 13 seasons, Tucker made 89.1% of his field goal attempts, which currently ranks second in league history behind the Los Angeles Chargers’ Cameron Dicker, who has a 94.3% rate across just 105 attempts in four seasons. But Tucker struggled last season, making a career-low 73.3% of his field goal attempts and missing two extra point attempts. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell is expected to be active Sunday for the first time this season, a source with direct knowledge confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. The 23-year-old former undrafted free agent has been a healthy scratch in each of the first four games as Baltimore limped to a 1-3 start. But with star quarterback Lamar Jackson ruled out Sunday and backup Cooper Rush making his first start with the Ravens against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium, the team will look to get the speedster more involved on offense. Mitchell acknowledged last week that “hell yeah” he’s been frustrated about not getting any playing time thus far. The Ravens have relied on starter Derrick Henry, third-down back Justice Hill and special teams contributor Rasheen Ali at running back to mixed results. Baltimore ranks ninth in the NFL with 133.5 rushing yards per game, but Henry has been held to 50 yards or fewer in each of the past three games after exploding for 169 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills. Henry has also fumbled three times. “Whenever they call my name, that’s when it’s going to happen. I’m always ready,” Mitchell said last week. Earlier this week, Ravens coach John Harbaugh acknowledged the possibility that Mitchell would be active Sunday, as well as third-string quarterback Tyler Huntley. In addition to his work as a kick returner, Mitchell has flashed explosive ability at running back during his NFL career. In eight games during the 2023 season before he tore his ACL, Mitchell averaged 8.4 yards per carry and 10.3 yards per reception with two touchdowns. The former East Carolina star was limited to just 15 carries for 30 yards in two games last season as he worked his way back from a significant knee injury, but he posted during the offseason that he hit 22.4 mph during a workout. In the preseason, Mitchell rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown on nine carries against the Indianapolis Colts. He was sidelined with a hamstring injury but returned to practice in the week leading up to the season opener. “He looks good,” Harbaugh said during minicamp in June. “He looks way better than he did at the end of last season just as far as movement. I have hopes for him. I expect him to be really good.” ESPN first reported that Mitchell is expected to be active. Baltimore Sun reporter Brian Wacker contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

In 2008, the New England Patriots were coming off an undefeated season, had the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player in Tom Brady at quarterback and were preseason favorites to win the Super Bowl. But Brady suffered a season-ending injury in the season opener and New England missed the playoffs, albeit with an 11-5 record. The Patriots became the only Super Bowl favorite in the past 20 years to miss the playoffs entirely. Sound familiar? The Ravens — once favored alongside the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles to win the Super Bowl in the preseason — are 1-3 and will be without star quarterback Lamar Jackson for at least one game (and maybe longer). “The mindset is go win the football game. That hasn’t changed,” running back Derrick Henry said. Luckily for Baltimore, there’s historical precedent for 1-3 teams making the playoffs. In the Super Bowl era, 43 teams have made the playoffs after beginning 1-3. Since 2015, 11 teams that started 1-3 have qualified for the postseason. Teams that start 2-3 frequently make the postseason, as well. But if the Ravens were to lose to the Houston Texans on Sunday, they would drop to 1-4. Using history as a guide, their playoff chances would take a drastic hit. Only 16 teams have reached the playoffs after starting 1-4 — and just 13 since 1990 — according to USA Today. That’s less than 3% of all playoff teams in that span. The Los Angeles Rams accomplished the feat last season, winning nine of their last 12 games and advancing to the NFC divisional round. The 2024 Cincinnati Bengals almost did, too, after winning five straight to end the season at 9-8. The Ravens do have some variables in their favor, though. For one, they face the eighth-easiest remaining schedule in the league based on opponents’ win percentage. Baltimore still has games against the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, the Cincinnati Bengals (twice) and the New England Patriots before the season ends. On paper, Baltimore is set to face only three likely playoff teams: the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Rams. “Everything we feel like we can get better at, we’re going to fight like hell to fix it,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “I know we got the people to do it.” They also should receive a boost when several starters return from injury, though it’s unclear when that will happen. Jackson was ruled out Sunday with a hamstring injury, and The Baltimore Sun reported that he could miss two to three weeks. Linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) and cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey (calf) and Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) also won’t play against Houston, while safety Kyle Hamilton (groin), left tackle Ronnie Stanley and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh (eye) are questionable. In total, 15 players appeared on Baltimore’s injury report this week, including 11 starters. The bye week on Nov. 2 will come at a much-needed time. Baltimore’s still one of the most talented teams in the league. Even without Jackson, the offense will still feature Henry, wide receiver Zay Flowers and tight end Mark Andrews. It also has a capable backup quarterback in Cooper Rush, who was 9-5 as a starter across seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Rush, 31, completed 60.7% of his passes while posting career highs in yards (1,844) and touchdown passes (12) during extensive action last season filling in for the injured Dak Prescott. Rush signed a two-year, $6.2 million contract with Baltimore in the offseason. Related Articles Ravens vs. Texans staff picks: Who will win Sunday in Baltimore? Arthur Jones, beloved Super Bowl champion with Ravens, dies at 39 Ravens QB Lamar Jackson ruled out; Cooper Rush will start vs. Texans Ravens injury report: Lamar Jackson, 3 key defenders ruled out vs. Texans Ravens vs. Texans scouting report for Week 5: Who has the edge? “I’ve been here before. Whenever a franchise QB goes down, it’s always ‘the sky is falling’ feeling,” Rush said. There isn’t much panic in the Ravens’ locker room right now. Players and coaches seem to recognize that they still boast one of the league’s most potent offenses — and a defense expected to get healthier in the coming weeks. “Success is coming,” coach John Harbaugh said. But if the slide continues this week, it might become too late to save a season that started with such high hopes. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. View the full article

Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday’s Week 5 game between the Ravens and Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: Brian Wacker, reporter Texans 20, Ravens 17: The Ravens will get a couple of players back from injury for this critical showdown against the likewise 1-3 Texans, but with so many key players still missing on defense, it’s hard to imagine that even a modest Houston offense won’t find some degree of success. Add in not having Lamar Jackson against a Texans defense that leads the NFL in points per game allowed (12.8) and that will likely key on Derrick Henry and this just feels like too big of a hill for the Ravens to climb. Coach John Harbaugh has generally navigated these storms well in the past, but this one feels a little different with so many key players not available. Sam Cohn, reporter Texans 21, Ravens 13: Cooper Rush can’t win the Ravens this game and Derrick Henry can’t run amok against a Texans defense that allows the fewest points in the NFL. The injury report will, in many ways, decide this game. That doesn’t bode well for a Baltimore team with 11 starters dealing with some kind of injury. With the run defense forced to rely on a rookie and practice squad elevations, expect Texans rookie running back Woody Marks to be the difference maker. He recorded 119 total yards and a pair of touchdowns against Tennessee, the other worst run defense in the NFL. By Sunday night, this season will be on life support (if it wasn’t already). Mike Preston, columnist Ravens 21, Texans 17: It really comes down to how many injured players might be on the field for the Ravens. In addition to quarterback Lamar Jackson being ruled out, cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie and middle linebacker Roquan Smith won’t play. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley and safety Kyle Hamilton are questionable. In this game, injuries become the great neutralizer. Houston has a terrible offense, ranked No. 25 in the league, but the Texans have a strong, mobile defense that is allowing only 12.8 points per game, tops in the NFL. The Ravens are at home and still might have too much firepower for Houston. Josh Tolentino, columnist Ravens 24, Texans 21: The Ravens enter Sunday against Houston battered and bruised, with more than a quarter of the active roster listed on the injury report and Lamar Jackson sidelined. Even so, Baltimore, with its backs truly up against the wall, should have enough offensive firepower to scrape out a narrow victory if the defense finally resembles the unit it was billed to be. One might argue that the defense is without All-Pro talent at all three levels, but was it even a formable unit when the Ravens were healthy? Any improvement from the poundings Baltimore has taken the past few weeks will be welcomed, even if those contributions come from depth pieces waiting for their shot. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken must lean into tailback Derrick Henry instead of overthinking his usage. Expect an ugly game, but one the Cooper Rush-led Ravens manage to survive. If not, things could get pretty ugly at The Castle before Jackson returns to the field. C.J. Doon, editor Texans 19, Ravens 16: As bad as the Ravens’ defense has been, the Texans’ offense might be worse. Surely this is the moment for Zach Orr’s unit to rally and turn its season around … right? But what should really make Ravens fans nervous is the pass-rushing duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter teeing off against a struggling offensive line and a statuesque pocket passer in Cooper Rush. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley is still dealing with an ankle injury, too. If Lamar Jackson can get sacked 15 times in four games behind this line, how often will Rush get hit? Offensive coordinator Todd Monken will have to find creative ways to get the ball to his playmakers in space, which is easier said than done against Houston. This one feels like a coin flip, and with the Ravens’ luck of late, I’m betting that it doesn’t go their way. Bennett Conlin, editor Texans 20, Ravens 17: Neither of these teams are as bad as their records suggest. The Ravens are still a Super Bowl threat at 1-3, and the Texans can still make a playoff push after narrow losses to the Rams, Buccaneers and Jaguars — three good teams. With Lamar Jackson available, I’m not sure this pick would even be a debate given Houston’s inconsistent offense. Without Jackson, this matchup becomes fascinating. Well, competitive, at least. “Fascinating” probably isn’t the right word to describe what’s likely to be a grind of a game. I’ll take the team with a healthy starting quarterback and a competent defense. The Ravens are staring a 1-5 record in the face with a game against the Rams next weekend. Related Articles Arthur Jones, beloved Super Bowl champion with Ravens, dies at 39 Ravens QB Lamar Jackson ruled out; Cooper Rush will start vs. Texans Ravens injury report: Lamar Jackson, 3 key defenders ruled out vs. Texans Ravens vs. Texans scouting report for Week 5: Who has the edge? Ravens playoff odds: The projections are still confident in a 1-3 team Tim Schwartz, editor Ravens 24, Texans 23: This has to be the Derrick Henry game. Cooper Rush is going to start under center for an injured Lamar Jackson, and the Ravens simply need him to manage the game — hand the ball off to their star running back (and a healthy dose of Keaton Mitchell, too, please) and avoid turnovers. Do that, and they have a chance. Do that and get a defensive performance that even closely resembles the unit we expected to see this season, and Baltimore should win. Houston is not a very good team, though its defense is fifth in yards allowed and its 11 sacks are tied for seventh most. C.J. Stroud has looked average, if not worse, over the past year or so, and isn’t off to a hot start. He’s beatable. This is as big of a must-win a game for the Ravens as I can remember. Patrice Sanders, FOX45 Morning News anchor Ravens 24, Texans 20: The Ravens are in unchartered territory losing two in a row. This game will certainly be tougher because of all of the injuries, but losing three in a row is just unheard of for the Ravens’ organization. They need this home game, and they need a win. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

Former Ravens defensive tackle Arthur Jones has died, the team announced Friday afternoon. Jones, 39, played for Baltimore from 2010 to 2013 and was a key part of their Super Bowl 47 championship team. He had a third-quarter sack on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick just before the lights went out at the Superdome in New Orleans and recovered a fumble in the second quarter of the 34-31 victory. He was also popular in the locker room and active in the Baltimore community. “We are terribly saddened to learn of Arthur Jones’ sudden passing,” general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. “Arthur’s presence was a gift to everyone he encountered. His big, bright smile, infectious energy and eternal positivity created a presence that continuously uplifted others. He was kind, courteous and enthusiastic — always displaying a love for family, teammates and friends.” No cause of death was announced. Baltimore drafted Jones in the fifth round out of Syracuse in 2010. In his second season, he appeared in 14 games (one start) and made 20 tackles. The following year, he played in all 16 games, starting six, and notched 4 1/2 sacks to go with 47 tackles and a forced fumble. In 2013, he had four sacks along with 53 tackles in 14 games (13 starts) and that offseason signed a five-year, $33 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts. But injuries and other issues quickly derailed his career in Indianapolis. Jones missed all of 2015 with an ankle injury. He was then suspended for the first four games of 2016 after violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Upon his return, Jones started eight straight games before being placed on injured reserve again, this time with a groin injury. The Colts released him in March 2017 and he signed with Washington in November of that year but was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury 10 days later. Jones announced his retirement at the end of that season. Related Articles Ravens QB Lamar Jackson ruled out; Cooper Rush will start vs. Texans Ravens injury report: Lamar Jackson, 3 key defenders ruled out vs. Texans Ravens vs. Texans scouting report for Week 5: Who has the edge? Ravens playoff odds: The projections are still confident in a 1-3 team What’s wrong with the Ravens’ offense? Start with the running game. A native of Rochester, New York, Jones finished his career with 10 sacks, 173 tackles and two forced fumbles in 64 games (31 starts) across seven seasons. Jones is the older brother of former UFC star Jon Jones and former NFL defensive end Chandler Jones, who played for the New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders. Their older sister, Carmen, was diagnosed with brain cancer and died at age 17 in 2000 when Arthur was in eighth grade. His son Arthur Jones IV, a defensive lineman in the 2028 recruiting class from Christian Brothers Academy in New York, recently received his first scholarship offer from Syracuse. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Rob Carr, Getty ImagesUFC fighter Jon Jones (left) jokes around with his brother, Ravens defensive end Arthur Jones, during a news conference.Baltimore Sun photo by Gene Sweeney Jr.Vonta Leach and Arthur Jones walk off the Paul Brown Stadium field after the Ravens' win.Lloyd Fox, Baltimore SunThe Ravens appear resigned to the fact that defensive lineman Arthur Jones will cost too much in free agency for them to bring him back.Baltimore Sun photo by Kenneth K. LamArthur Jones celebrates on the sideline as the Ravens' beat the Patriots.Christopher T. Assaf, Baltimore SunFrom left to right, Ravens defenders Corey Graham, Elvis Dumervil and Arthur Jones prepare for a play against the New York Jets.Lloyd Fox, Baltimore SunThe entire defense played with a lot of intensity. Haloti Ngata and Arthur Jones, pictured, were dominant up front for three quarters and got solid relief from backup Pernell McPhee. End Chris Canty has a presence sometimes, but there are times when he disappears. The Ravens have to get more pressure with their front four, and this group wore down in the fourth quarter. Grade CChristopher T. Assaf, Baltimore SunRavens defensive lineman Arthur Jones talks to teammates on the sideline after he sacked Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton in the fourth quarter.Lloyd Fox, Baltimore SunRavens defensive lineman Arthur Jones warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field.Algerina Perna, Baltimore SunRavens defensive lineman Arthur Jones, top, celebrates after sacking Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the first quarter.Algerina Perna, Baltimore SunRavens defensive lineman Arthur Jones, center, celebrates after sacking Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, right, in the first quarter.Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore SunRavens defensive lineman Arthur Jones, left, celebrates after sacking Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the first quarter.Lloyd Fox / Baltimore SunRavens defensive lineman Arthur Jones arrives at training camp.Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore SunRavens defensive end Arthur Jones talks with news media after second day of work out during mandatory minicamp.Show CaptionRob Carr, Getty Images1 of 13UFC fighter Jon Jones (left) jokes around with his brother, Ravens defensive end Arthur Jones, during a news conference.Expand View the full article

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was officially ruled out Friday for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium with a hamstring injury. The news comes three days after The Baltimore Sun first reported that the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player was unlikely to play and could also be sidelined for next week’s home game against the Los Angeles Rams depending on how he responds to treatment. It marks the first time that Jackson, who did not practice all week, will miss a game because of injury since 2022, when a knee injury kept him out of the the final five games of the regular season as well as a wild-card-round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. With Jackson sidelined, veteran and former Dallas Cowboys backup Cooper Rush will get the start. “It’s always a lot better when you get all of the reps in practice like that to prepare yourself for a game compared to a usual week when you are preparing and all that, but you don’t get those reps,” Rush said Friday. “Got a good plan being out there with the [starting] group and understanding the receivers and what they see and how they see it, and the tight ends and things like that, it was fun. “You always watch from behind there and Lamar and how they run it and try and replicate that and get a good feel for it.” The Ravens are also expected to elevate Tyler Huntley from the practice squad, and it’s possible that he could get on the field in some specific packages as well given his mobility. Rush, 31, however, will get the nod. He was signed this past offseason for a scenario such as this, with Baltimore having inked him to two-year, $6.5 million contract worth up to $12.2 million in March. His start also comes at a critical time for the Ravens, who have lost two straight and have already fallen two games behind the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers a month into the season. “They all feel like must wins,” said Rush, who filled in for an injured Dak Prescott last season. “It doesn’t feel any different. “Whenever a franchise QB goes down, it’s always a sky is falling feeling everywhere you are. It’s normal. If you have to go out there on Sunday and do what you got to do, it’s nice knowing you had a whole week to prep for it.” Last week, Rush relieved the injured Jackson in the third quarter of an eventual 37-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and completed 9 of 13 passes for 52 yards. Sunday will mark his first start since a 41-7 loss by Dallas in Week 17 last season to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. In that game, he completed 15 of 28 passes for 147 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Rush also faced the Texans in Week 11 last season. He completed 32 of 55 passes for 352 yards and a touchdown with one interception but was sacked five times in the 34-10 defeat. Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush, who signed in the offseason, will make his first start for Baltimore on Sunday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) In all, he appeared in 12 games for Dallas in 2024, including eight starts, and completed 60.7% of his passes for 1,844 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. An undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan in 2017, Rush spent seven seasons with the Cowboys and helped guide them to a 9-5 record in games that he started over three seasons. For his career, he has completed 60.9% of his passes for 3,515 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. What kind of success he can have against the Texans, though, remains to be seen. Houston (1-3) has the league’s top scoring defense (12.8 points per game) and is led by Pro Bowl edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., along with All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and linebackers Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o. The Ravens (1-3) have also struggled to find a rhythm with their offense and are dealing with several injuries, particularly on defense. No injury looms larger than Jackson’s, however. He is at the center of everything Baltimore does and through four games this season has completed a career-high 71.6% of his passes for 869 yards along with a NFL-best 10 touchdowns with just one interception. He has also rushed for 166 yards and another score on 21 carries. Related Articles Ravens injury report: Lamar Jackson, 5 key defenders miss final practice Ravens vs. Texans scouting report for Week 5: Who has the edge? Ravens playoff odds: The projections are still confident in a 1-3 team What’s wrong with the Ravens’ offense? Start with the running game. Ravens Week 4 high school football Coaches of the Week Being without the dynamic Jackson impacts what Baltimore can do with its play-calling as well, especially with run-pass option plays with Rush far less mobile than Jackson, who last season broke Michael Vick’s NFL record for most career rushing yards by a quarterback. “That’s a challenge, obviously [with] the type of player and leader that Lamar is and how much he means to us,” tight end Mark Andrews said. “The beautiful thing is that we have a lot of fighters in this group and a deep organization with a ton of players that are going to step up and make plays. I just have a lot of faith and trust in the guys.” As for what Rush brings, he is a prototypical drop-back passer. He is also apt to get rid of the ball quickly and has experience. “He was here the whole offseason, and you can see why he has been successful,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said Thursday of Rush, adding that the veteran is a consummate pro. “Everybody that you spoke to in Dallas … they loved him. He’s been as good as advertised.” Sunday will mark the 12th time that Jackson has missed a regular-season game because of injury or illness since he became the starting quarterback. In addition to 2022, he also missed five games in 2021 with a season-ending ankle injury and one game in 2020 because of COVID-19. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens’ final practice Friday ahead of Sunday’s Week 5 game against the Houston Texans brought more of the same bad news. Quarterback Lamar Jackson (hamstring) was one of several key players not on the field in Owings Mills during the portion open to the media. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player has not practiced all week after getting hurt in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and is not expected to play. Backup Cooper Rush is set to make his first start for Baltimore. Safety Kyle Hamilton (groin), middle linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring), cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) and Marlon Humphrey (calf) and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh (eye) were also absent from Friday’s practice. Smith, Humphrey and Awuzie haven’t practiced all week, and Hamilton was only a limited participant Wednesday. That could leave the Ravens without four defensive starters in addition to defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who was ruled out for the season with a neck injury. Fullback Patrick Ricard, who hasn’t practiced since mid-August with a calf injury, was also absent Friday. Coach John Harbaugh is expected to speak after practice, and an official injury report will be released later this afternoon. 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. View the full article

In any normal week, this exercise of delineating advantages between the Ravens and Texans would be an easy call. Favor would fall to Baltimore’s top-to-bottom more talented roster. This is, by no stretch, a normal week for the team in Owings Mills. Who will have the advantage when the 1-3 teams meet Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium? Ravens passing game vs. Texans pass defense The last time Cooper Rush started an NFL game was Dec. 29, 2024. He struggled mightily against the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles to conclude a 9-5 record over the past four years as a spot starter with the Cowboys. On Sunday, when he replaced the injured Lamar Jackson (hamstring), he completed 9 of 13 passes for 52 yards — an uneventful garbage time sample size. The lights get brighter Sunday, assuming he’s called on to start for the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player in a must-win AFC matchup. Coach John Harbaugh had this to say of his confidence in Rush: “Everybody kind of knows what his game is, and he can play that game.” Rush gets rid of the ball quickly and can be a solid pocket passer, a far cry from the offense under Jackson. Even with a bevy of playmakers around him, Rush might be charged with leading this Ravens offense against a Texans defense that leads the league points allowed (12.8 per game, 4 points fewer than the next best defense) and ranks fifth in yards allowed (280.5). After the Texans pitched their third shutout in franchise history last week, star defensive end Will Anderson Jr., who could be lined up opposite a backup left tackle Sunday, said “that’s the type of defense that we knew we had.” EDGE: Texans Texans passing game vs. Ravens pass defense Houston’s passing attack isn’t anything to write home about. Quarterback C.J. Stroud took a step back. Some of that can be attributed to a worse offensive line, a lack of a second option in the passing game after Nico Collins and what has been a slow ramp-up running game. The Texans are bottom-10 in passing yards per game (185.3) and fourth-to-last in points per game (16.0). There are 17 quarterbacks with more passing yards than Stroud and 21 with more passing touchdowns. Last week’s win over Tennessee at least showed something to build on. Still, it’s hard to picture the Ravens’ secondary holding up without All-Pros Kyle Hamilton or Marlon Humphrey. Chidobe Awuzie, who has been one of Baltimore’s more consistent defensive backs thus far, also hasn’t practiced this week. They’re a depleted group among a decimated unit. But before the slew of injuries, no team allowed more points per game than the Ravens. Coming off Week 4, Houston took a step forward and the Ravens took two steps back. EDGE: Texans Ravens running game vs. Texans run defense ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky has taken a baseball bat to the Ravens this week, at one point calling them “broken.” One observation, which even Orlovsky said shocked him, was Baltimore’s propensity to shy away from its bell cow back on early downs. The Ravens rank last in the league when it comes to giving the ball to their running back on first or second down. But when they do hand the ball off there, most often to Derrick Henry, they’re second in yards per carry. Henry has 284 rushing yards on 49 carries through four games, with as many touchdowns as fumbles (3). Houston, meanwhile, hasn’t allowed one running back to go for more than 71 yards. Although Henry’s history against the Texans would like a word. In 15 career games versus Houston, the former Titans star has 280 carries for 1,578 yards with 13 touchdowns. When the Ravens and Texans matched up last year on Christmas, Henry clocked 147 yards on 27 carries. With Rush under center, expect Henry, who hasn’t been a world-beater this year, to get the ball a lot. EDGE: Ravens Texans running game vs. Ravens run defense Baltimore’s interior defensive line has been its most banged up positional group. Nnamdi Madubuike is out of the season with a neck injury. Broderick Washington Jr. (ankle) is on the injured list for another three weeks. And Travis Jones missed Sunday’s game in Kansas City because of a knee injury that has limited his practice availability. A group that was already near the bottom of the league in run defense suddenly lost its entire core trio — and at least two of three for a significant period of time. A veteran, rookie and two practice squad elevations will be in charge of plugging a solid running back duo if Jones can’t play. Nick Chubb brings name recognition to the backfield but is having a down year overall, averaging 4.0 yards per carry, which is well below his career average. Rookie Woody Marks is picking up the slack, having gashed the Titans for 119 total yards and a pair of touchdowns. You might think, well, it’s the Titans. There are two teams in the NFL who have allowed a league-most seven rushing touchdowns: the Ravens and Titans. Here’s what Texans coach DeMeco Ryans had to say about Marks: “Some of the runs he made, making guys miss in the hole, playing physical on some of our short yardage runs, him being able to get downhill in the passing game, not just catching the ball and running, but the protection. He had some really good protection clips as well. I thought overall he had a really outstanding game. For a rookie to step in and play the way that he played, really proud of what he did. He sparked a lot of excitement for us, offensively, for our team.” EDGE: Texans Ravens special teams vs. Texans special teams If there’s one aspect of the Ravens that doesn’t seem to need immediate or drastic help, it’s the special teams unit. Rookie kicker Tyler Loop has been perfect on field goal attempts, including 1-for-1 from 50-plus, with a single missed extra point attempt in Week 1. The one question for special teams coordinator Chris Horton is how the laundry list of injuries impacts his unit. “It’s like a trickle-down effect,” he said. “To me, the message is, it’s very simple. You get a lot of guys that ask for opportunities. You get a lot of guys that want to play, right? Well, here’s your moment; here’s your opportunity.” Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn has been a tick below perfect (8-for-10) on field goal tries. He’s also missed 2 of 7 attempts from 50-plus, one in each the past two weeks. He’s perfect on extra point tries. Fairbairn — whose full name is John Christian Ka’iminoeauloameka’ikeokekumupa’a Fairbairn — is a nine-year veteran who has been called on for far more big kicks than Loop. Both kickers are off to good starts this season. If this game turns into a slog, Fairbairn’s resume has the edge. EDGE: Texans Related Articles Ravens playoff odds: The projections are still confident in a 1-3 team What’s wrong with the Ravens’ offense? Start with the running game. Ravens Week 4 high school football Coaches of the Week Ravens’ Zach Orr knows it’s now or never for defense: ‘Hit people harder’ Ravens injury report: Lamar Jackson, Kyle Hamilton missing from practice Ravens intangibles vs. Texans intangibles Brian Clough, widely considered one of the greatest English soccer managers ever, once said, “We had a good team on paper. Unfortunately, the game was played on grass.” There’s no doubt that the Ravens enter the weekend with a more talented roster. But this must-win game, played on grass without a few big names from that piece of paper, will test Baltimore’s depth. There were 15 players from the 53-man roster on the injury report this week. Eleven of them are starters. Can Rush challenge a stout Texans defense? Can Baltimore’s cornerback depth and cobbled-together defensive line stand up to an offense trending in the right direction? EDGE: Texans Prediction Sure, they could do it. But it’s disingenuous to pick the Ravens. The Texans have the best defense in the NFL and the Ravens are trotting out a backup quarterback to operate an offense that has already endured confounding stretches of rhythm-less play. Houston’s offense is a respectable group that, even with its faults, looks to be moving in the right direction while Baltimore is reeling from one injury after another. The Ravens’ season will be on life support by Sunday night (if it isn’t already). What once looked to be the perfect get-right opportunity for the season now seems destined to bury the Ravens into a 1-4 hole. Texans 21, Ravens 13. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article