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Either the Ravens or Chiefs — two juggernauts of the AFC — will wake up Monday morning with a 1-3 record, a steep hill to climb but a long season to do it. Baltimore hasn’t won at Arrowhead Stadium in the Lamar Jackson era. Could Sunday be different? Who will have the advantage in this all-important Week 4 meeting? Ravens passing game vs. Chiefs pass defense Worries about the offensive line have suddenly trumped Jackson’s historic passing numbers. The Ravens megawatt quarterback has the best career passer rating in NFL history while leading the league in passing touchdowns (9) and yards per pass attempt (9.6). But him taking seven sacks against the Lions raises an eyebrow. Superman can’t always be Superman. Sometimes he needs to be Clark Kent, with a little help from the Justice League. It’s that much tougher when his average time to throw declined from second best in the NFL last year (2.92 seconds) to 11th (2.76), according to SumerSports. Jackson’s response to leading the league in scoring with a 1-2 record, on the back of an unreliable defense and shoddy offensive line play, was that they need to “put more points on the board.” Kansas City is a middle-of-the-pack team in most defensive categories. With losses to the Chargers and Eagles, the Chiefs haven’t appeared to be the dominant force they’ve been in their recent dynasty. But defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo knows how to make Jackson uncomfortable, pouring on man coverage and blitz packages that tend to force turnovers. That’s how mistakes, the kind that have plagued the Ravens’ offense this year, snowball. EDGE: Chiefs Chiefs passing game vs. Ravens pass defense Surprisingly, this might belong to Baltimore’s secondary. Not because they’ve inspired such overwhelming confidence — although Nate Wiggins and Chidobe Awuzie have both looked sharp at corner — but because there’s a dullness to Kansas City’s offense that few expected. If Mahomes isn’t pulling a rabbit out of a hat, the offense looks more like an overcast September evening — not quite warm enough and a bit of an uncomfortable watch. According to The Guardian, 65% of Mahomes’ throws this year have been below 10 yards and he’s getting rid of the ball a full half-second quicker than his career average. That opens the door for a confidence-boosting effort out of the Ravens’ secondary, which ranks 31st in net passing yards per game. They have one interception and haven’t walled up in the red zone. But Baltimore’s back end is far more talented than they’ve shown. As Kyle Hamilton said Monday night, and again Thursday afternoon, “the sky isn’t falling.” It’s not a philosophy issue or personnel issue like it was last year. “I think it hurts a little more when you come out like that and it’s not characteristic,” he said. A vulnerable Kansas City passing attack might be just what the Ravens need. EDGE: Ravens Ravens running game vs. Chiefs run defense Since joining the Ravens, there have been times when Derrick Henry looks upset (like after any tough loss) and there have been times where he’s all smiles (remember when he eviscerated the Bills in Week 4 last year?). Monday night might have been the first time he faced the cameras so distraught. Never in his Hall-of-Fame-worthy career has Henry fumbled the ball so frequently. Embarrassed to even have the discussion, he has apologized profusely and promised to make the necessary corrections. Even if he holds the ball “high and tight,” the Chiefs haven’t allowed any running back this year go for more than 88 yards. Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 2,000 yards last year, couldn’t break off a run for more than 13 yards with 22 chances. Henry hasn’t bludgeoned an opposing offense since Week 1 in Buffalo, and even then he let the ball touch the ground in a crucial spot. Sunday might not be the one to ease his pain, but Henry knows as well as anyone how important the matchup is: “It is a huge game. … You live for big games like that.” EDGE: Chiefs Chiefs running game vs. Ravens run defense Unsurprisingly, the Chiefs’ ground game starts with Mahomes, who leads the league in quarterback rushing yards (125). The three-time Super Bowl champion is averaging 6.9 yards per carry, the highest mark of his career. That, plus the complementary contributions of running backs Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, is the challenge that lies ahead for a beat-up Ravens front. All-Pro Nnamdi Madubuike is out with a neck injury, fellow starting defensive tackle Travis Jones is dinged up (he was limited during Thursday’s practice), next man up Broderick Washington hasn’t practiced this week and veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy is still on the shelf with a hamstring injury. The Chiefs don’t pose the same ground power as the Lions, who gashed Baltimore for more than 220 yards on the ground thanks to Sonic and Knuckles. But Mahomes and company could make life difficult for a reeling defense. EDGE: Chiefs Related Articles The Ravens’ defense is struggling. Advanced stats paint an ugly picture. Mike Preston: It’s put up or shut up time for Ravens’ defense | COMMENTARY Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes is one-sided. The Ravens QB doesn’t care. Ravens Week 3 high school football Coaches of the Week Kyle Hamilton defends Zach Orr: ‘Ravens fans can be a little bit spoiled’ Ravens special teams vs. Chiefs special teams Kansas City’s Harrison Butker isn’t the world beater he has been in recent years. In nine field goal attempts, Butker has a miss from 40 yards and 50-plus. Butker also two extra point misses, tied for most in the NFL. Tyler Loop, on the other hand, is a perfect 5-for-5 on field goal attempts with one missed extra point try. The Ravens rookie’s biggest hitch this season has been his league-leading penalties on kickoffs — an experiment with the new rule that has assisted in three touchdowns for opposing teams. If this game comes down to the battle of the kickers, between a rookie or the vet, a three-week sample size favors Loop. EDGE: Ravens Ravens intangibles vs. Chiefs intangibles Consider this: The Jackson-led Ravens are 1-5 against the Chiefs and have never beat this decade’s dynasty in Kansas City. In those games, Jackson’s completion rate (57.3%) and passer rating (80.7) plummet from his career averages of 65.1% and 103.1. Jackson’s touchdown-to-turnover ratio is 9 to 7. For his career, the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player has thrown more than three times as many touchdowns as he has interceptions. Jackson has thrown nine touchdown passes this season without a single interception. No defense tends to keep the mystifying scrambler in check like Kansas City. In this star-studded quarterback battle, it’s more likely Mahomes has a field day opposite the Ravens’ defense than Jackson does versus Spagnuolo’s brain child. “It will be a great test for us,” Mahomes told reporters, “to go up against a team that’s going to be as hungry as we are.” EDGE: Chiefs Prediction Neither team has lived up to their stratospheric expectations, with both below .500 in desperate need of a respectable win. Based on the history between these teams, the propensity for Spagnuolo to keep Jackson guessing and how downtrodden Baltimore’s defense is going into Arrowhead Stadium, expect the Chiefs to edge this one out. As has been the case with every Ravens game this season, it should be a high-scoring affair. The Ravens lead the league with 37 points per game, but they’ve also allowed the second most points (32). Mahomes’ eyes are as wide as they’ve been all season. Chiefs 31, Ravens 24. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

If the Ravens don’t improve their run defense, they won’t go deep into the postseason. It’s really that simple. The Detroit Lions showed that Monday night in their 38-30 win against Baltimore. With a dominant running game that produced 224 yards on 38 carries, the Lions had a seven-minute advantage in time of possession and kept quarterback Lamar Jackson and his high-powered offense off the field. Detroit also had touchdown drives of 67, 98, 60, 96 and 70 yards. The 98-yard march at the end of the first quarter lasted more than 10 minutes. Ouch. It was tough to watch, and even more painful for the Ravens’ defensive line and inside linebackers. Not since John Harbaugh became the coach in 2008 has a Ravens team been so dominated on both sides of the ball. “There’s a lot of really simple things that we didn’t do very well at times,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll have the same play, really against the same defense, two different times, and one time it’s no gain, because we’re pretty much exactly where we’re supposed to be, and another time we’re not where we’re supposed to be. Part of it is just trying to do too much sometimes. Sometimes we try to do more than our job, and that’s not really required. “Playing with a little more calmness and belief in the whole structure and the 10 guys around you, and then also tackling in the back end; that’s the other thing. Those runs, they shouldn’t go to what they did. Those runs should be tackled [after] 8 to 10 yards if they break through the line, and we’re focusing on that as well.” The Ravens play Kansas City on Sunday and Chiefs coach Andy Reid has to be looking at the Ravens’ past three games and licking his chops. Kansas City’s offensive line isn’t as powerful as Detroit’s, but the Chiefs have a featured running back in Isiah Pacheco and Kansas City is averaging 108.7 rushing yards per game. So, let’s be honest: Pacheco and backup Kareem Hunt will test the Ravens, who are ranked No. 30 in run defense allowing 149 yards per game. That’s an absurd amount. You can’t win in the NFL like that. Actually, you can’t win in recreation, Pop Warner, high school, semi-pro or the Canadian Football League in that fashion. In football, first down is the most important of them all, so the Ravens might want to stack the line of scrimmage and also swallow a bunch of mean pills. Why not add safety Kyle Hamilton or nickel back Marlon Humphrey in the box? At least try something. Almost anything. Ravens nose tackle John Jenkins pushes past Josh Tupou during practice. Baltimore added Tupou to the practice squad this week to bolster its defensive line. (Surya Vaidy/Staff) The Ravens tried several different combinations against the Lions, but they weren’t the Browns. Cleveland does a good job of loading up with six players near the line of scrimmage, but it also has mobile linebackers and two strong cornerbacks in Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II. The Ravens have Nate Wiggins at cornerback and … well, Nate Wiggins. What’s really missing is a defensive end with a strong motor like Myles Garrett or Aidan Hutchinson, players who are relentless in pursuit while chasing down runners to the other side of the field. The Ravens have been missing end Nnamdi Madubuike, who has been out for the past two weeks with a neck injury, but please don’t mistake him for Reggie White or Mean Joe Greene, two tackles who could devour offensive linemen and ball carriers at the same time in the middle of the field. Even with Madubuike in the lineup, the Ravens allowed a lot of rushing yards. They gave up 147 in the 27-25 playoff loss to the Bills last January. Besides Detroit, even Cleveland rushed for 115 yards on 22 carries in a 41-17 loss to Baltimore. One of Harbaugh’s strengths is his ability to rally his team after a tough loss. There is probably some doubt around The Castle as well about second-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr. But maybe both Orr and Harbaugh need to challenge the players. It isn’t always about schemes, but being more physical. Tackle Travis Jones is playing for a new contract extension but had only one tackle against the Lions. Outside linebackers Tavius Robinson and Odafe Oweh combined for five, but a lot of those were off the line of scrimmage. Where was middle linebacker Roquan Smith? A week ago, he had 15 tackles against the Browns’ weak offensive line. He had seven versus Detroit, but he was a no-show. If you look back at some of the best defenses in NFL history, they all had great middle linebackers like Mike Singletary with the 1985 Chicago Bears or Ray Lewis with the 2000 Ravens. Even though the NFL has become a pass-happy league, the middle linebacker still has to be able to shock and shed. It’s old school, but still appropriate. Smith didn’t do either against Detroit. It’s true that the Ravens don’t have a dominant pass rusher, but stopping the run is a priority because it sets up the play-action and deep passing game. If you don’t believe that, ask Jackson, who was sacked seven times by the Lions while halfback Derrick Henry rushed only 12 times for 50 yards. Related Articles The Ravens’ defense is struggling. Advanced stats paint an ugly picture. Ravens vs. Chiefs scouting report for Week 4: Who has the edge? Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes is one-sided. The Ravens QB doesn’t care. Ravens Week 3 high school football Coaches of the Week Kyle Hamilton defends Zach Orr: ‘Ravens fans can be a little bit spoiled’ Jackson and this offense have to be on the field as much as possible. You do that by not allowing 4.9 yards a carry. You do that by not allowing 447 rushing yards in three games and holding the opposition to second- and third-and-long as much as possible. These defensive players talked in the offseason about forcing turnovers and returning this franchise to its glory years when the Ravens had perhaps the best defense ever in 2000. “It’s a combination of us not doing our jobs,” Orr said. “We got to play better, I got to coach better. It wasn’t one particular person, one particular group, it was guys with a mis-step or a slow step in certain areas, on certain plays. “But what has happened has happened. Are we frustrated? Yes, but what are we going to do about it?” It starts with shutting down the run, something this group has failed to do since the end of last season. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes. It is, contextually, at least adjacent to some of the greatest one-on-one showdowns across the history of the sporting landscape, from Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier to Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal to Arnold Palmer vs. Jack Nicklaus. The biggest difference, of course, is that the two quarterbacks play a team sport, with the Ravens traveling to Arrowhead Stadium to face the defending AFC champion and nemesis Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon for a blockbuster but also critical showdown. Both teams enter the contest 1-2 with questions over identity and wherewithal in what is still a young NFL season yet to reach the quarter pole. For the Chiefs, an uneasiness has percolated over a struggling offense, which ranks 17th in the league, just behind the Las Vegas Raiders and just ahead of the Seattle Seahawks. The impending return of speedy second-year wideout Xavier Worthy from injury this week and the currently suspended Rashee Rice in a few more should assuage at least some of those concerns. For Baltimore, the disquietude is a bit more penetrating. Whether it has been a leaky defense, a spate of significant injuries or an atypical string of fumbles by future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Derrick Henry, the start to what is expected to be a Super Bowl contending year has gotten off to a shaky beginning. Still, none of that diminishes the fact that two generational players will be going mano a mano for the seventh time in their careers in an electric setting, with each hoping to lead his team to an all-important win. Aside from the obvious difference between the two men being three Super Bowl titles for Mahomes and nary even an appearance in the season’s final game for Jackson, the Ravens are just 1-5 (including playoffs) against the Chiefs during Jackson’s tenure. That includes an 0-3 mark at Arrowhead. The difference in performance between the two players in the one-sided rivalry is just as stark as the record. In those six contests, Jackson, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, has been reduced to 204.4 passing yards per game (though he has managed 71.4 rushing) and nine total touchdowns against seven turnovers. By comparison, Mahomes, also a two-time league MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP, has averaged 344 passing yards, a 72.7% completion rate, 50 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns against just three turnovers. Not that Jackson has any particular interest in previous iterations. “It’s in the past,” he said Wednesday. “You can’t bring what happened back whenever to this year.” This year, Jackson has been his mostly elite self. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws the ball away under pressure from former Ravens edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney in the 2023 AFC Championship. Mahomes is 5-1 against Lamar Jackson's Ravens in his career. (Staff file) He leads in the NFL in passer rating (141.8), touchdown passes (nine) and yards per completion (9.6). Consequently, Baltimore leads the league in points per game (37), which includes two outbursts of at least 40 points, though the Ravens have struggled in the red zone (54.5%), ranking just 17th. This is not lost on a Chiefs defense that ranks 11th in yards allowed per game (297) but has been more vulnerable against the run (114), ranking 18th. “Any play in the game, he can change the dynamic of it,” Kansas City’s star edge rusher Chris Jones said of Jackson this week. “Trying to stop Lamar is one thing. Trying to contain him is another. … I think he should’ve won MVP last year. I’ve got so much respect for him.” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has also had answers. “[They] play Cover 0, Cover 6 sometimes, quarters, invert [Cover] 2,” Jackson said. “They do it all, but we just have to execute, stay positive and ahead of the sticks, get first downs [and] put points on the board.” That was easier said than done this past Monday night against the Detroit Lions, who deployed a spy on Jackson and used a series of stunts to sack him seven times, tying a career high. Against the Chiefs, Jackson has just an 80.7 career passer rating, well below his NFL-best career mark of 103.1. He has also been sacked 11 times in those games. “It’s a little bit more of a controlled rush,” Spagnuolo told reporters this week. “When trying to tackle and sack [Lamar] he’s so elusive, that if you are out of control, you aren’t going to get him because he knows how to side step you and has a great stiff arm.” Mahomes this season, meanwhile, has gotten off to a slower start. He has completed just 59% of his passes for 669 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. He has, however, run for 125 yards to lead all quarterbacks. Related Articles The Ravens’ defense is struggling. Advanced stats paint an ugly picture. Ravens vs. Chiefs scouting report for Week 4: Who has the edge? Mike Preston: It’s put up or shut up time for Ravens’ defense | COMMENTARY Ravens Week 3 high school football Coaches of the Week Kyle Hamilton defends Zach Orr: ‘Ravens fans can be a little bit spoiled’ “Has he evolved? It seems like he’s always been great,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “I can’t remember a time that he wasn’t Patrick Mahomes. He’s the same quarterback to me. “When you try to defend him, it’s the same issues. He’s just capable of making incredible plays. I think they build the offense around him really well. It’s also a well-principled offense, in terms of just fundamental football and all that. It’s built for the quarterback, and the quarterback operates really well in it. Obviously, he’s just talented and makes a bunch of plays, and we’re going to have to deal with it.” There’s history that the loser of this game will have to deal with, too. No team has reached the Super Bowl after starting 1-3 since the 2001 New England Patriots. Barring a tie, the Ravens or Chiefs will be faced with trying to overcome that steep climb come Sunday night. But Jackson isn’t concerned with slow starts from previous years. “I don’t really care about what happened in the past,” he said. “I’ll be mad about the situation — don’t get me wrong — when it happens, but we’ve got to get ready for the Chiefs. We can’t dwell on old history. We have to worry about what’s going on now.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Each week during the high school football season, The Baltimore Sun and the Baltimore Ravens will select one tackle football and one girls flag football Coach of the Week. Here are the winners for Week 3: Tackle football Collin Delauter, Middletown: Delauter leads a strong Frederick County program in Middletown with a rich tradition. The Knights improved to 3-0 and earned their first win over Oakdale since 2021 behind a stout defense that is allowing just nine points per game. They’ll take on Frederick on Friday as they look to stay unbeaten. Girls flag football Justin Marshall, Gov. Thomas Johnson: Under Marshall, who is in his third season, the Patriots are 3-1 and have outscored opponents 97-6 amid their three-game winning streak. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. Related Articles The Ravens’ defense is struggling. Advanced stats paint an ugly picture. Ravens vs. Chiefs scouting report for Week 4: Who has the edge? Mike Preston: It’s put up or shut up time for Ravens’ defense | COMMENTARY Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes is one-sided. The Ravens QB doesn’t care. Kyle Hamilton defends Zach Orr: ‘Ravens fans can be a little bit spoiled’ View the full article

Through the first three games of the NFL season, the Ravens have fielded one of the worst defenses in the league. Baltimore is ranked second-to-last in points allowed per game (32) and last in yards allowed per game (415). Just two seasons ago, with much of the same personnel, the Ravens became the first team to win the defensive triple crown, leading the league in sacks, takeaways and points allowed. Much of the criticism from outside the building has fallen to defensive coordinator Zach Orr, who is in just his second year calling a defense at any level. But to put it all on the 33-year-old former Ravens linebacker, safety Kyle Hamilton said, isn’t fair. “Whatever criticism he’s getting, I don’t know, sometimes I feel like Ravens fans can be a little bit spoiled [with] just the amount of success that this franchise has had,” the All-Pro said. “We lose five games and the world’s about to end. “It’s unfair to put all the blame on him when there’s 11 guys out there on the field that are playing their hearts off and he’s put us in the right positions. It’s just a matter of us doing the right stuff.” So far, it’s gone wrong in several and unusual ways. After ranking first in red zone defense last season, the Ravens are 28th this season, allowing opponents to score a touchdown 78.57% of the time. After ranking first in run defense in 2024, allowing 80.1 yards per game, they are 30th this year, allowing 149 rushing yards per game. That included a backbreaking 224 in a 38-30 loss at home to the Detroit Lions on Monday night. “I don’t think last game is who we are,” said Hamilton, who pointed to a lack of tackling and physicality. “It hurts a little more when you come out like that.” Injuries have played a factor, too. Baltimore is without Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) for the foreseeable future. Pro Bowl outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) also missed Monday night’s game. There have been other problems, though, too. Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr speaks with media before the team's Week 3 loss to the Lions. Orr's defense allowed 38 points and 224 rushing yards in a loss to Detroit. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Orr acknowledged that the loss to the Lions was a combination of scheme and putting players in position to succeed and execution. He also acknowledged that coach John Harbaugh saying that the defense was at times trying to do too much was a fair assessment. With a short week, Orr added that he can’t afford to dwell on it. On Wednesday, coaches packed two days of work into one, spending the first half of the day reviewing film from the Lions game to “get stuff right” and the second half of the day focused on this week’s opponent, the Chiefs, who are 5-1 against the Ravens (including playoffs) during quarterback Lamar Jackson’s tenure. That includes a perfect 3-0 mark at Arrowhead Stadium. “What’s happened has happened. Nothing we can change about it,” Orr said, adding that not being on social media has helped him block out outside criticism. “Do we like it? No. Are we frustrated about it? Yes. But it’s about what we do going forward. Can’t change the past and adversity is gonna hit. Unfortunately, it’s hit us again in this aspect. But what are we gonna do about it? You either sulk and let it get you down and lay in it, or you pick yourself up and figure it out.” Related Articles Ravens injury report: Defensive line gets some good news Staff picks for Week 4 of 2025 NFL season: Eagles vs. Buccaneers, Packers vs. Cowboys and more Why does Ravens’ Tyler Loop keep getting penalized for kickoffs? Ravens’ pass rush is missing, and Chiefs’ Mahomes is waiting | COMMENTARY Ravens’ Derrick Henry: ‘Working as hard as I can’ to fix fumble issues It’s also a familiar position. Last year, the Ravens began the season 1-2 and went on to win the AFC North. The road to recovery is even harder now, though, at least in the short term with the Chiefs on Sunday and a game against the Los Angeles Rams, a playoff team from last season, two weeks later at M&T Bank Stadium. “I feel like we’ve given ourselves the hardest path these past couple years,” Hamilton said. “But we ended up in a good spot last year. I feel like if we get it corrected even sooner this year, we’ll be in a better spot. “The sky’s not falling, so we’ll be alright.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens’ banged-up defense got some good news Thursday. Defensive tackle Travis Jones returned to practice after missing Wednesday’s walk-through with a knee injury. Meanwhile, outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy was running on a side field during the portion open to the media. Van Noy hasn’t practiced since injuring his hamstring in a Week 2 win over the Cleveland Browns. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (neck), fullback Patrick Ricard (calf), left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) and Broderick Washington (ankle) were absent for the second straight day. Madubuike has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs by coach John Harbaugh. The Ravens bolstered their banged-up defensive line Wednesday by signing Taven Bryan and Josh Tupou to the practice squad. Harbaugh said Wednesday that Jones and Washington are “nursing some things” and was optimistic about them being available Sunday. The 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

Baltimore Sun staff writers and FOX45’s Patrice Sanders pick every game of the NFL season. Here’s who they have winning in Week 4: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (Thursday, 8:15 p.m.) Brian Wacker (10-6 last week, 34-14 overall): Seahawks Sam Cohn (10-6 last week, 36-12 overall): Seahawks Mike Preston (12-4 last week, 35-13 overall): Cardinals Josh Tolentino (13-3 last week, 36-12 overall): Seahawks C.J. Doon (10-6 last week, 32-16 overall): Seahawks Bennett Conlin (8-8 last week, 32-16 overall): Seahawks Tim Schwartz (8-8 last week, 31-17 overall): Seahawks Patrice Sanders (10-6 last week, 32-16 overall): Seahawks Minnesota Vikings vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday, 9:30 a.m.) Wacker: Steelers Cohn: Steelers Preston: Steelers Tolentino: Steelers Doon: Vikings Conlin: Vikings Schwartz: Steelers Sanders: Vikings Washington Commanders at Atlanta Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Commanders Cohn: Commanders Preston: Commanders Tolentino: Commanders Doon: Commanders Conlin: Commanders Schwartz: Commanders Sanders: Commanders New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Bills Cohn: Bills Preston: Bills Tolentino: Bills Doon: Bills Conlin: Bills Schwartz: Bills Sanders: Bills Cleveland Browns at Detroit Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Lions Cohn: Lions Preston: Lions Tolentino: Lions Doon: Lions Conlin: Lions Schwartz: Lions Sanders: Lions Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Texans Cohn: Texans Preston: Texans Tolentino: Texans Doon: Texans Conlin: Texans Schwartz: Texans Sanders: Texans Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Patriots Cohn: Patriots Preston: Patriots Tolentino: Patriots Doon: Patriots Conlin: Patriots Schwartz: Patriots Sanders: Patriots Los Angeles Chargers at New York Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Chargers Cohn: Chargers Preston: Chargers Tolentino: Chargers Doon: Chargers Conlin: Chargers Schwartz: Chargers Sanders: Chargers Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Eagles Cohn: Buccaneers Preston: Eagles Tolentino: Buccaneers Doon: Eagles Conlin: Eagles Schwartz: Buccaneers Sanders: Buccaneers Indianapolis Colts at Los Angeles Rams (Sunday, 4:05 p.m.) Wacker: Rams Cohn: Rams Preston: Rams Tolentino: Rams Doon: Colts Conlin: Rams Schwartz: Colts Sanders: Rams Jacksonville Jaguars at San Francisco 49ers (Sunday, 4:05 p.m.) Wacker: 49ers Cohn: Jaguars Preston: 49ers Tolentino: 49ers Doon: 49ers Conlin: 49ers Schwartz: 49ers Sanders: 49ers Chicago Bears at Las Vegas Raiders (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.) Wacker: Bears Cohn: Bears Preston: Bears Tolentino: Bears Doon: Bears Conlin: Bears Schwartz: Bears Sanders: Bears Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys (Sunday, 8:20 p.m.) Wacker: Packers Cohn: Packers Preston: Packers Tolentino: Packers Doon: Packers Conlin: Packers Schwartz: Packers Sanders: Packers New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (Monday, 7:15 p.m.) Wacker: Dolphins Cohn: Jets Preston: Dolphins Tolentino: Dolphins Doon: Jets Conlin: Jets Schwartz: Jets Sanders: Dolphins Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos (Monday, 8:15 p.m.) Wacker: Broncos Cohn: Broncos Preston: Broncos Tolentino: Broncos Doon: Broncos Conlin: Broncos Schwartz: Broncos Sanders: Broncos Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

In late 2023, NFL executive vice president of officiating Troy Vincent infamously called kickoffs a “dead, ceremonial play.” The league has spent the past two years trying to resuscitate it. Enter dynamic kickoffs and the “landing zone.” No NFL kicker has struggled more with the changes than Ravens rookie Tyler Loop, who, when asked about it, didn’t seem overly concerned. Start with the rules: Any kickoff that drops between the goal line and the 20-yard line must be returned. Kickoffs that hit within the landing zone and then are downed in the end zone award the offense the ball at the 20-yard line. A ball landing in the end zone for a touchback puts the receiving team at the 35. And anything shy of the 20-yard landing zone gifts the opposing offense a drive starting at the 40-yard line. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that it will bring kickoffs back to a “relevant play,” and Ravens coach John Harbaugh argued that it’s “better than 12 touchbacks a game.” Of the 32 NFL teams, 24 haven’t had any issues adjusting. Seven have been flagged for one kick short of the landing zone this season. Loop leads the league with three in three games and a fourth penalty for a kick that dribbled out of bounds, which he took onus for and Harbaugh insisted “shouldn’t happen.” “I wouldn’t say it’s annoying or frustrating,” Loop said, specifically of the landing zone flags. “It’s a learning curve.” Loop explained his high penalty count as the special teamers in Baltimore experiment with how to best approach the new play. Those kicks that look like a screwball, he said, “we call them dirty balls.” By hitting the ground early with an unpredictable bounce, kickers can maybe delay the returner’s start and pin an offense back even farther. Easier said than done. “You’re trying to hit an oblong ball in a way that it rotates funny,” Loop said, “it’s hard to have a consistent rotation on it.” League-wide touchback rates nosedived from 65.5% last season to below 20% in 2025. It’s created much more variability for both sides of the play. Loop’s specialty is his strong leg, which would have been perfect for the days when kickers could mindlessly boom it through the back of the end zone. Now, “hang time’s irrelevant and distance is irrelevant,” Bills kicker Matt Prater told reporters. “So for young strong guys, I think it takes away their strengths.” Three of Loop’s four penalized kicks have resulted in touchdown drives for the other team: twice in Buffalo and once versus Detroit. The short kickoff against Cleveland was turned around by Nate Wiggins’ interception. Related Articles Staff picks for Week 4 of 2025 NFL season: Eagles vs. Buccaneers, Packers vs. Cowboys and more Ravens’ pass rush is missing, and Chiefs’ Mahomes is waiting | COMMENTARY Ravens’ Derrick Henry: ‘Working as hard as I can’ to fix fumble issues Ravens ‘concerned’ as Nnamdi Madubuike is ruled out again with neck injury Ravens injury report: 4 key defenders among long list of absences “I think we’ll be able to get those out of our system pretty quickly,” Ravens special teams coordinator Chris Horton said. He agreed that anything shy of the landing zone this early in the season they’re deeming “experimental kicks.” Take the two kicks versus Cleveland, for example. The first landed at the Browns’ 21-yard line, 36 inches from the landing zone. Two quarters later, Loop’s attempt touched down at the 9-yard line, then skipped out of bounds. But the swing mechanics — Horton said that Loop knows what he’s trying before leaving the sideline — were the same on both attempts. One just died down earlier. The whole calculus of a kickoff changed with the new rule. As Harbaugh put it, teams have more incentive to put the ball on the ground and try to get it to wiggle to the corner. Either that or “make it bounce” so that the kicking team gets a head start. The alternative, which has plagued the Ravens more than any other team, is a mistake that puts the opposing offense near midfield, one chunk play from field goal range. “We’re trying a lot of new things trying to figure that out,” Loop said. “But the one thing we did talk about is like, if we’re trying that and it goes 1 or 2 yards in the end zone or 2 yards short of the landing zone, it’s kind of the cost of doing business.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

The Ravens will walk into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday carrying a problem that could define their season. Baltimore’s pass rush is missing in action. The NFL’s worst-ranked defense’s next assignment: Patrick Mahomes. Just a few days ago, Detroit’s Jared Goff stood tall without taking a single sack or even much pressure. The Ravens’ battered front barely forced him to shuffle his feet. If Baltimore couldn’t rattle Goff, how will it disrupt one of the most gifted quarterbacks in league history? “We’ll be OK,” coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday. “I’m not worried about our defense. Bitterly disappointed, sure. But we will be ready to play. I promise you.” Kansas City will demand more than reassurance. The absences of top pressure producers Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) didn’t help against the Lions. But there’s no time to feel sorry for this group because the attrition keeps piling up. On Wednesday, the entire starting interior defensive line, featuring Madubuike, Broderick Washington (ankle) and Travis Jones (knee), plus Van Noy, missed a walk-through practice with injuries. Here’s the crueler truth: the Ravens haven’t even earned the right to rush the passer. Through three weeks they own the league’s worst-ranked defense, surrendering a staggering 415 yards per game. Coordinator Zach Orr’s unit ranks 31st in pass defense (266.3 yards) and 30th in run defense (149). Until Baltimore proves it can stop getting gashed, the Ravens’ pass rush will remain nonexistent. That’s a dangerous formula against Mahomes, the three-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player and two-time NFL MVP. History shows that the only reliable way to beat the Chiefs is to make him uncomfortable. The Eagles gave the league a blueprint in Super Bowl LIX, when wave after wave of rushers forced Mahomes to hurry, hit him repeatedly and dictated tempo. Mahomes suffered a career-high six sacks in the 40-22 defeat. Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs runs away from Ravens outside linebacker Mike Green to score a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter of a 38-30 Lions win. The Ravens' inability to stop the run has been a glaring issue to start the season. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Championship defenses often share that DNA, the ability to create consistent and effective pressure with four rushers. The Ravens, a hyped group that entered the season as favorites to win the Super Bowl, are nowhere near that level right now. These early stumbles only tighten the race for the AFC’s top seed, the golden ticket to a first-round bye and home-field advantage at M&T Bank Stadium. However, the path grows steeper with each loss, and falling to 1-3 would leave Baltimore chasing before the calendar reaches October. On paper, Baltimore has a better-equipped roster than Kansas City. The Ravens opening as 3 1/2-point betting favorites in the Week 4 matchup underscored that belief. But to have a chance Sunday at Arrowhead, Baltimore needs to stop the run and squeeze the pocket with its defensive front. With their leaders sidelined, the remaining defensive line cast is still searching for an answer. Odafe Oweh remains a flash player. Tavius Robinson displays power but struggles with consistency. Rookie Mike Green showed plenty of promise in the preseason, but his 3.1% pass-rush win rate leaves much to be desired. “It’s a matter of doing our job on early downs and getting penetration,” said Robinson, the only defender aside from Madubuike with a sack this season. “There’s a lot of stuff we can fix, a lot of stuff we watched on the film and will fix.” The Ravens understand that they can’t simply hope Lamar Jackson wins a shootout against Mahomes. Jackson has played well enough to keep Baltimore competitive, but without takeaways or short fields created by pressure, this ongoing dilemma will linger far beyond Kansas City. The team’s disappointing start to the season already proves it doesn’t matter how electric Jackson and the offense is. The Ravens have scored 111 points, the highest total through three games by a team with a losing record, according to ESPN. Related Articles Staff picks for Week 4 of 2025 NFL season: Eagles vs. Buccaneers, Packers vs. Cowboys and more Why does Ravens’ Tyler Loop keep getting penalized for kickoffs? Ravens’ Derrick Henry: ‘Working as hard as I can’ to fix fumble issues Ravens ‘concerned’ as Nnamdi Madubuike is ruled out again with neck injury Ravens injury report: 4 key defenders among long list of absences Mahomes knows both sides of the equation. He’s dropped big games when defenses frequented the backfield and he’s shredded others when he has plenty of time to operate in the pocket and blitzes become predictable. If the Ravens can’t frequently move Mahomes off his spot, it could be a long day for the visitors, who own a 1-5 record over the past six meetings. Lombardi Trophies belong to the teams that punish quarterbacks. During both of the Ravens’ Super Bowl seasons, they ranked in the top half of the league in sacks with 45 in 2001 and 40 in 2013. After Baltimore’s no-show against Detroit, the Ravens are on pace for just 17 sacks this season. Yikes. Until Baltimore proves it can stop the run, earn the right to hunt the passer and frequently create pressure, the ceiling on this season, including any shot at the AFC’s No. 1 seed, will remain out of reach. 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

Pick the negative emotion and Ravens running back Derrick Henry is feeling it right now. Mostly, though, the three-time All-Pro is still annoyed 48 hours removed from his third fumble of the season in as many games. “I’m still pissed off, mad at myself,” he said Wednesday. “I’m my own worst critic, so I don’t try to harp on it too much. I talked to my family, the people that I get advice from, my teammates, lean on them. “But at the same time it’s a problem that gotta get fixed, so I’m working on it. I’m working as hard as I can to let this issue be resolved.” On Monday night against the Detroit Lions, with Baltimore trailing 28-24 in the fourth quarter, Henry had the ball ripped from behind by Pro Bowl defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. Cornerback D.J. Reed recovered at the Ravens’ 16-yard line, setting up a critical field goal in what would eventually be another disheartening loss for Baltimore. The defeat leaves the Ravens at 1-2 on the season with a trip to Arrowhead Stadium to face the reigning AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs, who are also 1-2 but 4-1 against Baltimore with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. Just as concerning, though, to the Ravens and to Henry, are the back’s foibles when trying to hold onto the ball. Henry, 31, fumbled three times in 17 games last season for Baltimore en route to 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns on 325 carries in his first season with the Ravens. The year before, with the Tennessee Titans, he did not fumble at all. Coming into 2025, he had just 20 career fumbles on 2,529 total touches and through three games has already coughed it up three times on just 43 carries. “I feel like I’m letting my teammates down,” he said Wednesday. How does he plan to fix the problem? “It’s embarrassing for me to be talking about this, because I am having this issue, but you have to hold the ball high and tight to keep it away from the defense [and] keep it away from the defender so you keep the ball,” he said. “We have a thing we call ‘Raven claw’ around here to have another arm around it, to keep it protected and keep the defense from getting to it. “I just have to keep doing that in practice and let it transition to the game. But just know I’m working. I’m working, and it’s rough right now, but it’s going to come back around, I promise you.” Ravens running back Derrick Henry steps over pads while coaches swipe at the ball during practice. Henry said it was "embarrassing" for him to be talking about his fumbles. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Those around Henry aren’t concerned about his ability to fix the glitch. “He is very, very accountable,” coach John Harbaugh said. “When somebody cares so much about what they’re doing and so accomplished and so talented and so good and work so hard, as a coach you just can’t worry about that. “I’m not worried about Derrick Henry at all.” Neither is the guy handing him the ball, quarterback Lamar Jackson, who consoled an angry Henry after the running back slammed his helmet to the bench in frustration on Monday night. “Once you feel like you are a part of something — it might be a loss, or you felt like you did something wrong — you’re going to always put the blame on yourself,” Jackson said. “We still could have executed and made something happen. We can’t fault him for that. Players mess up.” When Henry has held onto the ball, he has run well for the most part. Related Articles Ravens ‘concerned’ as Nnamdi Madubuike is ruled out again with neck injury Ravens injury report: 4 key defenders among long list of absences Jason Kelce shows off musical roots in Ravens pregame performance Ravens sign 2 defensive linemen in light of Nnamdi Madubuike injury Watch ‘Overtime’ of Ep. 5 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law In a Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills in which the Ravens blew a 15-point fourth-quarter lead, he rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns on just 18 carries. A week later in a victory over the Cleveland Browns, he was held to just 23 yards on 11 carries. In Week 3, the Lions held him to 50 yards and one score on 12 carries, but he averaged a respectable 4.2 yards. The one thing all three games had in common, of course, were fumbles. Now comes a showdown with the Chiefs, who have been Jackson’s “kryptonite” during his tenure in Baltimore. It’s a “huge” game, Henry said, given the Ravens’ slow start to the season. He’s also motivated to put his fumbling follies behind him. “When stuff like that happens, I feel like the week goes by slower,” he said. “You’re just waiting and itching for another opportunity.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens will be without one of their defensive stars for at least another week. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike will not play Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs with a neck injury, coach John Harbaugh said after Wednesday’s practice. Madubuike hasn’t practiced since playing in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns. The severity of his injury is unknown. Harbaugh said that he is “concerned” about it without providing any details. “I haven’t been given the OK to comment on it at this point,” Harbaugh said when asked if it’s a long-term injury. “So, he’s not going to play this week, I can tell you that. So we’re going have to see going forward when they know what they need to know.” The star defensive tackle’s absence is a crushing blow for the defense. Madubuike, 27, is a disruptive force and the centerpiece of Baltimore’s defensive front. In 2023, he led the team with 13 sacks, which was also tops among all interior linemen in the NFL. In 2024, his sack total dropped to 6 1/2 but he was double-teamed 233 times, per Next Gen Stats, putting him alongside such players as Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones. This season, he had a team-high two sacks and 10 pressures through the first two games. Madubuike had also been a dependable presence, playing in 55 straight games before suffering the injury. That included playing 43 snaps in a Sept. 14 win over the Cleveland Browns. Now, however, Baltimore is left needing to fill a major void. Ascendant fourth-year defensive tackle Travis Jones should help, though he has has just 3 1/2 sacks and one pressure on his career and is not the same kind of pass rush game-wrecker that Madubuike can be. He’s also missed practice Wednesday, putting his status Sunday into jeopardy. Beyond Jones, Baltimore will lean on divvying up more snaps between veterans Broderick Washington Jr. and John Jenkins and sixth-round rookie Aeneas Peebles. Like Jones, Washington was absent from Wednesday’s practice. The Ravens also signed veteran defensive tackles Taven Bryan and Josh Tupou to the practice squad and have defensive end Brent Urban on the practice squad as well. Urban was elevated for Monday night’s game against the Detroit Lions. Baltimore could turn to the trade market if Madubuike’s injury keeps him out for an extended period. This year’s trade deadline is Nov. 11 after Week 10. But there’s no getting around the significance of the loss of Madubuike, who during the 2024 offseason signed a four-year, $98 million contract extension that included $75.5 million in guarantees and $53.5 million at signing. “[Nnamdi] is one of the best defensive tackles in the entire NFL and a cornerstone on our defense,” general manager Eric DeCosta said at the time. “We are thrilled for [him] and his family and equally happy for our fanbase. This is a great way to start the new league year.” Related Articles Ravens injury report: 4 key defenders among long list of absences Jason Kelce shows off musical roots in Ravens pregame performance Ravens sign 2 defensive linemen in light of Nnamdi Madubuike injury Watch ‘Overtime’ of Ep. 5 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Daniel Faalele is Ravens’ most polarizing player, but not biggest problem The deal at the time made him the second-highest paid interior defensive lineman in the league behind only since-retired Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald. It came after Madubuike was the first Raven to reach double digits in sacks since Terrell Suggs in 2017. His streak of 11 straight games with at least half a sack in 2023 also tied the NFL’s single-season record and paced a Ravens defense that became the first to lead the league in sacks, takeaways and points allowed per game. Last season, Madubuike had 56 pressures, per Pro Football Focus, and added 43 tackles including 11 for loss. He also had one forced fumble and one pass breakup. For his career, Madubuike has 30 sacks and 203 tackles over five-plus seasons in Baltimore. 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

The Ravens enter a pivotal week with a troubling list of absences. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (neck), outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hamstring), defensive linemen Broderick Washington and Travis Jones, fullback Pat Ricard (calf) and left tackle Ronnie Stanley were all missing from the open portion of Wednesday’s practice in Owings Mills. The severity of Madubuike’s injury is not immediately clear. The two-time Pro Bowl selection did not practice last week before being ruled out of Monday night’s 38-30 loss to the Detroit Lions in which Baltimore surrendered 224 rushing yards. Van Noy is expected to miss some time with the hamstring injury he suffered in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns. Ricard hasn’t practiced since Aug. 14. On Wednesday, the Ravens signed veteran defensive linemen Taven Bryan and Josh Tupou to their practice squad to help bolster a defensive front that has been plagued by injuries. Baltimore (1-2) faces the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs (1-2) and Patrick Mahomes on Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium. Stanley, Washington and Jones are new absences after practicing last week and playing against the Lions. Coach John Harbaugh is scheduled to speak to reporters later this afternoon and an official injury report will be released later. 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

Jason Kelce, the former Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles center, appeared at the Ravens game on Monday. Not just any appearance — he suited up in a Marching Ravens band uniform. Kelce showed off his musical roots by playing the baritone saxophone during performances of the Ravens’ fight song and the “Monday Night Countdown” theme song in the pregame warmup ahead of the Ravens game against the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium, as shown in his Instagram post on Monday. Kelce played baritone sax in the jazz and symphonic bands at Cleveland Heights High School, where he graduated in 2006, and has contributed to the Eagles’ Christmas albums, according to People. “I really think playing band and music in general has allowed me to excel in sports and other things,” Kelce said in an episode of “New Heights,” the podcast he co-hosts with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who is engaged to pop star Taylor Swift. Travis was quick to cheer on his brother’s performance, commenting on social media: “LET’S F—— GOOOOOO!!! He’s killin’ it!!!” Have a news tip? Contact Journey Burris at jburris@baltsun.com. Former Philadelphia Eagles player Jason Kelce holds an instrument prior to an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Detroit Lions Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) View the full article

The Ravens signed veteran defensive linemen Taven Bryan and Josh Tupou to their practice squad Wednesday in light of defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike dealing with a neck injury of unknown severity. The additions provide some insurance along the defensive line for as long as Madubuike might be sidelined. The two-time Pro Bowl selection and Ravens sack leader did not practice in the week leading up to Baltimore’s 38-30 loss against Detroit on Monday night. Coach John Harbaugh has been tight-lipped on Madubuike’s status, but the Week 3 loss underlined how valuable Madubuike — who signed a four-year, $98 million contract extension last offseason — is to plugging the trenches and pressuring quarterbacks. Detroit rushed for 224 yards and seemed to have few problems running between the tackles. “You play with the guys that are out there, and the guys that are out there are good enough to do it,” Harbaugh said Monday night when asked about fielding a defense sans Madubuike and veteran pass rusher Kyle Van Noy. “We, as coaches, have to figure it out, and we have to get it done.” Bryan, 29, was a first-round draft pick in 2018. The former Florida star spent four seasons in Jacksonville before bouncing to Cleveland and spending the past two seasons with Indianapolis. The 6-foot-4, 291-pound Bryan made 29 starts over the past three seasons and has 11 1/2 sacks and 154 tackles in his career. In 2024, he logged three tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery and a pass deflection. The Bengals brought Bryan in for training camp this summer but ultimately cut him before finalizing their roster. Tupou, 31, played three games with the Ravens last season, recording a sack and three tackles. The 6-3, 340-pound nose tackle previously spent six seasons with Cincinnati. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. Related Articles Ravens injury report: 4 key defenders among long list of absences Jason Kelce shows off musical roots in Ravens pregame performance Watch ‘Overtime’ of Ep. 5 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Daniel Faalele is Ravens’ most polarizing player, but not biggest problem 5 stats behind the Ravens’ ‘disheartening’ 38-30 loss against Lions View the full article

Watch the “Overtime” segment of the third episode of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law. The longtime sports columnist answers reader questions from Baltimore Sun subscribers after the Ravens’ 38-30 loss to the Lions. The Ravens return to action Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Missed the fifth episode of the pod? Watch here. Have a question for Preston about the Ravens? Message us at sports@baltsun.com. You can watch the BMore Football Podcast weekly, posting every Tuesday during the NFL season on YouTube and The Baltimore Sun, and listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and iHeart. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

At 6-foot-8, 370 pounds, it’s impossible for Daniel Faalele to hide. The unusual size of the Ravens’ right guard also makes him an easy target for keyboard warriors. “Unfortunately, when he gets beat, he looks bad,” former NFL guard Jon Feliciano, who played 10 years for four teams before retiring in February, said. “That doesn’t help.” The Buffalo Bills in Week 1. The Cleveland Browns in Week 2. Even a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. Each included a dubious and viral mishap for the fourth-year, fourth-round draft pick out of Minnesota via Australia that has made him a lightning rod for fans’ wrath on social media and beyond. It also perhaps explains why coach John Harbaugh has remained bullish on Vorhees and Faalele through the rough patches and why Linderbaum says he believes Faalele has all the talent to one day be a Pro Bowl guard. “He just needs to keep chasing consistency,” Harbaugh said of Vorhees. “With pass protection things, he’s had some really good reps, and he’s had some reps where he has gotten outside of his center of gravity a little bit.” What does he like about Faalele? “I like the fact that he’s a big, strong guy, moves his feet well. He bends. He’s getting better at using his hands. I think he’s been doing a really good job in pass protection for the most part. Run blocking has been good, but he needs to be more consistent in both areas. … He’s had some bad plays that you’re talking about, probably, that haven’t looked great, but he’s a good football player. He is getting better, and he is young. Hopefully, he’ll continue to improve.” Both will need to for the Ravens’ chances to as well, but there are inherent concerns that linger. Offensive guard Daniel Faalele participates in a blocking drill at practice earlier this month. Faalele's performance through three games has angered some Ravens fans, but advanced metrics paint a better picture than what social media clips suggest. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Feliciano spent part of his career in Buffalo, where he blocked for another mobile, extend-the-play quarterback, Josh Allen. So he can relate to what Jackson’s blockers are tasked with. “There’s times where it’s hard to know where he is back there,” Feliciano said of the quarterback. “There are times where you’re blocking a guy and you think you’re perfectly fine and that he’s back in a normal quarterback position, but he’s not. Then you give up a quarterback hit, a pressure or worse-case scenario, a sack. It is a double-edged sword because there are times when you get beat and Josh or Lamar will make you right.” Saturday, on the other hand, had no such concerns while blocking for one of the more stationary quarterbacks in NFL history, Peyton Manning. “I knew where he was gonna be every play,” Saturday said. “I knew if he was gonna be behind me, if he was gonna be behind the right tackle. I knew how many seconds before the ball was gonna come out. I knew all of that stuff. It was so precise. “When you get extend-the-play quarterbacks, there’s an inherent risk to extending plays all the time. What ends up happening is guys get in a mentality of ‘OK I’m gonna get my guy for one one-thousand, two one-thousand, then my guy is gonna scramble. You don’t wanna get called for a hold, so you push off or let the guy go because you don’t always know where you’re guy is gonna be. Those two things together make it very difficult, and that’s why you see quarterbacks getting hit a bunch.” It is also the job, and there’s data to suggest that offensive line play across the league, save for a few teams, isn’t what it once was. Take Week 3, when five starting quarterbacks were unable to play because of injuries. Not all were results of the blocking or lack thereof in front of them, but good line play has become far more the exception than the norm. The reasons are myriad. “This goes from high school all the way up — we don’t teach the techniques and fundamentals I was taught,” Saturday said. “We teach a lot more who to get than how to get.” But getting someone, anyone, is paramount. Yet, it is something Baltimore has often struggled with. Faalele wandering what seems to be aimlessly on at least two occasions. Vorhees getting beat inside by Detroit rookie Tyleik Williams, which led to a sack on a first-and-10 from the Lions’ 20-yard line early in the fourth quarter. No one picking up Aidan Hutchinson as he raced in and then circled behind Henry to rip the ball from his arm for a critical turnover later in the same quarter. Examples were abundant Monday night and have been through the first three weeks of the season. “Some stuff we need to clean up assignment-wise or are not doing the correct thing on what we need to do playbook-wise, and then obviously clean up some technique stuff,” Linderbaum said last week, with a noticeable edge among the group in the locker room. He also said the goal, of course, is to keep Jackson as “clean as possible” so he doesn’t have to scramble around. So far, it has been easier said than done. Not that the solution is all that complicated, for him or anyone else on the offensive line. “Pretty simple,” Linderbaum said. “Just block your guy as long as you can.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Ravens offensive lineman Ben Cleveland, left, gets water as teammate Daniel Faalele looks on during a 2024 practice. The two guards have had their ups and downs through the first three games of 2025, with both making mistakes that drew significant criticism from fans online. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) View the full article

The Ravens don’t get beat, they say. When they lose, it’s because they beat themselves. Such self-infliction has been both a point of pride and contention for teams under coach John Harbaugh and led by superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson. Monday night didn’t seem that way. So much so that Jackson made a rare concession after a 38-30 loss to the Lions: “We got beat tonight.” Here are five stats that help tell the story of a prime-time blunder that dropped Baltimore to 1-2 heading into an all-important Week 4 game against Kansas City: 7 What makes Lamar Jackson such a magnetic watch is his ability to peel out of a collapsed pocket and turn a play dead in the water into some forward gain. Monday night, on such plays that he tends to impress, Jackson found himself repeatedly pinned to the ground. The Lions defense sacked him seven times, tying a 2021 game against Pittsburgh for the most in Jackson’s career. Baltimore’s offensive line certainly deserves a share of the blame. But there were times when Jackson held onto the ball too long or failed to escape a bullish Detroit front, which logged 30 pressures. With the loss, Jackson became the first quarterback in NFL history with nine-plus passing touchdowns, zero interceptions and a losing record through three games, according to NFL senior researcher Dante Koplowitz-Fleming. Jackson can only do so much by himself. 95-plus That hasn’t happened in — checks notes — nearly a quarter-century. Baltimore hasn’t allowed a 95-plus-yard drive at home since 2001. The Lions did it twice on Monday night. “That’s not easy to do when you’re backed up like that,” coach Dan Campbell said. “Normally, the goal is three first downs … that was impressive.” Two picturesque Jordan Stout punts pinned the Lions inside their own 5-yard line. On one possession, Detroit milked nearly 11 minutes off the clock for an 18-play marathon that wore the defense down and trudged 98 yards for a touchdown. The other, a 96-yard sprint, needed only seven plays. In both instances, the game was tied before Detroit cruised upfield. 224 If there was one thing the Ravens defense wanted to feel good about after Monday night, it was how they tackled. “I can definitely say that we do not,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. He called Detroit’s 224 rushing yards — the third most against Baltimore in the Harbaugh era — “really disheartening.” David Montgomery led the way with two touchdowns thanks to 151 yards on 12 carries — an average of 12.6 yards per touch. According to NextGenStats, his 72-yard rush had an expected gain of six yards, the second-longest rush yards over expected this season. Montgomery’s backfield mate, Jahmyr Gibbs, added 67 yards on 22 carries. A Ravens defensive front down Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) looked helpless containing runs between the tackles. “That’s bad run defense, and that’s not who we are,” Harbaugh said. “It cannot be who we are. It’s just, it’s not going to be good enough. It’s not going to be acceptable. And it has to be better.” Ravens coach John Harbaugh, center, watches the fourth quarter of Monday's loss to the Lions. Harbaugh's team allowed 224 rushing yards in the 38-30 defeat. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) 3 Three games, three fumbles. Derrick Henry, a future Hall of Famer considered the best running back of his generation, has never been so careless with the football. He coughed one up in the fourth quarter at Buffalo Week 1, dropped it against Cleveland and sounded the alarm bells when Lions star Aidan Hutchinson punched it loose in a crucial spot. Henry could barely muster the words to defend himself, apologizing for his struggles and vowing to be better. Henry began the season swinging for the fences. He rushed for 169 yards on 18 carries in Buffalo — a Most Valuable Player-caliber performance wiped by the turnover. In two games since, he’s averaging a dismal 3.2 yards per attempt with more fumbles (two) than touchdowns (one). Related Articles Watch Episode 5 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Ex-Raven says Baltimore ‘can’t trust’ Derrick Henry after repeated fumbles Ravens’ defense exposed again as it searches for old identity | COMMENTARY 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 38-30 loss to the Lions Ravens RB Derrick Henry apologizes after another costly fumble vs. Lions “I was talking to everybody, trying to figure out what they saw or if I had the ball loose,” Henry said. “[Hutchinson] just retraced and hammered at the ball, and it came loose. It’s the guy you don’t see, so I just have to be better and go back to work. Like I said, I apologize to my teammates, coaches and Flock Nation. It’s just playing through a little adversity, but adversity is a terrible thing to waste, so I’m just going to keep going.” For good measure, three is also the number of times the Lions converted on fourth down in as many tries and the number of times this season the Ravens have run plays from opponents’ 1-yard line, none of which have resulted in touchdowns. Three is not Baltimore’s magic number. Top 2 After Monday night’s loss, the Ravens are in rare air. They’re the top-scoring offense in the NFL, blistering some of the league’s toughest defenses for a total of 111 points. That’s a touchdown and a 2-point conversion better than the next best team, the Lions. Baltimore, Detroit, Indianapolis and Buffalo are the only four teams that have eclipsed the century mark three weeks into the season. Pretty good company. And yet, the Ravens have also allowed the second-most points of any team in the NFL (96). Only the downtrodden Miami Dolphins have let up more (97). The top of that leaderboard includes Miami, Tennessee, Chicago and the New York Jets — less impressive company. “We just can’t expect our offense – I know we got Lamar Jackson – we can’t expect them to score 30 points every game,” Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “It’s putting unfair expectations on the offense. We gotta do our part. We gotta get some stops, get some turnovers. … I think if there’s a week we can turn things around, it’ll be this week against a really good team in KC.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Episode 5 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law is here. Preston and Coleman analyze the Ravens’ disappointing 38-30 loss to the Lions on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.” The two hosts were joined this week by former Ravens standout Peter Boulware to break down the Week 3 defeat. You can watch it weekly, posting every Tuesday during the NFL season on YouTube and The Baltimore Sun, and listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and iHeart. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Derrick Henry’s teammates came to his defense Monday after he fumbled for the third time in three games. But former Ravens defensive end Chris Canty didn’t back up the future Hall of Fame running back in a Tuesday morning appearance on ESPN’s “First Take.” “You can’t give him the ball,” Canty told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith in a heated three-minute debate about Henry’s fumbles. “You can’t trust him with the ball.” The Ravens gave Henry just 12 carries for 50 yards in a 38-30 loss to the Lions, and his fourth-quarter fumble led to a Lions field goal. After rushing for 169 yards in Week 1, Henry hasn’t reached 100 combined rushing yards in the two games since. He’s fumbled once in each of the first three weeks, although his Week 2 fumble against the Browns was recovered by the Ravens. Smith strongly disagreed with Canty, who played for the Ravens from 2013 through 2015 and won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants before joining Baltimore. He finished his career with 354 tackles and 22 1/2 sacks. “He’ll fix it,” Smith said. “He’s Derrick Henry. If I was him, I’d be very upset with you. I’d be very upset with you right now.” Smith blamed coach John Harbaugh and Baltimore’s defense for the loss. The Ravens gave up a pair of 95-plus-yard touchdown drives, as the team’s run defense looked suspect without defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike available because of injury. Detroit rushed for 224 yards and finished with over 400 yards of total offense. “That’s a bigger problem than him fumbling the ball,” Smith countered. Canty and Smith then broke into a shouting match after Canty mentioned that the Ravens have failed to reach 100 rushing yards in consecutive weeks for the first time in the Lamar Jackson era. “You think that’s going to happen again?” Smith yelled. “You think Derrick Henry is going to be held for 50 yards rushing?” “I didn’t think I’d say a lot of things,” Canty replied. “I didn’t think they were going to blow a three-possession lead to the Buffalo Bills. They did that!” “Ain’t his fault,” Smith replied. “I didn’t think they were going to get bullied in Baltimore by the Lions,” Canty continued. “That’s a big problem!” Smith admitted. “That’s a John Harbaugh problem. Don’t blame that on Derrick Henry.” It’s unlikely the Ravens turn away from their star running back, but he leads all NFL running backs in fumbles through three games. The turnovers in Week 1 and Week 3 led directly to scoring drives in the fourth quarter. “We’ve got to get it fixed,” Harbaugh said. Henry agreed and even offered an apology to fans. Related Articles Ravens’ defense exposed again as it searches for old identity | COMMENTARY 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 38-30 loss to the Lions Ravens RB Derrick Henry apologizes after another costly fumble vs. Lions The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 38-30 loss to Lions Ravens’ pass rush, defense fail against Lions: ‘We’re just not very good’ “I apologize to Flock Nation, and I just want to keep working and get this fixed,” he said. Baltimore likes to turn to Henry late in games to put opponents away. He hasn’t delivered knockout blows this season. Instead, defenders have punched the ball away from the usually reliable Henry. “Now that that’s out there on tape, what do you think the other defenses that the Ravens are going to be playing are going to do?” Canty, who has five career forced fumbles, asked. “Punch it out!” ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin, who was also on Tuesday’s show, shouted in reply. It’s up to Henry to better protect the ball from those attempts, and Canty says the Ravens might have already lost some trust in the runner despite what they’re saying publicly. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article

Marlon Humphrey stayed down, his helmet pressed into the M&T Bank Stadium grass, long after the play was over. Detroit had just lined up for a fourth-and-2 near midfield with less than two minutes left, daring the Ravens to make the one stop that could salvage a night of frustration. Instead of another dose of their punishing ground game, the Lions went for the kill shot. Amon-Ra St. Brown burst off the line and drew a defensive holding penalty on Humphrey. That alone would have ended Baltimore’s last hope. But St. Brown kept running anyway, wiggling free down the right sideline to haul in Jared Goff’s arcing throw. Humphrey’s desperate dive came up empty. He stayed there, flat on the grass, as the Lions celebrated a dagger that sealed a prime-time victory and dropped the Ravens to 1-2. As Humphrey eventually rose from the field, St. Brown flexed his right arm, helping exert the last of Detroit’s all-around dominance. That image captured just about everything from an evening when the little things once again became the big problem for Baltimore. Humphrey acknowledged what the lasting scene already told everyone. “We’re just not very good,” he said. “The biggest thing with playing on the Ravens’ defense is the organization and fans have seen greatness. So being bad, being good is not the standard. Anything other than great is below the standard. We do have guys that want to compete. I feel like we are close. But we’ve got to all come together. “I know we got Lamar Jackson — but we can’t, we just can’t expect them to score 28 points every game, 30. It’s putting unfair expectations, I think, on the offense, so we got to do our part.” The Ravens’ defense, which was hyped all summer both internally and externally, felt nonexistent against this NFC heavyweight. For the second time in three weeks, the Ravens failed to force a single turnover. And en route to their 38-30 victory, the Lions carved some bad history for the home team. Detroit recorded an 18-play drive that spanned a whopping 98 yards and devoured 10:48 in the first half. It marked the first time that Baltimore allowed a 95-yard TD drive at home since 2001. The Ravens couldn’t stop David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, who became just the third running back duo in franchise history to record multiple rushing touchdowns in a single game. Any semblance of a run defense from the home team appeared to be missing. If it ever made an appearance in front of a sold-out crowd, it was brief and especially soft. Coach John Harbaugh offered his blunt assessment of the run defense: “That’s not who we are. That cannot be who we are. It has to be better.” With Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) sidelined, Baltimore’s pass rush, too, was nonexistent. Goff, who completed 20 of 28 passes for 202 yards, was never sacked and hit only five times compared with Jackson, who absorbed a disturbing seven sacks. Rookie Mike Green, a second-round draft pick who led college football with 17 sacks last season, served as Van Noy’s primary reserve but looked more like a bystander. Through three games, Green has yet to record his first career sack, while his pass-rush win rate sits at just 3.1%, according to TruMedia. The veterans don’t get a pass, either. Linebacker Roquan Smith and safety Kyle Hamilton, a pair of defensive leaders with $100 million salaries, didn’t make any of those game-changing plays that you’d expect from your two highest-paid players behind Jackson. Instead, the Lions impressively converted all three of their fourth-down attempts and went 4 of 5 in the red zone. Lions running back David Montgomery, left, breaks away from Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter Monday night. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) When Jackson and company had a chance to match Detroit’s high-powered offense, it fell short. Baltimore countered by failing its only fourth-down attempt and finished just 2-for-4 in the most critical part of the field. Running back Derrick Henry coughed up his third fumble in as many games. His latest turnover, with the Ravens trailing by four late in the fourth quarter, felt like an uppercut to the chin in a heavyweight match. Last season, the four-time All-Pro running back lost the ball only three times. He’s already matched that total and is the only NFL running back to fumble in every game this season. Related Articles 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 38-30 loss to the Lions Ravens RB Derrick Henry apologizes after another costly fumble vs. Lions The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 38-30 loss to Lions Ravens’ pass rush, defense fail against Lions: ‘We’re just not very good’ Instant analysis from Ravens’ 38-30 loss to Lions on ‘Monday Night Football’ “[Need to] be more cautious and try to hold it as tight as you can,” Henry said. “I didn’t see [Aidan Hutchinson] coming from behind. I’ve just got to hold on to the ball. I don’t know, I’ve just got to keep working. It sucks right now. I’m trying every day to fix the problem that keeps occurring. I’m my worst critic.” Failure to execute in minute spots stretched to the coaching staff in all three phases. In addition to Zach Orr’s woes, offensive coordinator Todd Monken got in his own way. When the Ravens reached the Lions’ doorstep, for whatever reason, they turned routine into mystery. From the 1-yard line, they bypassed their best options (see: Mark Andrews’ tush push sneak) and were stuffed on consecutive rushes by Henry. And on fourth-and-goal from the 2, Detroit snuffed out a roll-out call and strip-sacked Jackson. Later in the second half, Monken dialed up a Henry jump-pass trick play that nearly resulted in an end zone interception. Special teams only added to the misery. Rookie kicker Tyler Loop committed his fifth kickoff penalty of the season by failing to drop a kick inside the designated landing zone, gifting Detroit the ball at its own 40. Seven plays later, the Lions scored one of their five touchdowns. Coincidentally, Lions kicker Jake Bates committed the same penalty on the ensuing kickoff. Instead of taking advantage, though, the Ravens plummeted with a three-and-out. Remember the little details? It’s still a young season, but Baltimore already has been outmatched twice under the lights, both times against true contenders. Buffalo and Detroit sit atop their respective divisions with a combined record of 5-1. Meanwhile, the Ravens, a storied franchise that built its name and logo on defensive greatness, now find themselves at a crossroads as they chase that elusive third title. 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

Late Monday night, one question after another was hurled toward coach John Harbaugh trying to make sense of the Ravens’ 38-30 loss to the Detroit Lions. Nearly every answer opened with some form of “We got to …” Baltimore has a lot to clean up after its 1-2 start. Here are five things we learned from the game: The superstar duo looked human in prime time Derrick Henry two-hand slammed his helmet down and collapsed helplessly onto the bench. The superstar running back, who has long been the image of late-game reliability, watched the big board replay completely dumbfounded. The fourth-quarter fumble was his second costly turnover this season and the third time that he’s let the football slip from his grasp — both career firsts. An hour later, inside the home locker room at M&T Bank Stadium, Henry held that same arresting, sorrowful look in his eyes. “I’m gonna try to not beat myself up too much,” he said, shaking his head. “But it’s hard not to.” Midway through the fourth quarter, the Ravens set up for what might otherwise have been a go-ahead drive from their own 21-yard line. Henry cradled a handoff and bounced to his left when the disruptive fist of Aidan Hutchinson came crashing down. Henry has been fumble averse his entire career, particularly in prime-time games. He’s only ever fumbled four times in the NFL’s nightcap, two of them in the past three weeks. Baltimore signed him to be someone they could look to for the finishing move. His first three games this season have been anything but. The postgame apology to his teammates and Baltimore’s fan base sounded like a man in unfamiliar territory. He vowed to figure out how to be better. “It sucks right now,” Henry said, having rushed for 50 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown and the turnover. His quarterback wore a similar veil of shock. Lamar Jackson completed 21 of 27 passes for 288 yards with three touchdowns. But he was sacked seven times, tying a career high (vs. Pittsburgh in 2021), and pressured 30 times. That lack of stability in the pocket killed more than a few drives, like the back-to-back sacks on the edge of the red zone that held Baltimore to a field goal instead of a game-tying touchdown. The Lions looked well-equipped for the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player. Coach Dan Campbell said that former Raven Malik Cunningham, who the Lions signed to their practice squad Tuesday, simulated Jackson’s dual-threat mastery at quarterback for a practice. Come Monday night, the Lions “all bottled [Jackson] up,” Campbell said. “Guys made huge plays, and he had nowhere to go.” “They were doing stunts, and they had a spy,” Jackson said. “Sometimes the spy was grabbing my leg, and that’s just what it was. They were dropping into coverage, [and] they had three safeties back there, and I’m just not going to throw a Hail Mary ball. I’m going to read the coverage out, and then try to make something happen.” The Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown, left, beats the Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey to make the catch on fourth down late in the fourth quarter. Humphrey was also called for holding on the play. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) Extended missed time for Madubuike and Van Noy, as expected, will be a problem Here’s a stat that, as it unfolded in real time, left all 70,000-plus fans at M&T Bank Stadium clenching their jaws: the last time the Ravens allowed a scoring drive of at least 95 yards at home was 2001. More than half of the current defense hadn’t been born yet. On Monday night, they allowed two such marathon drives. All of Baltimore’s defensive issues — an out of position secondary, the Lions’ unbeatable rushing attack between the tackles, and an inability to get hands on quarterback Jared Goff — can trace to the absences of two veteran difference makers along the defensive line: Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and Kyle Van Noy (hamstring). Even if players and coaches don’t want to admit it. “It’s hard to measure that at this point,” Harbaugh said. “But you play with the guys that are out there and the guys that are out there are good enough to do it.” Added Kyle Hamilton: “We’re blessed to have guys who can make plays all over the field. Shame on us if we need a Pro Bowl guy to play good defense. … Obviously it hurts not having those two guys but we have guys in the room with ample amount of talent to make up for that at all three levels.” Madubuike and Van Noy each accounted for 21 1/2 sacks since the start of 2023. They’re two of three on Baltimore’s defense with a double-digit sack season. Without them, the Ravens relied on five guys between the interior and edges of the defensive line, all still on rookie contracts. That’s not to say that Baltimore’s defense was a steel wall with Madubuike and Van Noy, but the Ravens were certainly better equipped to plug the line of scrimmage with them in tow. The Lions allowed zero sacks, didn’t turn the ball over and, according to Next Gen Stats, made the optimal decision on every fourth down. Running back David Montgomery gashed Baltimore for 151 yards on 12 carries. His partner in crime, Jahmyr Gibbs, ran for 67 yards on 22 carries. Those two accounted for four touchdowns. When the Ravens couldn’t bandage Detroit’s ground game, it opened the flood gates to the air raid. Goff threw for 202 yards, completing 20 of 28 passes with a touchdown. He had no trouble operating from the pocket with how rarely the Ravens front disrupted his timing. By night’s end, cornerback Marlon Humphrey held court beside his locker, as he often does after weighty games like Monday night’s. He spoke for six minutes, a winding message that boils down to five words: “We’re just not very good.” The lasting image from the loss may be Humphrey, star fishing on the turf after Amon-Ra St. Brown burnt him up the right sideline. Detroit scored on a rushing touchdown a play later, hammering the final nail in an all-black coffin. Or perhaps it was earlier, when Montgomery ripped off a 72-yard, the kind of play that, Hamilton sighed, “just demoralizes you.” Collectively, the Ravens missed 20 tackles, per Next Gen Stats. Having allowed 426 yards of total offense puts them at the bottom of the league this season. While Baltimore’s defense ranked second in rushing success rate last year, it’s now in cellar of the NFL. “That’s not who we are,” Harbaugh said. “It cannot be who we are.” “I feel like they kind of did whatever they wanted to do all night,” Humphrey said. “We never got them off schedule and it’s really hard if the offense never gets off schedule. … I do know we got guys that want to compete, that want to get the job done. I feel like we are close. We gotta come together.” He ended on this point: “We just can’t expect our offense — I know we got Lamar Jackson — you just can’t expect them to score 30 points every game. We gotta do our part.” Time to worry about the Ravens’ goal line offense? The drive started at midfield. Three plays later, the Ravens were down to the 3-yard line. Henry picked up 2 yards and was stuffed within inches of the goal line. Two more tries up the middle for the future Hall of Famer went nowhere. That would have been a far more scrutinized play-calling sequence if it was anyone other than Henry in the backfield. What might come under more fire was the fourth-down call. Jackson faked the handoff and rolled to his right. He tucked the ball, while Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers floated parallel to the goal line. Jackson Lady Liberty’d the football when linebacker Jack Campbell wrapped him up and jarred it loose. That sequence was the third time Baltimore had run a play from its opponent’s 1-yard line this season. Not one of them has ended with a touchdown, according to ESPN — a far cry from the seven plays in such glamorous field position last year that all finished in the end zone. For all the magnetic success of the offense, it’s head-scratching they’ve had such trouble inside the 1-yard line. “I don’t know until I see the tape,” Harbaugh said, when asked to make sense of the statistical anomaly. “But you want to score when you’re at the 1-yard line, that’s for sure.” Jackson didn’t have much of an answer either. “We just didn’t score,” he said, “and that rarely happens.” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews celebrates his touchdown catch against the Lions with quarterback Lamar Jackson, right. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Andrews and Bateman aren’t lost in the offense It was only a matter of time, right? Over the first two weeks of the season, Andrews and Rashod Bateman combined for 32 yards on six catches without a touchdown. They were nonexistent, forgotten in an offense with too many options. Not on Monday night. Andrews let out his signature yelp for the first time this season on a 14-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He caught all six of his targets for a team-high 91 yards and two scores. Bateman was similarly efficient, with five catches on seven tries for 63 yards and a much calmer second-quarter score. As we’ve learned through three games, it’s impossible to predict who might carry the offense. In Buffalo, Flowers and Henry shouldered the load. Tez Walker, Tylan Wallace and DeAndre Hopkins starred versus Cleveland. Andrews and Bateman were called on against Detroit. “It just felt good getting in the end zone, making some plays, getting in a rhythm,” Andrews said, “and I thought Lamar threw some incredible passes.” The Ravens’ offense leads the league in scoring with 111 points. They didn’t need much of Andrews or Bateman — two of their top-three pass catchers in 2024 — to top the league after two weeks, scoring 40 points in both games. They were bound to get a slice of the pie at some point. It’s another data point of how deep Baltimore’s offense goes when it’s clicking. And they’re still without tight end Isaiah Likely, who ramped up his return to practice this past week from foot surgery but was still listed as a limited participant. It’s fair to expect games like the last two where Andrews and Bateman are nowhere to be found. Just remember it won’t be long before they’re the ones carrying the production. Ravens haven’t shown they can beat Super Bowl contenders Think back to just a few weeks ago. The Ravens were a favorite to be in the Super Bowl, if not win it. Their defense was considered among the league’s elite. How would any team slow down this offense? Five playoff teams through six weeks on the schedule was a mighty task, but a manageable stretch for the AFC’s projected juggernaut. Oh, how far we’ve come. The Ravens are 1-2 and staring down a road trip to Kansas City, where they’ve never won in the Jackson era and are now granted one less day of preparation. Related Articles Ravens RB Derrick Henry apologizes after another costly fumble vs. Lions The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 38-30 loss to Lions Ravens’ pass rush, defense fail against Lions: ‘We’re just not very good’ Instant analysis from Ravens’ 38-30 loss to Lions on ‘Monday Night Football’ Ravens stumble again, slip to 1-2 with 38-30 loss to Lions: ‘No excuses’ Jackson conceded that this loss was a wake-up call. But so was Week 1 in Buffalo, he said. And so was their win over Cleveland, after having started slow offensively. Every game offered some pearl of wisdom, some reminder of their mortality. “It’s definitely not where we want it to be. No excuses can be made at this point,” Hamilton said. “If it’s not one thing, it’s another. We just have to patch everything up right now. … It’s on us as a defense just to put that fire out ASAP, and we didn’t do that.” As Hamilton said postgame, the sky isn’t falling. But there’s something to be said about this Ravens team, with ever-present February expectations and a dismal 1-5 record against the Bills, Chiefs, Eagles and Lions dating to the start of last season. In short, they have beat up on most teams in the NFL. At times, it looks like Baltimore is playing a different sport with how dominant they can be. It’s just becoming tougher to couple the Ravens with those other Super Bowl contenders — all of whom they’ve played (very) close — until Baltimore closes out a win against one. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson looks down after being sacked during the fourth quarter of Monday's 38-30 loss to the Lions. Jackson was sacked seven times in the defeat. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article

Three games, three fumbles for Ravens star running back Derrick Henry. Just like when he put the ball on the ground late in Baltimore’s season-opening defeat against the host Buffalo Bills, his latest mistake came at a crucial moment in the Ravens’ 38-30 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday night. With Baltimore trailing 28-24 in the fourth quarter, Henry was stripped from behind by Lions star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who punched the ball free. Cornerback D.J. Reed recovered the fumble at the Ravens’ 16-yard line, and although Baltimore’s defense forced Detroit to lose 11 yards and settle for a 45-yard field goal, the play swung momentum back in the Lions’ favor. The Ravens would go three-and-out on their next possession, and Detroit iced the game with a fourth-and-2 completion to Amon-Ra St. Brown and a 31-yard touchdown run by David Montgomery. “It’s not a good feeling,” Henry said after the game. “I apologize to Flock Nation, and I just want to keep working and get this fixed.” Henry’s sloppy start is shocking for one of the most sure-handed running backs in league history. The 31-year-old fumbled three times in 17 games last year as he rushed for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns on 325 carries in his first season in Baltimore. He didn’t fumble once in 17 games with the Tennessee Titans in 2023. Entering this season, Henry had fumbled just 20 times on 2,529 career touches (carries and receptions), a rate of 0.79%. Through three games this year, he’s coughed the ball up three times on just 43 touches, a rate of 7%. Henry was visibly upset on the sideline after his fumble, slamming his helmet down in frustration, sprawling on the bench and putting two hands on his head in disbelief. He spoke to Ravens coach John Harbaugh on the sideline as he came off the field. “I was talking to everybody, trying to figure out what they saw or if I had the ball loose,” Henry said. “[The defender] just retraced and hammered at the ball, and it came loose. It’s the guy you don’t see, so I just have to be better and go back to work.” After the game, Hutchinson said that he’d never got a clean punch out on a ball carrier before but “threw the biggest hook I could.” Harbaugh called the play “a little bit of the perfect storm.” “That was kind of a blind shot there. I thought he had the ball in good position,” Harbaugh said. While Henry apologized to his teammates, coaches and “Flock Nation,” many of the Ravens came to his defense. That includes tight end Mark Andrews, who issued his own apology on Instagram after losing a fumble and dropping the would-be game-tying 2-point conversion in last season’s divisional round loss to the Bills. Related Articles The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 38-30 loss to Lions Ravens’ pass rush, defense fail against Lions: ‘We’re just not very good’ Instant analysis from Ravens’ 38-30 loss to Lions on ‘Monday Night Football’ Ravens stumble again, slip to 1-2 with 38-30 loss to Lions: ‘No excuses’ Ravens vs. Lions live updates: Postgame reaction, analysis from Baltimore’s 38-30 loss “We know the type of guy that [Henry] is, and there’s no one harder on himself than Derrick is,” Andrews said. “We’ll get right. These are the types of things that we’ll be better at, and he’s the best of the best, so I have complete trust in him.” Added quarterback Lamar Jackson: “[We have to just] let it go.” While Henry vowed to watch film and keep trying to fix a problem that he’s rarely had to deal with during a Hall of Fame-caliber career, he acknowledged feeling a little defeated. “I’m my worst critic, so I’m not going to try to beat myself up too much, but it’s hard not to when it’s consecutive and consistent [instances] of me doing the same thing,” he said. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. Ravens running back Derrick Henry runs fumble drills before Monday night's game against the Lions. Henry, despite the drills, lost a key fumble in the fourth quarter, his third fumble of the year. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article

Here’s how the Ravens graded out at every position after a 38-30 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday night at M&T Bank Stadium: Quarterback Maybe quarterback Lamar Jackson is trying too hard to be a passer instead of using his bread and butter: his legs. There are times when he drops back and looks normal, which is an insult because he has amazing quickness. He could have taken advantage of some slants and quick square-ins, but he seemed more content trying to hit the long ball. Regardless, if Jackson doesn’t play well, the Ravens aren’t even close in this game. He completed 21 of 27 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns and finished with a passer rating of 148.1. But his feet don’t appear as quick as they used to be. Grade: B- Running backs Derrick Henry had 12 carries for 50 yards, but his lost fumble at the Ravens’ 16-yard line with 8:31 left gave Detroit momentum, and the Lions responded with a 45-yard field goal to take a 31-24 lead nearly two minutes later. Henry has fumbled three times so far this season, which usually puts a running back in coach John Harbaugh’s dog house. Well, we will see. Also, in short-yardage situations, Henry hasn’t shown that good body lean that usually gets him the 1 or 2 yards needed. This is his second poor grade in the past two games. Grade: D Offensive line As I’ve stated several other times, if the Ravens can’t run, they struggle in pass protection. That can be said of a lot of teams, but it becomes glaring with Baltimore. Both guards, Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele, struggle in pass protection, and second-year right tackle Roger Rosengarten has been having problems as well. The situation becomes even worse with Jackson holding the ball way too long. Overall, the Ravens need to reestablish the running game to have success. Jackson was sacked seven times, and that’s totally unacceptable. Grade: D Receivers After all of this talk about tight end Mark Andrews not being involved much in the offense, he had six catches for 91 yards and touchdowns of 14 and 27 yards. The Lions did a good job of taking slot receiver Zay Flowers out of the game as he had only two catches for 13 yards. But Jackson did a good job of mixing in Rashod Bateman, who had five catches for 63 yards and a touchdown, and No. 2 tight end Charlie Kolar, who had two catches for 22 yards. Overall, the Ravens got most of this group involved, but the problem was that Jackson either had very little time to throw or he held onto the ball too long. Grade: B- Defensive line Detroit rushed 38 times for 224 yards. Enough said. But I’m not done. The Ravens were without injured end-tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, their best linemen, but the Ravens couldn’t stop Detroit’s two-headed monster of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. This wasn’t finesse running, but straight-ahead, up-the-gut stuff. The Ravens had no answers with nose guard Travis Jones, end Broderick Washington and rookie Aeneas Peebles. Jones, Peebles and end Brent Urban had one tackle each. Backup nose guard John Jenkins finished with eight tackles. This performance was embarrassing. Grade: D Linebackers Last weekend against the Cleveland Browns, middle linebacker Roquan Smith, after Jackson, was the best player on the field. On Monday night, Smith got mashed despite finishing with seven tackles. Rookie outside linebacker Mike Green finished with four tackles, but the Ravens didn’t have a suitable replacement for Kyle Van Noy, who led the team in sacks a year ago but was out with a hamstring injury. Fellow outside linebacker Odafe Oweh had two tackles and two quarterback hits, but the Ravens finished with no sacks. Repeat: zero. Rookie weakside linebacker Teddye Buchanan had eight tackles, but a lot of those were off the line of scrimmage. Grade: D Secondary The Ravens had a couple of good plays on the back end, especially safeties Kyle Hamilton (nine tackles) and Malaki Starks (eight). But Detroit did a good job of isolating nickel cornerback Marlon Humphrey on the outside one-on-one with receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the Ravens had problems locating tight end Sam LaPorta. Lions quarterback Jared Goff didn’t, however, as LaPorta caught four passes for 33 yards and St. Brown had seven receptions for 77 yards and one touchdown. His 20-yard catch on fourth-and-2 from the Detroit 49 with 1:56 remaining set up what proved to be the game-winning touchdown, a 31-yard run by Montgomery. Grade: D Related Articles Ravens RB Derrick Henry apologizes after another costly fumble vs. Lions Ravens’ pass rush, defense fail against Lions: ‘We’re just not very good’ Instant analysis from Ravens’ 38-30 loss to Lions on ‘Monday Night Football’ Ravens stumble again, slip to 1-2 with 38-30 loss to Lions: ‘No excuses’ Ravens vs. Lions live updates: Postgame reaction, analysis from Baltimore’s 38-30 loss Special teams Jordan Stout had a strong game, averaging 52.3 yards on three punts. His long was 63 yards, and he pinned two inside the Detroit 20. Rasheen Ali averaged 26.2 yards on four kickoff returns and had a long of 43 yards. The Ravens got little use out of rookie punt returner LaJohntay Wester, who averaged 10.3 yards on three returns. Tyler Loop had a 41-yard field goal with 9:40 left. Overall, this was one of the few bright spots for Baltimore. Grade: B+ Coaching This was supposed to be the Ravens’ coming-out party, a big game on Monday night. Instead, the defense looked totally unprepared. Even with Madubuike, they just can’t get enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and now teams, including Cleveland, have started gouging the run defense. Offensively, the dink-and-dunk stuff works against most teams, but the Ravens struggle when they can’t run the ball. This should have been a win, but the Ravens’ weaknesses were exposed. Grade: C- Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. Ravens coach John Harbaugh, center, looks on during the fourth quarter Monday night against the Lions. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article

The dichotomy between the two quarterbacks Monday night was stark. The Ravens’ Lamar Jackson is one of the NFL’s best dual-threat signal-callers, constantly extending plays with his feet. On the other side, the Lions’ Jared Goff is a statue in the pocket, with just 155 rushing yards over the past four years. But Monday’s stat line showed a completely different story. Jackson was sacked seven times while Goff was never sacked and pressured only 10 times. Detroit’s offense rolled in a 38-30 win over Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens’ lack of pass rush was a concern heading into the prime-time matchup, and that problem was only exacerbated after the defensive line’s showing against the Lions. With edge rusher Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) and interior defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) both out with injuries, the Ravens struggled to generate any consistent heat on the Lions’ quarterback. They hit Goff only three times, hurried him seven times and had only one player with a pass rush win rate above 10%. “We got to get a better pass rush,” coach John Harbaugh said. “That’s not going to be good enough.” Detroit went 7-for-14 on third down and 3-for-3 on fourth down. It accumulated 426 total yards, 6.5 yards per play and 7.2 yards per pass attempt. Baltimore has allowed 96 points this season, trailing only the Miami Dolphins (0-3) for the most in the league. The Ravens are the first team in the Super Bowl era to score more than 100 points, rush for at least 300 yards and have a losing record through three games, according to the NFL. When asked to offer an assessment of where the defense stands after three weeks, cornerback Marlon Humphrey was blunt. “We’re just not very good,” he said. The loss of Van Noy and Madubuike cannot be overstated. That pairing led the Ravens in pressures last year with 60 and 54, respectively. Madubuike played 611 pass rush snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus. The next closest on the team was Odafe Oweh’s 486. Van Noy played 451 pass-rushing snaps and led Baltimore with 12 1/2 sacks in 2024. Madubuike had generated nine pressures in two games this season, tied for the second-most among defensive tackles. His nine pressures, 13.4% pressure rate and two sacks were the most in his career through two games. The defensive tackle is the Ravens’ most valuable pass rusher because he’s able to affect the pocket from the middle of the defense. Baltimore doesn’t have an elite edge rusher, but rather relies on its defensive tackles to force the opposing quarterbacks into uncomfortable positions. “It’s very challenging when you lose [Nnamdi] Madubuike and Kyle Van Noy. I think the guys stepped up well, but I think Detroit’s got a really good offensive line and the four-man rush, I think it’s hard to get there,” Humphrey said. Rookie edge rusher Mike Green and defensive tackle Broderick Washington played more Monday night, but were fairly ineffective in their roles. Green had just one pressure, and Washington recorded two. That forced defensive coordinator Zach Orr to send blitzes early in the game. Against one of the NFL’s best signal-callers against the blitz, that didn’t work. Goff shredded Baltimore’s defense when it sent extra players. Related Articles Ravens RB Derrick Henry apologizes after another costly fumble vs. Lions The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 38-30 loss to Lions Instant analysis from Ravens’ 38-30 loss to Lions on ‘Monday Night Football’ Ravens stumble again, slip to 1-2 with 38-30 loss to Lions: ‘No excuses’ Ravens vs. Lions live updates: Postgame reaction, analysis from Baltimore’s 38-30 loss “We could have been better at third down. We should have got there a couple times, but we just didn’t,” defensive tackle Travis Jones said. Detroit’s passing game will likely be the toughest the Ravens face this season. Goff, running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, pass-catchers Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta and one of the best offensive lines in the league make for a difficult matchup for any defense. But as Humphrey said, this isn’t the standard that Baltimore’s defenses of the past have set. Look back at this matchup two years ago as an example. That game was between two Super Bowl contenders, two of the league’s better offenses and two quarterbacks playing at an MVP level. The Ravens recorded 27 pressures in that game, harassing Goff nearly 33% of the time on dropbacks, according to PFF. He went just 6-for-14 for 47 yards and one pick when pressured. They sacked Goff five times, while Jackson was untouched in the 38-6 win. That performance feels far removed. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. Lions running back David Montgomery, right, scores on a 31-yard touchdown run in the final two minutes Monday night. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 38-30 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 3 of the NFL season on Monday night at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: Brian Wacker, reporter There’s no understating how significantly the absences of Nnamdi Madubuike and Kyle Van Noy impacted a Ravens defense that simply couldn’t keep Detroit’s high-powered offense off the field and out of the end zone. The Ravens were gashed on the ground and through the air as Lions quarterback Jared Goff had all night to find a plethora of open receivers. Baltimore’s offensive line issues reared their head again as well with Lamar Jackson getting sacked seven times. For as potent as the Ravens’ offense can be, the defense continues to hold this team back with too little pressure and thus too much time for opposing quarterbacks and too many open receivers in the secondary. Mike Preston, columnist It wasn’t the Super Bowl, but it was perhaps the best game of the young season. The formula, though, for beating the Ravens was on display Monday night. It’s nearly impossible to stop quarterback Lamar Jackson and all the weapons he has on offense, but the best way to keep Jackson off the field is to establish a strong running game. The Ravens had two glaring turnovers, one that nullified a scoring opportunity at the goal line and another that led to Detroit field goal in the fourth quarter. The Lions’ last score came on a 31-yard touchdown run by David Montgomery with 1:42 left in the game. But this wasn’t just about run defense. The Ravens couldn’t stop Detroit’s passing game, and the Lions consistently challenged the Ravens’ cornerbacks, particularly Marlon Humphrey on the outside. The Ravens are now 1-2 and look a lot like they did last season when they struggled in pass defense. At least the good news is that Baltimore goes to Kansas City, which has struggled offensively all season. Josh Tolentino, columnist Marlon Humphrey’s defensive holding penalty didn’t matter. Amon-Ra St. Brown fought through Humphrey’s tug in the game’s most critical moment, streaked up the right sideline and hauled in an arcing pass from quarterback Jared Goff to move the Lions on fourth down with less than two minutes left. Humphrey was just one piece of a broken Baltimore defense that showed no backbone against the Lions and their high-powered offense that seemingly did whatever they wanted to through the air and on the ground. Derrick Henry’s inability to protect the football in key moments — he has a lost fumble in all three games this season — is quickly becoming a concerning issue. Next week’s date with Kansas City looks like a much more manageable contest than many anticipated at the beginning of the year, but the Ravens’ defense has a laundry list of problems to address after Monday night’s meltdown. Sam Cohn, reporter That was about as uncharacteristic a prime-time performance as we could have expected from the superstar duo of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. Jackson was sacked seven times, fumbled (which he recovered on fourth down for a turnover anyway) and nearly threw an interception. Henry looked human in goal-to-go situations and coughed up a costly fumble in the fourth quarter. Neither capitalized on chances to take or extend leads, and it yielded what was their worst collective showing this season. On the other side, the heart of Baltimore’s defensive issues were a product of not having pass rushers Nnamdi Madubuike and Kyle Van Noy. That put too much pressure on the young guys, who struggled to pressure Jared Goff. Interior issues made life tougher on the back end, and the Ravens now head to Kansas City in a must-win game at Arrowhead Stadium. Sam Jane, reporter The dichotomy of skill sets between the two quarterbacks couldn’t be much different. Lamar Jackson is one of the most elusive quarterbacks in NFL history, while Jared Goff is largely a statue in the pocket. But Monday’s stat line told a much different story. Jackson was sacked seven times while Goff’s jersey was pearly white from the lack of pressure he faced. Baltimore’s pass rush was abysmal, pressuring the Lions quarterback only 10 times while Detroit generated 18 pressures. The Ravens’ offensive line is a significant issue three weeks into the season, and without Kyle Van Noy or Nnamdi Madubuike, their lack of a pass rush is also a growing concern. C.J. Doon, editor The Ravens officially have a “big game” problem. The 2024 season-opening defeat at Kansas City. The home loss against the Eagles last season. The divisional round defeat at Buffalo. The 15-point blown lead to those same Bills to open 2025. This game. Allowing explosive plays is one thing, but when was the last time you saw a Ravens defense give up an 18-play, 98-yard drive that lasted more than 10 minutes? Detroit’s biggest gain on that first-half march was 13 yards as it converted four third downs. Then, when Baltimore finally did get the ball back, it drove all the way down to the goal line only to get stuffed three times before Lamar Jackson fumbled the ball away on fourth down. It was as disheartening a 15 minutes of game action for the Ravens since … well, since the Week 1 collapse in Buffalo. It didn’t get much better after that. The Ravens gave up a 96-yard touchdown drive to open the third quarter on just seven plays. So much for those halftime adjustments from Zach Orr’s unit. Just about everything frustrating about this team bubbled to the surface. The defense couldn’t get off the field when it needed to. Todd Monken’s play-calling was questionable at best. The offensive line couldn’t keep Jackson clean, allowing seven sacks. Henry fumbled for the third time this season. Things don’t get any easier with a desperate Chiefs team hosting Baltimore on a short week. The Ravens were able to overcome a slow start last season and become a championship contender. This year’s schedule is shaping up for Baltimore to go on a run and comfortably make the playoffs again. (Seriously, go look.) But when the postseason does arrive, how serious will this team’s title hopes be? Tonight, the Ravens looked below the top tier. Related Articles Ravens RB Derrick Henry apologizes after another costly fumble vs. Lions The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 38-30 loss to Lions Ravens’ pass rush, defense fail against Lions: ‘We’re just not very good’ Ravens stumble again, slip to 1-2 with 38-30 loss to Lions: ‘No excuses’ Ravens vs. Lions live updates: Postgame reaction, analysis from Baltimore’s 38-30 loss Tim Schwartz, editor The Ravens looked lost in the fourth quarter and got beat, in many ways, at their own game. The Lions ran all over Baltimore behind Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery and their pass rush got to Lamar Jackson often. The Ravens’ running game? Derrick Henry fumbled (again) in a crucial spot, which resulted in points for Detroit. Jared Goff wasn’t sacked. Games are often won in the trenches, and the Lions took control. At 1-2 with a 1-2 Chiefs squad looming Sunday, the Ravens have shown they are a step behind the Super Bowl contenders. Bennett Conlin, editor The Ravens’ defense dominated Joe Flacco and the Browns in Week 2. Hang the banner! A group that spent all offseason talking about imitating the legendary 2000 Ravens and wanting to be feared should start by being competent. I know they’re without key players in Kyle Van Noy and Nnamdi Madubuike, but the Lions bullied them up front and forced enough mistakes from the Ravens’ offense to leave Baltimore victorious. The defense also cost the Ravens a win in Week 1, allowing 41 points to the Bills. Baltimore is supremely talented, but the Ravens are 1-5 against the Chiefs, Bills, Lions and Eagles dating to the start of last season. Those teams were four of the first five behind the Ravens in terms of shortest odds to win the Super Bowl entering Monday’s game. The common denominator in the losses is the offense being out of sorts and the defense not picking up the slack. There’s a legitimate case to be made that the Ravens could be 5-1 in those six games. Instead, this team can’t get out of its own way. 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