ExtremeRavens Posted yesterday at 09:35 PM Posted yesterday at 09:35 PM Here’s how the Ravens graded out at every position after a 44-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium: Quarterback This is my philosophy on doing grades: I treat it like physical education in high school. If you dress and participate but aren’t very good, you get a D. There are some occasions, like last week when the Ravens’ defense was horrible against Kansas City, that the entire group gets an F. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush wasn’t very good Sunday, but it’s basically what we saw in training camp. He had one long pass to Zay Flowers for 56 yards in the third quarter, but he consistently underthrew receivers, even on short passes. He had three interceptions and completed only 14 of 20 passes for 179 yards. He even tripped while dropping back during a goal line situation and finished with a passer rating of 58.1. Grade: D Running backs The Ravens have virtually no running game. After years of finishing No. 1 in the NFL, they have no home run hitter or short-yardage specialist with Derrick Henry (15 carries for 33 yards), Justice Hill or Keaton Mitchell. Henry had no rushing lanes and the Ravens wanted to use Mitchell as an outside threat, but Texans defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter got too much penetration. Right now, the running game is a shadow of itself. Grade: D Offensive line In simple terms, the Ravens can’t control the line of scrimmage. This group isn’t quick and explosive, and the Ravens can’t knock opposing players off the ball. This group is so ineffective that the Ravens run few counters and traps, and screens are out of the question. In fact, so are draw plays to slow down the rush. It made no difference who started Sunday. Without left tackle Ronnie Stanley, the chance of any possible upset dwindled, and guards Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees and right tackle Roger Rosengarten had very little impact. Grade: F Receivers Flowers had five catches for 72 yards, and tight ends Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar combined for four catches for 44 yards, but the Ravens were completely outclassed by Houston. Outside receiver DeAndre Hopkins had his moments, but the Ravens didn’t get receiver Rashod Bateman involved. It showed when Bateman didn’t even attempt to catch a long pass down the left sideline that was intercepted by cornerback Kamari Lassiter late in the game. It has become apparent that he either wants very little to do with this offense or wants to move on. Regardless, the Ravens don’t have much time to throw, which neutralizes any downfield threat. Grade: C- Defensive line This group was outmanned and outgunned by the Texans. The Ravens did get some penetration from linemen such as Aeneas Peebles, John Jenkins and Travis Jones, but they didn’t have the linebackers on the outside or the inside to back them up. Veteran reserve Brent Urban started, and that’s a sign that the Ravens are in trouble, especially in running situations. The Texans entered the game with the No. 23 rushing offense in the NFL, averaging 103.5 yards per game, but finished with 167 yards on the ground. Halfback Nick Chubb refused to be brought down, breaking several tackles and imposing his will on Baltimore. Grade: D Ravens vs. Texans, October 5, 2025 | PHOTOS Linebackers This group is hard to tolerate. Besides outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, the rest are hard to watch. The Ravens have wasted a lot of draft picks on this group, from first-rounder Odafe Oweh in 2021 to David Ojabo, a second-round pick in 2022. Neither can hold the edge, and neither can rush the quarterback. The only player who showed up Sunday was weakside linebacker Trenton Simpson, who finished with 10 tackles. Tavius Robinson wasn’t much of a factor. Mike Green, the rookie second-round pick out of Marshall last April, had two tackles, but the Texans ran at him at will, too. Rookie middle linebacker Teddye Buchanan, who started in the middle for injured veteran Roquan Smith and wore the green dot, was simply overpowered and outclassed in the middle. He finished with 15 tackles. The Texans had too much muscle. Grade: F Secondary There were times when this group looked totally lost, especially inside the red zone. The worst part is that there isn’t as much field to cover down there, and the Texans still looked like the old Houston team when Warren Moon was the quarterback. Houston ran cuts across the middle and some deep routes and did whatever they wanted. You can say that the Ravens were without safety Kyle Hamilton and nickel cornerback Marlon Humphrey, but they have played like the “Keystone Cops” for most of the season. The Ravens did occasionally pressure Stroud, but he completed 23 of 27 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns and finished with a passer rating of 144.1. This secondary is lost. Grade: F Special teams When Tyler Loop missed a 55-yard field goal attempt near the end of the half, the Ravens were in big trouble. They already had problems, but they had nothing to mount a comeback. The Ravens allowed too much yardage on kickoff returns (two for 58 yards). Punter Jordan Stout didn’t help with a 35-yard shank in the first half after his 61-yarder was nullified by a penalty. He averaged 45.5 yards on four punts. Grade: C Coaching The Ravens talked a good game this week, but neither the players nor the coaching staff could back it up. The Ravens were without eight injured starters, including five on defense, but their backups weren’t very good either. At no time during the game did the Ravens show anything that resembled an offensive or defensive game plan, and this team played with no poise or energy. Like most of the players, the Ravens dressed for physical education class, but the participation was lacking, especially Bateman refusing to attempt to go up and catch that pass from Rush. He then walked right by coach John Harbaugh on the sideline, who didn’t appear to say one word. That’s unacceptable. Grade: F Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk, right, catches a 47-yard pass before being tackled by Ravens safety Malaki Starks early in the fourth quarter Sunday. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article Quote
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