ExtremeRavens Posted Sunday at 07:54 PM Posted Sunday at 07:54 PM One yard, three tries. First, it was Ravens tight end Mark Andrews on consecutive tush-push plays. Then, a handoff to Derrick Henry that went backward 2 yards. Baltimore’s inability to cross the Los Angeles Rams’ goal line on three straight cracks at the end of the first half Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium was emblematic. Of an offense that has looked dysfunctional without injured quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson, its struggles the closer the ball gets to the end zone, but mostly a floundering Super Bowl favorite that is spiraling with five losses, including four in a row in its first six games. The Ravens (1-5) turned the ball over three times, failed to convert three of four fourth-down tries, and even with Derrick Henry (122 yards, 24 carries) becoming the first running back to crack the 100-yard rushing mark against the Rams this season, stumbled their way through a 17-3 loss to Los Angeles (4-2). Baltimore held Matt Stafford to 17 of 26 passing for 181 yards and one touchdown, while running back Kyren Williams had 50 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, but it didn’t matter. Not for a Ravens offense that managed just 296 total yards, including just 72 through the air on 11 of 19 completions from backup Cooper Rush, who was also intercepted once and fumbled once before being replaced early in the fourth quarter by Tyler Huntley, who finished 10-for-15 passing for 68 yards while running for 39 yards on three carries. And even when Huntley sparked the offense and the crowd, it turned out to be short-lived. After driving Baltimore from its own 11-yard line to the Rams’ 15, the offensive line collapsed and Huntley’s fourth-and-10 desperation toss to Rashod Bateman fell incomplete. On his knees after the ball had fallen harmlessly to the ground, he put his hands out in helplessness. It was a scene that had repeated throughout the day. At one point, as the Ravens were on their way to failing to punch it in from the 1-yard line, Henry threw his hands up in exasperation. Later, after Zay Flowers, whose fumble at his own 36-yard line early in the third quarter to set up a touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Higbee two plays later, spiked his helmet in disgust. Ravens vs. Rams, October 12, 2025 | PHOTOS The frustration was palpable all afternoon, at least for those who bore witness with a stadium that had a lot of empty seats in the upper level at kickoff. Still, for the first 30 minutes, it felt like a game between two teams dueling to see which one could do less with more. Baltimore’s struggles on both sides of the ball have been well-documented, with a defense that hasn’t been able to stop anyone and an offense that has been out of sync and lackluster without Jackson. The Rams, meanwhile, have had a habit of playing down to teams this season, and it showed in their opening two series. First, they marched 57 yards to the Baltimore 8-yard line only for Stafford to inexplicably misfire on two straight passes to an open Adams, first across the back of the end zone and then on a fade. Then, Josh Karty doinked a 26-yard field goal try off the right upright in what’s been a continuation of their special teams woes. But not to be outdone, Baltimore turned the ball over on its next possession as Rush made an ill-advised late throw across the middle to a well-covered Flowers, and it was intercepted by Quentin Lake. The comedic back and forth continued one play later, with defensive tackle John Jenkins bullying his way through the middle of the Rams’ offensive line to strip-sack Stafford and recover the fumble. The Ravens couldn’t capitalize, though. On a fourth-and-3 from the Rams’ 34, rather than attempt a field goal in the breezy conditions, they decided to go for it. Rush’s fade up the right side sailed over the blanketed Flowers. That eventually led to a 36-yard field goal by Karty to even things early in the second quarter. Baltimore had a chance to surge ahead just before the half, but its ineptitude from near the goal line reared its ugly head again. After a 36-yard punt return by Wester — whose fumble on the first attempt was wiped out by a penalty on the Rams — the Ravens eventually worked their way to the 1-yard line and were poised to finally find the end zone. Except they couldn’t get across the goal line on two straight tush-pushes with Andrews and a handoff to Henry. Coming into the week, Baltimore scored a touchdown on goal-to-go situations just 67% of the time, and that number rose with its fourth failure in seven attempts. It also marked the first time in three years that the Ravens had gone consecutive weeks without scoring a touchdown in the first half. Now, they are in more unfamiliar territory: In last place in the AFC North, three games back in the win column of the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers. The bye week can’t get here soon enough for the Ravens. They will get healthier with Jackson expected and others expected to return. Without Jackson, the Ravens have gone 4-11 and lost five straight in that span. They also haven’t scored more than 17 points in any of those games. The question is, will they have enough time to recover? Only four teams in NFL history have started 1-5 and gone on to make the playoffs, with the Commanders (7-9) in 2020 the most recent to do so. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. A dejected coach John Harbaugh looks on after the Ravens turned the ball over on downs at the goal line in the second quarter. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article Quote
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