ExtremeRavens Posted Sunday at 10:58 PM Posted Sunday at 10:58 PM The boos at M&T Bank Stadium had already started, but they intensified after the Ravens somehow failed to punch it in from the 1-yard line — an inexplicable three-play sequence that ended with nothing but frustration echoing through the building near the end of the first half. The boos were sharp and unrelenting, loud enough to seep through the thick press box glass. That’s what led me to wander out to the 500 level at halftime, curious to stand among a few family members and the disgruntled 70,000-plus in attendance (paid attendance, anyway), an opportunity to see what this 17-3 loss to the Los Angles Rams looked like through Flock Nation’s eyes and to fully hear the discontent from a fan base that expected much more. Section 529 overlooks the Ravens’ sideline, a perfect perch to take in the unraveling that happened moments later. Even from way up there, nothing felt distant. The Lamar Jackson-less Ravens opened the second half with back-to-back turnovers, shiny gifts the Rams quickly turned into a pair of touchdowns. Baltimore’s top wide receiver, Zay Flowers, was involved in both ugly sequences; he first fumbled while trying to gain extra yards and then botched a handoff from veteran backup quarterback Cooper Rush. As Flowers and company slowly retreated to the sideline, the boos poured in even louder as pockets of fans simultaneously streamed toward the exits. The irony in all of this is that Baltimore commanded the exact type of slugfest it wanted Sunday afternoon. The Ravens dominated the clock, holding the ball for more than 37 minutes compared with the Rams’ 22:05. All-Pro tailback Derrick Henry finally exploded for one of his best outings of the season (24 carries for 122 yards), hammering through the Rams’ first and second levels of defenders and dictating tempo in Baltimore’s favor. This was the type of game the Ravens used to dominate with a bruising rush attack paired with a disciplined and much-improved defense that limited the high-powered Rams to a season-low 241 yards. The Ravens also finally ended a four-week takeaway drought when veteran defensive lineman John Jenkins strip-sacked quarterback Matthew Stafford. According to the franchise’s history and standard, this looked much more like Ravens football. Yet, Baltimore was held out of the end zone, its offense sputtering time and time again, undone by its own repetitive mistakes. “Bad football will get you 1-5,” veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins said. “Whatever you put out there … that’s how football works. When the other team is not playing bad football and doing whatever they need to do, that’s the result, man.” The Ravens committed three turnovers, seven penalties, and went 0-for-3 in the red zone, unable to capitalize on a much-needed bounce-back performance from their defense. There should be absolutely no place in today’s modern NFL in which Baltimore spends nearly 38 minutes with the ball but walks away with no touchdowns. “When it comes down to it, who wants it more?” center Tyler Linderbaum said. “[The Rams] wanted it more than us.” That failure isn’t just about three poor play calls flaming out within four feet of the pylon. Rather, Baltimore’s latest failure is unveiling a pattern that’s formed over the season’s first six weeks. “We made some critical mistakes that cost us an opportunity to win the game,” Harbaugh said. “That’s what we have to get straightened out. That’ll be the key going forward.” Many seats were empty in the fourth quarter Sunday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) From my view above the home sideline, the mood on the bench reflected the fed-up crowd. Helmets and heads hung lower with each mistake. Words exchanged between players carried a sense of added frustration. The sense of stability this team has leaned on for years — the trademark calm under Harbaugh — felt like it was disappearing just as it did in the team’s other four disappointing defeats. The Ravens have spent weeks saying that they need to clean things up, that they have too much talent to be where they are. But ceilings and talent don’t matter when Baltimore keeps tripping over itself. This team continues to find new ways to lose, and on Sunday, that played out in front of a restless fan base. To be clear, this isn’t a call to fire Harbaugh as the team enters the much-needed bye. Over the next 14 days until Baltimore’s next game against Chicago, Harbaugh’s renowned stability and longtime messaging need a deep revisit, along with the team’s many issues. Getting Jackson back in the starting lineup will be key, too (you can only imagine the Ravens beat the Rams handily if he’s in the huddle paired with the defense’s rebound outing), as Baltimore approaches a softer part of its schedule. “You can’t allow the weight of the disappointment or the weight of the scrutiny to derail you,” Harbaugh said. “We can accomplish what we want to accomplish. We can do it. We’re the kind of team that can do it.” The Ravens face a herculean task over the season’s final 10 weeks coming out of their Week 7 bye. Only four teams in NFL history have started 1-5 and still made the playoffs. Under the league’s current playoff format that was implemented in 2020, only the 2020 Washington Commanders have accomplished the feat. Back in the upper bowl at The Bank, the boos and expletives directed toward the home team represented a passionate but tired fan base. Down on the field, the skidding Ravens dropped their fourth consecutive game, looking like a lost team in desperate need of direction. 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 Quote
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