- The Baltimore Ravens fell to 1-5 after a 17-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, prompting fan frustration.
- Baltimore’s offense struggled, failing to score a touchdown despite running three plays from the one-yard line in a row at one point.
- Injuries have plagued the team, including to quarterback Lamar Jackson, though he is expected to return after the bye week.
In the history of bye weeks, perhaps this is the most-needed one for a preseason Super Bowl contender
Zay Flowers can’t hold onto the football. Cooper Rush can’t command the offense. The defense has backups’ backups playing due to injuries (but did play admirably against a high-powered and rested Rams offense). Fans called for head coach John Harbaugh’s job with cries of “Fire Harbaugh!” as the Ravens fell to the Los Angeles Rams, 17-3, on Sunday, Oct. 12.
Those people are delusional, of course. Not even a healthy Lamar Jackson hamstring could make the Ravens, a popular pick by pundits and “experts” to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Santa Clara in February, whole – or a team worthy of (or close to) contending.
But that doesn’t change how rock-bottom everything feels around the team at the moment.
“The only worse thing is 0-6, so yes, it’s a big hole,” center Tyler Linderbaum told reporters in the locker room. “We’re going to have to bounce back, take some time to reflect on this bye week, figure (out) what we need to get better at, and we have 11 games left to try to run the table.”
Running back Derrick Henry can only do so much. Credit to the offensive line for a nice push on the opening drive, which opened enough holes for Henry to plow for 45 yards. He finished with 122, the first time he ran for more than 100 yards since his Week 1 outburst against the Buffalo Bills. But the Ravens never found the end zone, not on that successful opening possession or when they ran three straight plays from the one-yard line late in the second quarter.
The Ravens called two tush pushes with tight end Mark Andrews in what was an insult to the operation of the much-maligned Philadelphia Eagles operation. Andrews was stood up both times. They tried Henry on fourth down and he was stopped for a loss of two.
“As an offense, we pride ourselves on having a lot of playmakers and being able to score points, which we didn’t do today when we got down there,” Henry said, referencing himself and the Ravens’ receiver contingent of DeAndre Hopkins, Rashod Bateman and Flowers. “They held us out of the end zone on those three plays, which we all know we have to be better and get the ball in there on the one-yard line. That’s unacceptable.”
The boos only grew louder, whether it was one of three turnovers on downs or the three actual turnovers.
Flowers was at the center of two fumbles, the second of which was credited to quarterback Cooper Rush. The former Dallas Cowboy has proved ill-suited to be Jackson’s backup in Todd Monken’s offense, and head coach John Harbaugh replaced him with Tyler “Snoop” Huntley in the fourth quarter.
Flowers did not stick around after the game to speak with reporters.
“We work extremely hard,” running back Justice Hill said. “This is not a great reflection of the work we put in.”
Finding an empty seat at M&T Bank Stadium in recent seasons has been a difficult proposition. Not during Sunday’s game. Roughly one-third of the seats were available by the start of the fourth.
Harbaugh has grown “tired” of having the same conversation every week. He tried to be optimistic after the fourth consecutive loss and anticipates Jackson’s return in Week 8 after the bye against the Chicago Bears.
“You can’t replace him,” Hill said. “Getting him back obviously will be a huge deal for our offense.”
The Ravens’ defense held the Rams to lows in total yards (241) and net passing yards (167). Los Angeles entered the game averaging 401.8 total yards per game and 289.6 net passing yards per game – ranking second in the NFL in both categories. The defense could get Roquan Smith back soon as well. Safety Alohi Gilman (seven tackles), acquired from the Los Angeles Chargers for edge rusher Odafe Oweh last week, fared well.
“I thought our defense played pretty darn well against a high-powered offense,” Harbaugh said. “It was good to see. We needed to see that.”
“I’ve been on a lot of teams,” the 13-year veteran said,” but I think in critical situations, we have to be better, like in the red zone down there. In certain situations, we have to be better. I think that’s not just on the coaches, but the players, as well.”
The bye week is a time for healing – physically, yes. Baltimore needs some emotional and spiritual healing to flush this nightmare third of a season.
At 1-5, the opening in the AFC North – although the season is only 33.3% over – is slim (even with the struggling Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns) because of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 4-1 start. Only four teams in NFL history have made the postseason after starting 1-5.
Or it could be a year like the San Francisco 49ers experienced last season – an expected contender whose injuries simply sank them. (Speaking of which, the Niners could be confronting a similar reality after the loss of Fred Warner on Sunday.)
“When we come back, it’s a brand new season,” Hill said, “a brand new game.”