It’s as bad as you think it is. It’s probably worse than you think it is, which is really saying something.
The Ravens are 1-4. They haven’t been particularly competitive in their last two games and were shoved around in the game before that, although the score was closer. Their inactive list for a blowout loss to the Texans (a team they had previously never lost to at home) was full of Pro Bowl-caliber players, including their two-time MVP quarterback. Their young star defensive tackle, in the second year of a four-year deal worth roughly $100 million, may never play football again.
And they have to play a rested, pissed-off, outstanding Rams team on Oct. 12.
Questions about the word “quit” are being thrown around frequently and reasonably. Everyone is a body language expert all of a sudden. This is the stink of losing. Losing is the worst thing that can happen to a team. It permeates. It is a stench that doesn’t come out no matter how much you spray. It doesn’t matter how you got there. It doesn’t matter whether you think you can get out of it. In the moment, “losing” is debilitating. It is your identity. It is inescapable.
That’s where the Ravens are at the moment. They are gasping for breath. They’ve had bad luck within games and far worse luck in the health department. But bad luck isn’t relevant right now. Only their reality is. And their reality is bleak.
The only important question in the moment is, “Can it be fixed?” I don’t know the answer, truthfully. John Harbaugh almost certainly won’t be fired, because it remains impractical. Firing a coach doesn’t make things better. Only one team in the last 60 years (the 2023 Raiders) has even made the playoffs after firing their coach. Firing a head coach merely creates another lame-duck head coach. It is an awful situation, not a desirable one.
If the Ravens continue to spiral (and they might), firing Harbaugh is very much in the conversation. He has to wear this as much (if not more) than anyone else. The players might not be good enough, but his incongruent decision-making stands out. For example, he chose to kick a field goal on fourth-and-3 on from the Houston 9-yard line on the first possession of the game despite how beat up his defense was. The overall lack of response from his team to whatever the messaging is also stands out.
The injuries have hurt, but Harbaugh isn’t getting the job done. He’ll inevitably have to answer for that if it doesn’t change.
It would be easy to say, “If they fall to 1-5, they’re done anyway. They might as well fire John Harbaugh because it’s inevitable.” And I get it. But it’s not fully true. The schedule does break after the bye while the Steelers’ schedule becomes quite daunting. If they get some of their significant pieces back after the bye, they at least have the chance to go on some kind of run. They can’t bail on the season yet.
But that doesn’t mean they can’t be proactive. Harbaugh continued to defend defensive coordinator Zach Orr after the most recent embarrassment. I think his desire to protect his coordinator is both honorable and perhaps even honest. Harbaugh might genuinely believe that none of this is specifically Orr’s fault, but that doesn’t make it acceptable. Perhaps the Rams game gives Orr one more chance to prove he can fix things. The Week 7 bye is better timing to make a move.
There’s no hiding from the reality. The Ravens’ best pass rushers were on the field for the loss to the Texans. The only rush they generated before the game turned into a blowout was a play in which the Texans simply forgot to block Kyle Van Noy. The lack of rush is indefensible. Perhaps they haven’t done enough to upgrade that group in general from a personnel standpoint, but success required getting the most out of this group. They are getting nothing from them. That falls squarely on Orr and it is disqualifying.
There are other problems. The offensive line has regressed. Special teams aren’t helping. None of it is working. The Ravens can look to be active in the trade market, but a 1-5 record might limit how much future capital they choose to part ways with. Still, simply hoping it improves isn’t an option. Barring a complete about-face against the Rams, real change is required — starting with the defensive coordinator.
And if that doesn’t work, dramatic change will be needed by year’s end. They’re on the clock.
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