Will the Ravens Franchise QB’s Return Be Enough to Salvage Their Season?
Through five weeks of the 2025-26 season, few fans or experts would have predicted that the Baltimore Ravens, who entered the year with Super Bowl odds of +650, would see their season spiral so quickly. After a 1-4 start, their championship odds have plummeted to +1,700. Injuries have ravaged both sides of the ball, forcing Baltimore to start five rookies on defense in their most recent game: a 44-10 home blowout loss to the Houston Texans. Key players like safety Kyle Hamilton, cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie, linebacker Roquan Smith, fullback Patrick Ricard, left tackle Ronnie Stanley, and, most importantly, quarterback Lamar Jackson, all missed the game due to injury. Jackson suffered a hamstring injury in Week Four against the Chiefs. As a result, head coach John Harbaugh handed the reins to backup Cooper Rush, formerly of the Cowboys, but the Ravens couldn’t overcome their inexperience and poor execution. The defense struggled to contain Houston, and the offense failed to produce, with star running back Derrick Henry limited to just 33 yards on 15 carries, averaging only 2.2 yards per attempt.
Despite Lamar Jackson’s eventual return, likely after their upcoming bye week following a must-win matchup against the Rams, serious questions remain. Can Jackson, a two-time MVP, rescue Baltimore’s season again and at least push the team into playoff contention? Or has the team already dug itself too deep a hole, just as they did last year following a 0-2 start? Even when Jackson was healthy, the Ravens managed just one win, against the struggling Browns in Week Two. The defense, led by second-year coordinator Zach Orr, has again failed to show signs of being a competent unit. While they rebounded in the second half of last season, this year has been worse, plagued by injuries and underperformance. Star defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike is out for the year with a neck injury, and soft tissue injuries have sidelined several others. Even with their full lineup earlier in the season, the Ravens' defense struggled, allowing massive gains both through the air and on the ground. They currently rank second-worst in yards allowed per game at 408.8 and dead last in points allowed, surrendering an average of 35.4 per game.
This defensive collapse has put enormous pressure on the offense to play nearly perfect football. Plus, while the Ravens have been among the highest-scoring teams with Jackson under center, averaging 32.8 points per game in his four starts, it hasn’t been enough. The silver lining? After their bye, Baltimore’s schedule becomes more manageable, with games against the Bears, Dolphins, Browns, Jets, and the Bengals and Vikings, both of whom are without their starting quarterbacks, Joe Burrow and J.J. McCarthy. If the Ravens can somehow upset the Rams and enter the bye at 2-4, there’s still hope. With Jackson, they always have a chance. Yet, the question remains: can even a player of Jackson’s caliber carry a team with such glaring defensive deficiencies? Or is it time for a major shake-up, with growing pressure mounting on both Zach Orr and John Harbaugh, whose seats are getting hotter in Baltimore, and nationally?
