Pundits Express Concerns About Ravens' Offense
The Ravens' red zone struggles and inconsistent passing attack have some pundits wondering if there is cause for concern for an offense that was expected to be elite again this season.
Baltimore was No. 1 in red zone offense last season, scoring touchdowns 74.2% of the time. Over the past two games, the Ravens have scored just three touchdowns in nine red zone trips (33.3%). Against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, the Ravens settled for field goals on two possessions in which they had first-and-goal inside the 10-yard line. For the season, the Ravens rank 28th in red-zone offense, scoring touchdowns 47.2% of the time.
"Their inefficiency in the cramped space near the goal line made sense when Lamar Jackson was injured, but now that he's back, they're operating with essentially the same playmakers who made them so deadly in 2024," The Baltimore Banner’s Childs Walker wrote. "And still defenses keep stuffing Derrick Henry and blanketing Jackson's targets at a puzzling rate.
"Have the Ravens become too predictable? Is it that Jackson's mobility is diminished in the wake of the hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games? It's easier for defenses to key on Henry if they don't fear a Jackson keeper or rollout. Or perhaps we should blame an offensive line that can't move bodies when the defense knows a run is coming and can't keep an elite pass rusher — they don't come more elite than the Browns' Myles Garrett, who finished with four sacks and five tackles for loss — from destroying Jackson's pocket."
As for the passing game, the Ravens are 29th in yards after being seventh last season. The Ravens have had 200+ passing yards in a game just once this season (223 against the Detroit Lions in Week 3).
Jackson was sharp in his first game back from injury, going 18-for-23 (78.3%) for 204 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9. Over the past two games against the Minnesota Vikings and Browns, Jackson was 31-for-54 (57.4%) for 369 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Jackson, who missed last Wednesday's practice due to knee soreness, isn't running as frequently or productively as he has in the past. The all-time and single-season leader in rushing yards for a quarterback, Jackson has run for 60 yards on 18 carries (3.3 yards per carry) in the three games since his return.
Even though the Ravens (5-5) have won four straight games to pull within one game of the first-place Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) in the AFC North, “Good Morning Football’s” Kyle Brandt doesn't think they can make a deep playoff run without Jackson playing at an MVP level.
"[Sunday's game against the Browns] by Lamar's amazing standards was a poor game. You don't really see Lamar play any worse than that," Brandt said. "We can't have that. If Lamar is going to play even average, it's not going to happen. … I left this game saying that 'come running thing' from the Ravens probably isn't going to happen, just because they didn't look good."
Another way to look at it is that the Ravens are winning even with the offense not hitting on all cylinders. The unit has an abundance of playmakers with a proven track record, starting with Jackson, who has a .733 winning percentage.
When Head Coach John Harbaugh was asked Monday about Jackson's performance in the past two games, he said: "He is winning games. Finding ways to win the game – that's what counts; that's what matters, and I think Lamar did a great job in both of those games of playing that kind of winning football."
Harbaugh also dismissed the notion that Jackson is less of a threat as a runner this season.
"Next thing you know, Lamar will break out and run for 100 yards," Harbaugh said. "So, that's always – I'm sure defenses have to consider that as a possibility, and that's a good thing for us."
If the offense and drastically improved defense play to their potential going forward, the Ravens will be scary.
Marlon Humphrey Reveals Who Came Up With 'Hurricane'
One of the most talked about plays in the NFL in Week 11 was the Ravens' "Hurricane," the fake "tush push" that saw tight end Mark Andrews run for a game-winning 35-yard touchdown.
Harbaugh said after the game that "a good idea has many fathers," but cornerback Marlon Humphrey said this particular idea was fathered by Harbaugh.
"I go up to an offensive coach, I'm like, 'Dude, who came up with that play? I've never seen that. We ran that in practice?'" Humphrey said on his podcast. "They're like, 'Man, Harbs came up with it.' I go up to Harbs after the game and I'm like, 'Hey, you a bad man. You're a bad freaking man.' He said he came up with it. He said obviously, it was a team effort on how it was going to work, but he came up with it."
Henry Is Trending Up
After failing to rush for more than 50 yards from Weeks 2-5, Henry has gotten back on track.
The five-time Pro Bowl running back has had 100+ rushing yards in three of his past five games and is averaging 98 yards per game in that span.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski named Henry the Ravens' biggest winner in their 23-16 win over the Browns.
"The Browns were able to limit Henry on several runs, but he found the end zone and later set up Tyler Loop's game-tying field goal with a 59-yard scamper," Sobleski wrote.
The 59-yard run was the longest this season for Henry, who finished the game with 103 yards on 18 carries. It was his fourth 100-yard rushing game this season. Only the Indianapolis Colts' Jonathan Taylor (five) and Buffalo Bills' James Cook III (five) have more.
Ravens Have Better Odds of Winning AFC North Now Than Before Start of Season
The Ravens were heavily favored to win the AFC North before the season started. Surprisingly, their odds of capturing the division crown are even better now even though they're currently in second place.
"FanDuel gives Baltimore -280 odds to win the AFC North, with Pittsburgh (6-4) holding +260 odds," The Baltimore Sun’s Bennett Conlin wrote. "Interestingly, Baltimore began the year as a -155 favorite to win the division. Despite starting 1-5 and dealing with a rash of injuries, the Ravens actually have better odds to win the AFC North than before the first week of the season."
Conlin noted that the Ravens' remaining strength of schedule is the 21st-toughtest in the league, while the Steelers' ranks ninth.
"The Steelers also have a significant injury issue to monitor. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers injured his left wrist and could miss at least one game because of the injury," Conlin wrote. "Mason Rudolph is the team's backup quarterback, should Rodgers miss time. The Steelers play the Bears, Bills and Ravens in the coming three weeks."
The Ravens are looking to become the first team to win three consecutive AFC North titles.
- Veteran defensive tackle Khalen Saunders is reportedly expected to sign with the New York Jets. The Ravens were reportedly among the teams that had "strong interest" in Saunders, who was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.
