We haven't even reached the halfway point of the season, but pundits are already talking about Sunday's Ravens-Bills meeting in Buffalo being a must-win game for Baltimore.
The Ravens (4-3) have lost two straight to fall into last place in the AFC North.
The big question is whether Lamar Jackson will be able to play this week after missing the past three games with a high ankle sprain. Head Coach Jesse Minter said on Monday that "we'll know a lot more on Wednesday," but he thinks Jackson "will be in a decent spot."
ESPN's Dan Orlovsky said the Ravens are in a perilous situation if Jackson doesn't play.
"Their season's on the line," ESPN's Dan Orlovsky said on "Get Up." "You're going at Buffalo. You've lost two straight games. The conference is very top heavy. If he doesn't play, your season's on life support."
ESPN's Adam Schefter has a hunch Jackson will make his return in Buffalo.
"I would think he's going to play this week in Buffalo, but with him, he ultimately is not going to play until he feels like he's fully ready to do that," Schefter said. "I think it'll be this week, but let's see how the practice goes."
Jackson returned to practice as a limited participant last week, but noted on Friday that he was still experiencing pain. He said that if his mobility is hindered, he would be "doing a disservice" to the team.
"If I can just go out there and just be a statue and get hit, [there's] no positives in that," Jackson said. "That's not helping my team at all. I feel like I'm being selfish because it's about me at that point, you know, getting out there and be hurt. That's dumb."
Ben Solak Thinks Ravens' Pass Defense Disqualifies Them As a Super Bowl Contender
The Ravens' pass defense has been up and down this season. The second half of Sunday's loss was the epitome of the latter.
The Bengals scored touchdowns on their first five drives of the half, as quarterback Joe Burrow went 16-for-18 for 249 yards and four touchdowns and had a perfect passer rating (158.3). Wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combined for 11 catches, 210 yards and two touchdowns.
ESPN’s Ben Solak said the issue for the Ravens' pass defense "is explicitly in coverage, not pass rush."
"Baltimore is getting enough pressure in obvious passing situations (42%, above league average) but is entirely unable to close on routes," Solak wrote. "On these obvious passing downs, 40% are thrown to 'open' receivers with at least 3 yards of separation, the third-highest rate in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats charting.
"Why can't the Ravens play stickier coverage? Well, they are a zone-heavy team under Jesse Minter, and they remain so in clear passing downs (61% zone coverage, 12th among defenses). Baltimore doesn't really have the personnel to play man coverage across the board."
Solak thinks the pass defense disqualifies the Ravens as a Super Bowl contender.
"I'm not sure where salvation comes for Baltimore," Solak wrote. "About 49% of my brain says Minter is a great defensive coach and the Ravens will become much, much tighter in their zones as the season goes on. Minter's defenses in Los Angeles were notoriously well connected and keyed in on tendency, but the Ravens' group has been the opposite through seven weeks. Those tides can change.
"But 51% of my brain says their talent just isn't good enough to make a playoff run through some trio of [Josh] Allen, Burrow, Drake Maye, Patrick Mahomes and Trevor Lawrence. More time together under Minter will help clean up some spacing issues – they'll be much better the next time they play the Bengals, I'm sure – but too many players are making too many mistakes for me to believe in the healing magic of friendship and communication. If the Ravens have to man up anybody right now ... I'm probably picking the other guys to win the down."
Pundit Wonders Whether It's Time to Worry About Derrick Henry
An inefficient running game has been a major factor in the offense scoring just 23 points (two touchdowns, three field goals) over the past two games.
During that span, running back Derrick Henry has a combined 103 yards on 34 carries (3.03 yards per carry). Henry, who rushed for seven touchdowns over the first four games of the season, has just one touchdown over the past three games, and that was a receiving score in Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons.
For the season, Henry is averaging a career-low 3.9 yards per carry, and his 82.7 yards per game is his lowest since 2023 (68.6), his final season with the Tennessee Titans.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell said it's especially worrisome that Henry has struggled in short-yardage situations, and he wonders if it's time to start worrying about the five-time Pro Bowler.
"With Jackson out of the lineup, the Ravens have leaned heavily on Henry to convert relatively short distances for first downs," Barnwell wrote. "Henry has 27 carries with 1-2 yards to go for a first down or touchdown this season, the most of any player in the NFL. Running backs convert these into first downs about 65% of the time. Henry is 11-for-27 (40.8%). He has scored just one touchdown on seven carries from inside the 2-yard line, for a combined minus-4 yards. By the NFL Next Gen Stats model, Henry has generated six fewer first downs than an average back would have in the same situations in short yardage this season, the worst mark in the league.
"Henry's a legend, and his résumé is too substantial to give up on him after a mediocre six-game stretch. Henry should be better with Jackson on the field, and the Ravens are hoping to get them both back together for that Sunday rematch with the Bills. But the Ravens have to be watching and worried about what's going on here. They'll need to start giving serious consideration to running Jackson in short-yardage more often, even if it creates more injury risk."
The Ravens' inability to consistently run the ball doesn't fall entirely on Henry'sshoulders. The slew of injuries on the offensive line hasn't helped.
"We've certainly had a little bit of flux on the O-line, but that's not an excuse to say that we shouldn't be able to run the ball with who we have," Minter said. "It's figuring out what you're really good at, finding ways to window-dress the things that you're really good at and not have to have a million different things. I think that's the constant search that we're in right now."
Zay Flowers Makes PFF's Team of the Week
Wide receiver Zay Flowers was named to Pro Football Focus’ Team of the Week after catching eight passes for 137 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals on Sunday.
Flowers had a 90.7 grade, the Ravens' highest grade by far and the third-highest mark for a wide receiver in Week 7. He has surpassed 100 yards in three of the six games he's played this season.
