Without question, the Ravens need to find answers for their defense.
They lead the NFL in points allowed (35.4 per game) and are on pace to become the first team to allow 600 points in a season.
With Kyle Hamilton, Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey, and Chidobe Awuzie injured and inactive, Baltimore surrendered a season-high 44 points in Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans. Regardless of who's in the lineup, it will be difficult for Baltimore (1-4) to turn around its season without the defense turning it up.
The Ravens had major defensive issues early in 2024 and became a sound defensive team, giving Head Coach John Harbaugh more reason to believe they can find solutions again.
"I feel confident, a little bit because of that and also because I feel like we are in a better place than we were last year," Harbaugh said. "Last year, there were some real challenges, and we were able to get those things turned around and fixed, and I talk about the defensive staff and [Defensive coordinator] Zach [Orr]; that was impressive, and I feel like these things that you're seeing right now are more fixable even."
Here are five areas of focus for the Ravens' defense heading into their Week 6 home game against the Los Angeles Rams:
Stopping the Run
The Ravens are allowing the fourth-most rushing yards per game (146.4) after allowing the fewest in the league last season (80.1).
Injuries have played a part in that drop-off, but the Ravens were relatively healthy when the Lions rushed for 224 yards on "Monday Night Football" in Week 3. Against an injury-riddled Ravens defense on Sunday, the Texans ran for 167 yards, their largest output on the ground all season.
Even if Pro Bowl linebacker Smith returns to the lineup soon, the Ravens will be without Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) for the rest of the season. Defensive tackle Broderick Washington Jr. (ankle) is on injured reserve and will miss at least the next two games.
Defensive tackles John Jenkins, Travis Jones, and C.J. Okoye are likely to carry a heavy load this season. But despite the Texans averaging 5.1 yards per carry on Sunday, Harbaugh saw some encouraging signs.
"We stopped the run, I thought, pretty effectively, when you watch the tape, except for two plays," Harbaugh said. "But yet, they bleed us three and four yards more than I want. I want to see those three [yards] to be nones and 1-yard plays. And I want to see the five- and six-yard plays be three-yard plays. That's what we can detail and just be better."
Improving the Pass Rush
Baltimore finished second in the NFL in sacks last season (54), but only two teams have fewer sacks than the Ravens (six) in 2025.
There are several reasons why sacks and quarterback pressures have been hard to come by. When opponents pass on first down, the Ravens' pass rush isn't creating enough pressure. When opponents run on first down, they are consistently finding success.
Stiffening the run defense would also help the Ravens improve their pass rush. The Ravens aren't forcing opponents into obvious passing situations where they can freely tee off on the quarterback or call more exotic blitzes.
Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who led Baltimore in sacks last season, returned to the lineup against Houston and had a sack after a two-game absence. Van Noy's return should help the other pass rushers as well, but Harbaugh wants to see a stronger and more consistent rush.
"It has to be better on all three downs," Harbaugh said. "We have to find a way to manufacture more pass rush on all three downs. I'd like to see us in third-and-long a lot more."
Better Pass Coverage
According to NextGen Stats, the Ravens defense uses the sixth-highest man-coverage percentage (38.9%) and sixth-lowest zone coverage rate (61.1%). The Ravens are the 10th-lowest team in press coverage percentage (17.3%), and the ninth-highest in off-coverage percentage (61.3%).
Whether playing man or zone, the Ravens have allowed too many completions where receivers have enjoyed a cushion to make uncontested catches. Harbaugh said the Ravens have not been in more "soft" coverage by design, but with five rookies in their starting defensive lineup against Houston, the inexperience was a factor.
"The Texans played a bunch of zone and they played it better than we played it, "Harbaugh said. "They played spot-drop zone [coverage], too, and match zone, just like we do. They play them both, so I would say that we have to play them better, and we have to react quicker when we do play zone."
Harbaugh said he wasn't opposed to playing more man-to-man, but if the pass rush doesn't improve, it will make defenders in man-to-man coverage vulnerable. It takes healthy defenders to play man-to-man effectively, so when the Ravens get healthier, their frequency of man-to-man coverage could rise.
Forcing More Turnovers
Baltimore and the Green Bay Packers are tied for next-to-last with just two takeaways this season.
The Ravens desperately wanted to force more takeaways this season, to make that part of their defensive DNA. But it hasn't happened yet, and that has made them more vulnerable to long, methodical drives.
"We have to find a way to create plays, manufacture pressure, get some tip balls, get some balls batted, step in front of some passes, and get some picks," Harbaugh said. "We have to put pressure on the [opposing] offense more than we have."
The Ravens may have taken a step in that direction Tuesday with the reported signing of safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who had six interceptions for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 and 2024.
Getting Healthier
When more injured defensive players return, better defensive play should follow. The injuries the Ravens have suffered aren't an excuse, but they are a fact. They've lost more talented players due to injuries on defense this season than any team in the NFL.
Younger players have stepped into bigger roles sooner than expected. Rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan wore the green dot helmet against Houston, relaying defensive calls to teammates. Undrafted rookie Reuben Lowery III played all 70 defensive snaps. The Ravens had five rookies in their defensive starting lineup.
Having a bye in Week 7 looks like a blessing for Baltimore and Harbaugh said he expects to get some players back this week. For the players who don't return to face the Rams, it will give them an extra week to rehab at a time when it's sorely needed.
