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Good, Bad & Ugly: “[The Rams] wanted it more than us”

Monday, October 13, 2025 15:49
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The Ravens fell to the LA Rams by the score of 17-3. If not for several dropped passes, the outcome could have been much worse, so let’s not be deceived by the score and conclude that the lights have finally come on for Zach Orr’s defense. That is still to be determined. The loss drops the Ravens to a pathetic (1-5) on the season.

A favorite to win the AFC North just a week ago despite a (1-4) record, the Ravens are now underdogs in the North. The Steelers at (4-1) are now the favorites and there’s little reason to think that things will change despite the season being just 6 weeks old. It’s been a long 6 weeks and the bye week will feel like an eternity.

For the next 2 weeks, the stench of this start will linger like road kill on a freshly tarred boulevard during the sweltering days of July.

Only four teams have survived a (1-5) start to recover and punch their postseason dance card. When reminded of the daunting odds facing the Ravens, head coach John Harbaugh quipped: “Good, good. What an opportunity.”

Maybe John should be focused more upon his next job opportunity.

But I digress.


Statistics courtesy of Sports Illustrated

Fan Interest

Given the nature of what I do for a living, friends and acquaintances will oftentimes want to discuss the Ravens in good times and in bad. Usually, the passion is evident but lately the emotional investment in the team has weaned. Apathy has crept in and that’s the last thing owner Steve Bisciotti wants. It’s also a detriment to local area businesses that depend in part on fan interest in local teams.

It started with the Orioles. Expectations were high but from the jump, the 2025 season was a disaster. So, fans turned their attention towards the Ravens, hoping that the promise of the epic season forecasted by many observers both locally and nationally would come to fruition. If anything, so far, the Ravens season is worse than the extreme disappointment hurled up by their Camden Yards neighbors.

Rams beat Ravens

Fans aren’t showing up. Tickets can be purchased in the secondary market for a little more than a Happy Meal at McDonald’s. Concession sales are tanking along with team swag. I’m told that Lot H, once overflowing with pregame energy and good times was essentially an abandoned parking lot. Chants of “Fire Harbaugh” cascaded down from the fans who hung around for most of the game.

And then, during the postgame interviews we’re “treated” to exasperated players sharing things such as, “They wanted it more than us” (Tyler Linderbaum) and “They were just better at the line of scrimmage” (Derrick Henry).

Truthful for sure but these thoughts do little to reverse the apathetic trend. If anything, they feed that undesirable beast of apathy – a death knell to a franchise’s reputation.

So now, even the players are seemingly sliding down the slippery slope of apathy. The pregame pep talks intended to inspire are devoid of emotion. I don’t see players getting pissed off. I don’t see teammates demanding more from each other. I don’t see a team in the truest sense.

The culture of the Ravens has morphed into blandness. The team has no identity. They lack leaders. Instead of a proud franchise that once stood for something –grit, toughness, physicality and tirelessness, they’ve become homogenized nothingness. They more closely resemble passe clubs like the Falcons, Cardinals and Saints. And those teams don’t blow leads like the Ravens do.

Now sitting at (1-5) and heading into the bye, there will be a lot of self-reflection, hopefully. Players who have one-year deals and those who are pending free agents may start to look at the 2025 season through a different lens. Many will look to protect themselves. Some may play for themselves – for their next contract, and all of that comes at the expense of the team.

Such thoughts aren’t reserved for just the players. The coaching staff will begin to wonder about their futures, if they haven’t already. And perhaps the most shocking thing about all of this is that we’re having such conversations just 6 weeks after opening night – just 6 weeks after the Ravens were the NFL’s Super Bowl favorites, just 6 weeks after the Ravens held a 40-25 lead in Buffalo with 5 minutes to go. Remember that feeling?

The Ravens entered the 2025 season as a team with a reputation for choking in big games. Most believed that John Harbaugh’s team needed to make big plays in big games to get over the hump in the playoffs. And now, just making the playoffs feels like the unreachable star.

What an opportunity, right John?

THE GOOD

Offense

It has been said that “stats are for losers” and that “the only stats that matter are those found in the win/loss columns. This game would support that notion. The Ravens outrushed the Rams 179 to 74; the Ravens had 296 yards of offense compared to the Rams 241; and the Ravens possessed the ball for 37:55 compared to LA’s 22:05…G Andrew Voorhees had a solid outing at left guard and was key to Derrick Henry’s effectiveness on a few runs to the left. It was arguably Voorhees best effort of the season.

Defense

The Ravens limited the Rams to 241 total yards and 167 net passing yards, both season lows for LA’s high-powered offense which entered the game averaging 401.8 total ypg and 289.6 net passing ypg – each ranking as the NFL’s No. 2 marks.

Teddye Buchanan finished with 9 tackles, including a half-sack. Buchanan has registered 47 tackles this season, the second-most stops by a Ravens rookie through the first six games of a career (C.J. Mosley – 55)…Trenton Simpson also had 9 tackles (4 solo), while sharing a sack with Buchanan…Alohi Gilman had a very solid first game in purple contributing 7 tackles and filling in nicely while supporting the run. His back-end presence allows Kyle Hamilton to play more in the box which proved to be a nice chess piece while facing the formidable Matthew Stafford.

Special Teams

LaJohntay Wester had a nice 35-yard return following and aborted lost fumble thanks to a ticky-tacky ineligible man downfield penalty against Shaun Dolac. Wester caught a break there and perhaps a premature sentence in Harbaugh’s doghouse.

THE BAD

Defense

The Ravens edge defenders failed to register a single pressure…Travis Jones has been a nothingburger this season. The thought at the start of the campaign was that Jones, being fully healthy and in a contract year, would be a disrupter at the line of scrimmage. He had 1 assisted tackle bringing his seasonal total to 10 (6 solos). He hasn’t had a sack this season – not even a QB hit.

T.J. Tampa has no business manning up on Davante Adams who put Tampa in a blender on one route. Tampa also failed to contain the edge on a 12-yard run by Blake Corum on a 2nd-and-10 from the LA 47. It paved the way to the Rams first points of the game…Malaki Starks hasn’t come close to being the player scouts, coaches and teammates claim that he is. Allegedly a smart, instinctive player with great ball skills, Starks has shown next to nothing on the field so far in 2025. His accomplishments during training camp at One Winning Drive have yet to show up on the field at The Bank.

Special Teams

Jordan Stout had a chance to pin the Rams deep in their territory punting from his own 47. But in a style that Dave Zastudil would have appreciated, Stout bounced the punt through the end zone for a touchback.

THE UGLY

Nearly everything about the Ravens is ugly at this point in the season. They don’t force many turnovers, yet they hand it over to opponents with regularity. They are currently tied for last in the NFL with a turnover differential of -7. The Ravens lose in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and they fail to make big plays during key moments in games. I don’t expect that to suddenly change during their week off but fortunately, they’ll be playing the easier part of their schedule when they come out of the bye. So maybe they can just be a little less bad than some bad opponents. Can’t wait to find out, you?

The Ravens head into the bye with that beautiful (1-5) record, their worst start in 10 years. They how have a 4-game losing streak, their longest since 2021. And yesterday’s offensive output (3 points) represents their most putrid total at home since 2002 when the Tampa Bay Bucs skull-dragged them 25-0. Sunday marked the first time since 2022 that the Ravens failed to score a touchdown.

Offense

Cooper Rush’s performance had me longing for Jimmy Clausen or Stoney Case. His interception was a gift for Rams’ safety Quentin Lake. Rush was so off the mark with several of his throws that he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. I never understood the signing of Rush. His style of play is the antithesis of Lamar Jackson’s and it forces the rest of the offense to adjust – well if you call what they marched out there yesterday an offense. He finished the game 11 of 19 for 72 yards and a passer rating of 44.2…Tyler Huntley provided a brief spark but only with his legs. If given the choice, I’d give the ball to Huntley over Rush but that’s like choosing between radishes and kale as a side for dinner. The Ravens are lost without Lamar.

Zay Flowers lost the ball twice. I get that he was trying to make a play with the first miscue but ball security is essential for a team that struggled to score a TD. At the time the Ravens were down 10-3 at the 11:14 mark of the third quarter. Two plays following the fumble, Stafford hit Tyler Higbee all alone from 8 yards out to make it 17-3 Rams. On the following possession, the Ravens were driving only to mess up a jet sweep on a first-and-10 from the Rams 27. LA recovered at the 31 with just over 3 minutes left in the third. The game was essentially over at that point.

The offensive line was again, offensive. Ronnie Stanley had a holding penalty on the Ravens opening drive as did Daniel Faalele leading to a stalled red zone attempt. Stanley re-injured his ankle and that’s probably something that will plague him for the balance of his career. Joe Noteboom came on in relief to the relief of the Rams front seven. He’s washed. Roger Rosengarten was ok. Tyler Linderbaum is going to have a tough time justifying the kind of money he’s seeking if his 2025 struggles continue. I’m sure playing beside a guy who probably couldn’t start for the Towson Tigers doesn’t help.

The Ravens should be embarrassed that Daniel Faalele is a starting guard on what was thought to be a championship caliber roster. It’s tough to field all-stars across the offensive front but Faalele offers nothing. It’s hard to believe that no other lineman on the roster isn’t better than the behemoth Aussie and if they aren’t, perhaps their respective futures lie north of the border.

Defense

Statistically the Ravens had a fine defensive outing, but they were aided greatly by the Rams during key moments with dropped passes or misfires from Stafford. There was also confusion at times with linebacker coverage assignments. Backs and tight ends sprung open creating easy connections for Stafford. The middle of the field was also a feeding ground for Stafford as the Ravens intermediate defenders struggled with their coverage drops and the safeties opted to play in Pigtown creating massive gaps in the secondary…Tavius Robinson’s injury is a big one. The team is now down to three edge rushers: rookie Mike Green, rapidly aging Kyle Van Noy and another second-round bust, David Ojabo.

COACHING

Harbaugh opted to go with just four interior defensive linemen against the Rams, benching Aeneas Peebles to clear an active spot for Rasheen Ali. He also had Jaire Alexander dress, but the two-time Pro Bowler never sniffed the field. As if the Ravens can afford to just let a $4M defender rot on the bench.

“Maybe you could ask me specifics. I don’t really have any plans to do that. No, I don’t think there’s any obvious move there that would make us better. So, I appreciate you asking. It’s a tough one. I don’t know why that always comes up, really. I guess maybe it’s part of it, but I love our guys. They work hard, and I think they’re doing a good job of coaching. I’m sure they want some things back, too. Certainly, we can do things better.” ~ John Harbaugh on if he’s considering any coaching changes during the bye

Zach Orr

Orr’s unit took a step in the right direction yesterday, but it didn’t come without a few blunders, and I wonder what the vibe might be today as it relates to the defense had the Rams not screwed up a few opportunities to put more points on the board. I did question his decision to rush just two players on a 4th-and-3 from the Ravens 33 with 12:20 left in Q3 and the score tied at 3.

Todd Monken

After the 2023 season, some viewed Monken as a head coaching candidate. I never saw it that way because his success is largely predicated upon the talents of Lamar Jackson. That hasn’t changed.

The Ravens are averaging 6.5 points per game without Lamar Jackson this season. With Lamar behind center the Ravens are averaging 32.8 PPG. Without Lamar, they average 252 yards per game. With him, 338 YPG. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand the value of LJ to the organization. He’s saved jobs (including Harbaugh’s) and his massive skills can mask the inefficiencies of the offensive line and the personnel mistakes of the front office. But when Lamar is a bystander, the Ravens offense falls off a cliff and that falls at the feet of the offensive architect, namely Monken.

The Ravens were 0-for-3 in the red zone and they rank 27th in that department with a 44.4% success rate. Without Lamar, it gets worse, as in dead last. Facing a first-and-goal from the Rams 4 with the game tied at 3, Derrick Henry ran it to the 1-yard line. Monken then decides to get cute with the Ravens version of the tush push and after two consecutive attempts they get exactly nowhere. On 4th down they finally give it to Henry when everyone in the building knew the ball was going to 22.

Henry was in a groove at this point. Why not just give it to him again on 2nd-and-goal from inside the 1? Earlier in the quarter with the Ravens up 3-0, the Ravens faced a 3rd-and-2 from the LA 33. Now you’d think that Monken might keep his 250-pound bell cow on the field, but instead he replaces Henry with Justice Hill, feeds Hill who proceeds lose a yard. Then it was 4th-and-3 and they throw it deep to Zay Flowers. Flowers and Rush weren’t on the same page and the ball landed nearby the Baltimore County line.

Captain Dee-Fense

Captain Dee-Fense Player of the Game

With his first trifecta, aka a sack/forced fumble/fumble recovery, John Jenkins is the recipient of the very first Captain Dee-Fense award. On the day, Jenkins recorded 3 tackles (2 solo), including the strip-sack, the first of his career. He returned the fumble 11 yards before being taken down. The Ravens needed a big game from Jenkins since they were so thin at IDL and he delivered.

The Paige Spiranac Award

Given the Ravens struggles, It has been awhile since we’ve handed one of these awards out. This time, the recipient is Derrick Henry. The King posted 122 yards on 24 carries (5.1 avg.), while catching 1 pass for 8 yards. Henry now owns 49 career games with 100+ rushing yards, tying Fred Taylor for the 10th most in NFL history. Henry has now rushed for 439 yards in six games this season.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I plan on developing an article about the Ravens personnel department headed by Eric DeCosta. The Ravens can’t afford to lose many more games. (10-7) might not be good enough to win the division. Time will tell but even if 10 wins is enough that means the Ravens must go (9-2) the rest of the way. Have you seen anything from the Ravens through 6 games to suggest such an achievement is possible?

And if it is possible, the Ravens will need reinforcements and those will come at a cost. Cap dollars and draft picks will need to be ponied up. The question is, does it make sense? Will DeCosta go all-in before the trade deadline to improve the team or will the Ravens be sellers and trade off pieces like Tyler Linderbaum, Mark Andrews, Jaire Alexander, DeAndre Hopkins to move some cap space and added draft picks into the future? And if that is the direction DeCosta adopts, what might that mean for John Harbaugh if the Ravens end up at (6-10) or worse?

Or could they do neither, maintain the status quo, continue to lose games and then admit again that, “They wanted it more than us.”

The post Good, Bad & Ugly: “[The Rams] wanted it more than us” appeared first on Russell Street Report.


Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2025/10/13/gbu-paige-spiranac/rams-beat-ravens-17-3/


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