OTL: The 2025 Ravens: “Complete Disappointment”

Can we talk about how hard the Baltimore Ravens were to watch against the Houston Texans? I almost want to say the Ravens sleepwalked across the yard markers but that would be too complimentary of their effort. The Ravens lost 44-10 at home, to a team that was also 1-3. This is a direct follow up to their previous album Cursed in Kansas City where they lost to a tune of 37-20.

Before anything is analyzed, before coach speak is heard, or any discussion can take place, it must be noted that the Ravens have just had the worst two-game stretch in franchise history. A preseason favorite for Super Bowl glory looked like they were the worst team in the NFL.

And so we begrudgingly Monday.

We’ll get to John Harbaugh’s comments about his team’s indefensible style, though I have a sneaking suspicion that you’re a little bit over him at the moment. We need to actually back up a step. Reasonable people saw this as a game the Ravens could very well lose. The injuries on defense were an undeniable problem. Childs Walker of the Baltimore Banner points this out:

Five weeks ago, Keyon Martin and Reuben Lowery III were delightful underdogs fighting their way onto one of the most loaded rosters in the NFL. Sunday, they were underqualified rookies asked to hold a fort that was supposed to be defended by Hamilton and Humphrey.

It didn’t go well.

We can talk all we want about coordinator Zach Orr and his staff fixing (or not fixing) what ailed this defense. But how well can you repair a car that’s missing its transmission, two tires and rear brakes?

The Ravens certainly had excuses to fall back on. Before the game, I would bet that many fans struggled to find their normal excitement, just with the idea of Cooper Rush playing quarterback. The despair probably sunk in before you realized the Ravens were practically sporting a third quarter preseason roster on defense. The Ravens have seen a banged up defense get shredded before. Remember when Joe Burrow was unstoppable against third and fourth string cornerbacks a few years ago? Having this many sidelined players was always going to make an impact, but to Walker’s point, Orr had a limited menu of players to play with. The scheme may have been bad, but he had his hands tied behind his back, cement in one shoe, and a personal rain cloud above his head. Things were bad, and there was only so good it could get.

Things were simply hard to watch. On offense, you would have thought this would be a big Derrick Henry game. It didn’t happen. Henry Brown of Sports Illustrated put it this way:

The Texans knew that Henry’s value is built on his ability to pick up steam and drag the occasional defender with him downfield, and picked on that injured offensive line to keep him from ever finding any momentum or major gains.

His inability to force his way through the defense like he has all throughout his illustrious career is certainly elevated by Jackson’s absence, making Henry look a lot closer to his 30+ age than many fans have been willing to consider. His rushing partner in crime diverts much of the attention from the running back, and without Henry’s impact, the ground game falls apart.

The Ravens were playing without Ronnie Stanley, going up against one of the best defensive fronts in football, and everyone knew the Ravens wanted to run the ball. There was a three-pronged reason the Texans had such success stopping Henry. While I think Brown is a bit harsh on Henry here, not having Lamar Jackson in the game was certainly a factor. Nobody was worried about where Rush was going, making run defense much more elementary. Be careful when talking about Henry like an ageing running back. Henry wasn’t the problem. His effort and ability seemed just fine to me. The situation took Henry out of the game quickly – which also has to be considered.

What I want to know is why the Ravens didn’t jump onto the short passing game. Zay Flowers brought life to the offense every time he touched the ball. More of that would have been okay. DeAndre Hopkins had a contested catch that was great. Rush is boring in comparison to Jackson because he’s an old school pocket passer, right? Isn’t that how the narrative goes? A more west coast approach could have nullified the pass rush and could have gotten the Ravens suddenly touted receivers some chances to change the game. It’s hard to whip that out of nowhere but isn’t that why they went with Rush as the backup?

“Complete disappointment. We’re going to have to find a way to turn it around.” pic.twitter.com/OR5tTxKJUK

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 5, 2025

Here it is. Harbaugh called the game a complete disappointment. Yeah there’s no way to paint 44-10 other than that. The more important thing he commented on was the Ravens having more than half the season, saying they’re going to have to find themselves. Bingo. The Ravens look lost. Bingo. The Ravens have had a tough schedule and nothing has gone right, but they don’t seem to have a rhyme or reason to anything they’re doing right now. Bingo. Many Ravens fans sat on their couch or left the stadium early questioning the Ravens’ fight and complaining that John Harbaugh has lost the locker room. The coach is right, they have to find themselves.

Points given up:

– 2000 Ravens defense: 165 points allowed in 16 games
– 2025 Ravens defense: 177 points allowed in 5 games pic.twitter.com/QDoUJlcVQT

— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) October 6, 2025

While it’s never fair comparing anybody to the 2000 Ravens, this stat is alarming. The Ravens have given up 177 points in five games. That’s unacceptable no matter what your comparison is.

Baltimore are first team in Super Bowl era to allow 37-plus points in four of their first five gameshttps://t.co/TLlpMmCAnJ pic.twitter.com/kSHxttE6Vs

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) October 6, 2025

Jonas Shaffer wins the internet after this loss by the Ravens. I’m just going to leave this there. The Ravens obviously didn’t take in the message from their defensive coordinator Zach Orr.

Zach Orr’s message to the Ravens’ defense last week: “Adversity causes some men to break, and it causes some other men to break records. So, let’s go break records.”

The Ravens’ defense: pic.twitter.com/gCA6iJC9n9

— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) October 5, 2025

To steal a line from Jon Stewart… And now your moment of Zen:

#Ravens only play 1 game in the next 20 days.

So they can only ruin one day in the next 3 weeks. Silver lining.

— Mayonnaise Menace (@StayRuthless37) October 6, 2025

The Ravens are beating you up? Well they have one more game before their bye week, and this is the best chance to lick your wounds and heal yourselves for the rest of the season. Sundays are supposed to be fun, and hopefully they will get back to some level of enjoyment in Baltimore. For now the Ravens only playing one game in the next 20 days is a merciful silver lining. Go carry on. Miserable Monday won’t last forever.

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