The Baltimore Ravens are an enigma.
I guess. I’m pulling out the term because there’s no realistic, accurate word, sentence, paragraph or article that can properly define what they are.
It’s almost become rote to see the Ravens near the top of most “contenders” lists during the preseason. This is generally due to the Name Power that seems to weigh down the roster, where Pro Bowl recipients color numerous positional depth charts; none are more prominent than two-time NFL MVP QB Lamar Jackson, whose on-field successes have been well-documented.
Jackson fails, sometimes spectacularly, in one area, however: He seems to be the slowest healer – and has become one of the most injury-prone players – in the current NFL.
The Ravens, who struggled to achieve an 8-9 record in 2025 due mostly to Jackson’s (among others) ever-shifting injury status, have again been unable to rely on Jackson’s availability for long stretches this year after a mysterious, undefined ankle injury forced him from the second half of a harder-than-it-should’ve-been win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 4. His return timeline has reached polar status, as it has been speculated that he’d miss anywhere from zero to many weeks. “Day-to-day” is an awfully vague phrase to get behind as fans; all we tend to hear is the implication that he might play; the alternatives aren’t to be considered…until they are.
The best backup QBs in the NFL win at a roughly 25% clip, so the Ravens’ current alternative, QB Tyler Huntley, grades out much better than the typical backup at 44% (8-10 as a starter). Huntley’s what the pundits refer to as a “gamer”, meaning that he usually plays his best when needed. After Jackson’s latest setback, Huntley’s gone 1-1, which is typical, especially with a roster as lauded as this one is. But he’s part of the “curse”, to be sure, after last week’s loss to the Browns.
The Ravens are 4-2 as of this writing, with a key AFC North matchup in store this weekend (Bengals @ Ravens, 1:00 pm, CBS). Also, as of this writing, no one knows who’s starting at QB. The usual coach-speak and subterfuge from the Ravens regarding injuries has reared its ugly head several times during Jackson’s latest absence, so beyond Thursday’s injury report, there’s just not much to digest. I suppose we’ll just have to find out the hard way.
The Ravens’ two 2026 losses both transpired in, for fans of this lethargic ensemble, the worst way possible – by blowing double-digit leads in the fourth quarter. This is the same repeated condition that resulted in the ousting of former head coach John Harbaugh, whose fourth quarter ineptitude seemed to rear itself after Jackson took over as the starting QB in Baltimore in 2019.
There’s no shortage of blame for what’s become an almost-predictable outcome.
The head coach is new. The offensive coordinator is new. The defensive coordinator doesn’t even call plays; the new head coach does that. Even for the most established clubs, some dropoff is to be expected when transitions like this occur; it takes time for players to digest new systems and concepts and properly apply them on the field. This doesn’t absolve anyone of responsibility for the collapses, but it’s a fig leaf of sorts, at least for the new guys.
After much painful analysis the last couple of years, it’s clear there’s no single culprit here. The defense allows the winning points late, yes, but the offense – regardless of QB – producing few-to-no points to close out halves renders the defense tired and ineffective. The coaching staff can then argue that player execution is the problem on both sides of the ball, when perhaps the scheme is the problem.
Or it’s the general mindset.
This is raw speculation on my part, but some teams simply can’t achieve success regardless of their talent level. The concept of “trophy hunting” in the NFL has been largely scuttled in the salary cap era, but sometimes these talent-rich franchises steal away and stockpile a roster with all-pros in a given year, specifically to make a title run (see: Rams, 2026). These experiments can fail miserably (see: Rams, 2026 – so far), and it’s becoming tough to not view the Jackson-led Ravens as a collective failed effort, albeit for very different reasons.
To be fair, Jackson may be declining from a health perspective after his record-setting run as the most mobile QB in NFL history, but he still plays well…when he’s available.
The defense has Pro Bowl players at every level, including DPoY candidate Kyle Hamilton and 100-tackle machine Roquan Smith. Pundits and other organizations look at the Ravens’ star-laden roster and wonder why this team can’t seem to find continuity when it makes the most difference.
This Sunday will be another test, as the Ravens, in perhaps their most complete effort in 2025, shut out the Bengals at home, which is fueling a lot of payback juice in Cincinnati currently. We don’t know whether Jackson will be available, or if he is, whether it will matter in the second half of a close game. Or if he’ll even be healthy enough to finish the game.
I don’t have any answers. I’m just a frustrated fan.
But, as one, I’ll tell ya…it’s getting awfully tough to cheer for this.
