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Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) attempts to evade a tackle from Baltimore Ravens linebacker Mike Green (45) during the third quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Where Are Ravens Struggling the Most?

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Baltimore Ravens' first month has been, simply put, a nightmare.

They had numerous opportunities to come out of the gate hot, something they failed to execute on last season, as well as several fair shots at a few contenders. The Ravens were already regarded as a team with a reputation for wilting in the face of comparable competition and big-game stakes, with the chance to dispel that notion with a brand-new team served up to them on a silver platter in the form of matchups against the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs through the first four weeks.

What followed was an 0-3 finish against fellow contenders, with the Ravens getting their sole win over the unimpressive Cleveland Browns and their 40-year old Joe Flacco under center. The Ravens, whose lackluster play is only aided by their ludicrously-long injury report, continue to plummet in every power ranking as their championship expectations seem less and less likely by the week, and there's several regions of the field to consider in determining where they're softest.

Scoring hasn't generally been an issue, with Lamar Jackson still able to convert on most of his big throws in maintaining his NFL-leading 130.5 passer rating, but outside of their putting up the third-most total points of any team at 131, their yards per game lag a good bit behind at 1,352, good for only the No. 13 mark.

They're great at initiating drives, but some of that offensive play-calling that John Harbaugh lambasted earlier this week shows in their less-than-stellar third down conversion rates. They sit at a hair under 41% in getting that crucial completion, outside of the league's top-10 and a long way down from the third-ranked 48.2% clip they posted last season.

Even while Jackson holds this season's high-water mark for touchdown completions with 10, it's in those big plays where his offense has fallen short, and that's shown up at the worst times in their shootouts against the Bills and the Lions. They held their own at racking up touchdowns to start both contests, but their systematic inability to maintain momentum shows in their stalling drives.

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

It doesn't help that Jackson's been under pressure more than he's used to, a direct result of an offensive line that already looked suspect before they sustained their own injuries. He's already taken 15 sacks through four games compared to just 23 in a full 17-game campaign just a year ago, and now he's hurt, too.

Compare that to what their own defense has accomplished, accumulating just four sacks through as many games. That's the lowest mark of anyone not named the Carolina Panthers, a fellow 1-3 unit that's already tagged as one of the worst teams in the sport.

The Ravens, on the other hand, have been historically known for their defense, but they'll have to find some answers to replace Nnamdi Madubuike, the Pro Bowl lineman who's projected to miss the remainder of the season with injury, as he accounts for half of those takedowns.

We can point plenty of fingers to the numerous hits that defense has taken, losing leading edge rusher Kyle Van Noy almost immediately as well as nearly their entire defensive line for Week 4, with questionable statuses from star cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins and Jaire Alexander to boot.

Even when they were healthy, though, the older contributors failed to carry their weight. The Lions' running backs looked as unafraid as can be in running all over M&T Bank Stadium's turf, having already spotted the Ravens' paltry rushing defense. The Bills, meanwhile, took the time to expose Baltimore's secondary, routinely getting the better of the big names at cornerback in managing all of the critical downfield completions the Ravens have missed. Their 32.8 points per game are impressive, but they can't outrun the 33.3 they're allowing.

No one's quite sure what to expect from whatever's left of the battered former-contenders, who are expected to take the field again this weekend against the Houston Texans. Their odds of looking like the old stingy-defending Ravens aren't good in the wake of this recent injury wave, but their schedule wasn't expected to remain that challenging for long. There's a lot that has to get fixed if they want to salvage their season, and plenty of positional areas to focus on.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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