Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh looks on during the third quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Ravens Coach Names Biggest Problem After Lions Loss

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 3:00 PM ET

Simply put, there's not much good to take away from the Baltimore Ravens' 38-30 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 3.

This wasn't a case of the Ravens beating themselves, as has been the case in too many of their losses over the past few years. No, this was them being downright manhandled by a better and more physical team.

Nowhere was that more apparent than in the run game, as the Lions rushed for 225 yards against the league's best run defense in 2024. The Ravens didn't even allow 150 rushing yards in any game last year, including postseason.

David Montgomery rushed for a career-high 151 yards (reminder, he has two 1,000-yard seasons and has 750+ yards in each of his six prior seasons) with two touchdowns, while Jahmyr Gibbs added 67 yards and two touchdowns.

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It wasn't even that there was one player or thing wrong, the entire defense bears the blame.

"I'm not going to be able to give you the biggest problem. The biggest problem is we didn't play good run defense; as a defense complete, we didn't do it, and [tonight's effort is] not going to be good enough," head coach John Harbaugh told reporters after the game. "There's nobody in that locker room that thinks that's good enough. That's disappointing. That's bad run defense, and that's not who we are. It cannot be who we are. It's just, it's not going to be good enough. It's not going to be acceptable, and it has to be better."

Harbaugh is absolutely right that the Ravens know their performance isn't good enough. Star safety Kyle Hamilton spoke about how disheartening it is to have an opposing offense run the ball down their throats like that.

"It's definitely not where we want it to be. No excuses can be made at this point. If it's not one thing, it's another. We just have to patch everything up right now. [We] can't just take it for granted.

"Our run defense, it's been pretty good the whole time I've been here, but when a team runs a ball like that, it just demoralizes you more than passing the ball. They're challenging you mentally [and] physically, so it's on us as a defense just to put that fire out ASAP, and we didn't do that."

The Lions have probably the best running back duo in the league with Montgomery and Gibbs, but even then, the Ravens' run defense was atrocious and something they have to correct sooner rather than later.

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

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