Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Zach Orr reacts on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Ravens Defend DC After Severe Criticism

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Oct 6, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Baltimore Ravens have the league's worst defense surrendering over 35 points per game over five weeks.

It's uncharacteristic for the Ravens to have such a poor defense, but that's the reality over the first five weeks of the season. Some of the blame has fallen on defensive coordinator Zach Orr's shoulders, but he still has the support of his players.

"[Zach Orr] is great. He understands the game, and like I said in the beginning of the interview, I've just got to get better. He put me in good positions to make plays, and I didn't capitalize, so I take a lot of the blame, [and] it was on me," nose tackle John Jenkins said.

Evan Habeeb-Imagn Images

The Ravens have allowed 37 points or more in each of their first four losses of the season. While those games have come against some of the league's top offenses in the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions, the 44 points against the Texans was a bit of a surprise considering Houston had only scored 38 points in the first three weeks of the season.

Orr, 33, has been with the Ravens for a while. He played as a linebacker from 2014-16 before a spinal injury forced him into retirement early.

Orr coached with the Ravens from 2017-20 before heading to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 as an outside linebackers coach. He returned to Baltimore in 2022 as an inside linebackers coach and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2024 when Mike Macdonald left to join the Seattle Seahawks as their head coach.

When Macdonald passed the reins to Orr, the Ravens had the No. 1 defense in the NFL, so to sit at No. 32 not two years later is a bit of a surprise. Despite the fall from grace, Orr still has support from head coach John Harbaugh.

"You try to do the most productive things, and I do not think that that's the answer," Harbaugh said when asked about defensive changes to the staff. "We have to go to work, is what we need to do. We need to stick together, is what we need to do. We need to find ourselves. And that has to do with coaches and players [working] together."

Changes need to be made, but that doesn't mean Orr needs to be fired. Approaches need to alter, gaps need to be filled and there needs to be the right part of execution.

That's up to Orr, but also everyone else in the Ravens locker room.

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

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