In 1843, Edgar Allen Poe wrote a poem entitled The Tell-Tale Heart about a heart that refused to stop beating despite every effort to kill it.
The Ravens will need such a heart if they’re going to find their way back into the playoff picture.
On Sunday, Baltimore welcomed the Texans with both teams sitting at 1–3. The Ravens needed to play perfectly to win, with Lamar Jackson, Ronnie Stanley, Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey, Nnamdi Madubuike, Roquan Smith and others either inactive or on Injured Reserve.
Instead of perfection, Baltimore was putrid in a 44–10 loss to a Houston team that ranked 25th in yards and 29th in points per game entering Week 5. The Ravens are now 1–4 and three games behind the Steelers in the loss column for the AFC North lead, with the high-powered Rams coming to Baltimore next weekend.
Yes, the Ravens have injury issues galore, which explains part of the shocking level of play this season. However, Baltimore has also beaten itself in various ways.
For starters, Derrick Henry rushed for 1,921 yards and an NFL-best 16 touchdowns last season. This year, Henry had 169 yards and two scores in the opener against the Bills. Since, he’s rushed for 148 yards on 46 carries. The lowest-ranked defense in football is partially responsible, but offensive coordinator Todd Monken needs to work him into the game far more, especially with Jackson hobbled.
Defensively, there needs to be a gut check. The Ravens are missing a ton of aforementioned talent, but facing the anemic Texans, they appeared disinterested. Baltimore allowed Houston to rush for 5.1 yards per carry while C.J. Stroud went 23-of-27 for 244 yards and four touchdowns. It was a pathetic effort from DC Zach Orr’s group.
Jackson is the one most impacted by the crash and burn. And with each passing year, the odds of Jackson ever hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy are growing increasingly long.
Since the Super Bowl came into existence in the 1966 season, only 11 quarterbacks have ever reached their first Super Bowl in their age-29 season or later and eventually won a title. Of those, one was a backup (Jeff Hostetler) and two came in strike years (Joe Theismann, Doug Williams). Only Roger Staubach (’71), Phil Simms (’86) and Peyton Manning (2006) were on their original teams when they finally won it all.
Furthermore, no team has ever had the same quarterback-coach combination for at least five years and then won the Super Bowl for the first time with that duo. This is the eighth year for Jackson and John Harbaugh.
Considering Jackson’s style—featuring a blend of efficient throwing paired with elite rushing—it’s also fair to wonder how his body will hold up. The most rushing yards in a single season for any quarterback 30 or older is 676 by Michael Vick in 2010 as a member of the Eagles. That figure would represent the lowest total for Jackson in any of his previous seven seasons, including a rookie campaign in which he only started seven games.
For years, the Ravens have had opportunities to win it all with Jackson and Harbaugh. Twice they’ve been the AFC’s top seed, only to win a combined one postseason game in those seasons. Baltimore has also reached the playoffs in three other years with Jackson under center, winning two wild-card games and nothing more.
Perhaps it’s time to make a bold change. Fire the coordinators. Move off Harbaugh, who is the NFL’s longest-tenured coach outside of Mike Tomlin.
Or, sit still and maintain that the injuries are the main problem. That once the Ravens get healthy they’ll make a major run toward the playoffs. It’s a reasonable thought, even if just 16 teams have ever made the postseason following a 1–4 start since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
Regardless of the path taken, the Ravens are in a brutal spot due to a combination of injuries, poor play and bad coaching.
If Baltimore is going to get back into the mix, it must show heart. A heart that refuses to die.
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