The Baltimore Ravens are in last place in the AFC North midway through the 2025 NFL season. On the heels of a 1-3 record, it’s their worst opening since 2015. Despite having most of their starters available for the last season, including key players like Lamar Jackson, the team’s performance has raised concerns among fans and analysts alike. This Tamping the Turf Piece looks at why the Ravens have struggled out of the gate. It explores injury across the league, offensive metrics, and defensive calamities.
Last season, the Ravens enjoyed a relatively healthy roster, with 11 starters missing only a single game throughout the regular season. This season has come with its own challenges, especially as Jackson’s hamstring injury has kept him off the field for some key moments. Because of his great passing metrics, playmaking ability and efficient finishing, his absence has been deeply felt.
Injury Impact on Performance
Isaiah Likely, a rookie tight end with plenty of potential, missed a critical game in November for the Ravens with a hamstring injury. This injury, while not sidelining him for the entire season, highlights the ongoing battle with health that the Ravens face. The team had already been running its starters into the ground in recent contests, so this sudden lack of player availability was especially troubling.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is still torching the NFL in pure passing stats. What he is great at is reading defenses pre-snap and delivering accurate, on-time throws. After a notable 17-yard gain before his injury against the Kansas City Chiefs, hopes were high for his performance in the early weeks of the season. His injury has taken a toll on his effectiveness and has disrupted the entire rhythm of the offense.
Jackson’s current sack rate of 12.6% stands as the worst figure in the league, further complicating the Ravens’ offensive dynamics. This shocking figure fills out the context around the protection schemes failures and how Jackson froze under fire decision-making. Until he gets back into form, the team’s capability to keep up with this offensive consistency is in jeopardy.
Offensive Struggles
During the course of the first four games this season, the Ravens have scored 131 points. On the surface, this figure looks encouraging. The good news is there is a catch—the team is averaging just 8 yards full on third downs. This is reflected in the above statistic, as it displays how often the Ravens face difficult down and distance situations. In turn, their offensive scheme is under even more pressure.
You completely redefine how to run the football, averaging 6.2 yards per carry on all rushing attempts. Turning those opportunities into significant benefits has been hit or miss. The Ravens have 19 ten+ yard runs. They’ve only turned 22% of their rush attempts into double-digit gains. These metrics show the good and the bad with their rushing attack, which begs the question of play-calling effectiveness.
The team’s dependency on design runs as a crutch has backfired in some key spots. The Ravens have not only had trouble extending drives but converting those trips into points at a high rate. As they navigate their offensive challenges, improvement in both execution and strategy will be essential for turning around their season.
Defensive Concerns
On the defensive side of the ball, the Ravens haven’t had it any easier. Opposing teams have at an alarming rate gotten into the red zone and scored TDs on 75% of all their red zone visits against the Baltimore defense. This jarring number is a complete turnaround from last season’s success when opponents scored on just 48% of those possessions.
This absence of defensive red zone fortitude has killed their chances on the other side of the ball. With high conversion rates, that places additional pressure on the offense. On top of all this, they rattle the confidence of the defence. The Ravens have consistently stumbled in high-pressure game situations. This has truncated their bounceback potential, hampering their ability to win their mojo back.
As they move deeper into the 2023 season, it’s key to find and mitigate these defensive weaknesses. The coaching staff must find solutions to enhance their red zone defense while ensuring that players remain focused and disciplined throughout games.
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