The Baltimore Ravens Are a Catastrophic Mess Going into their Bye

The Baltimore Ravens entered their bye week with more uncertainty than clarity, sitting at a disappointing 1-5 and facing questions that go far beyond a single player’s health. What was supposed to be a reset point in the season now feels like a pause in a slow unraveling. From inconsistent play calling to a defense that can't seem to finish games, the problems run deeper than just the absence of Lamar Jackson. And yet, the organization appears to be holding out hope that his return will magically right the ship — a risky bet considering the mounting issues across the roster.

Jackson’s injury has undeniably hurt the team, but leaning entirely on his comeback to rescue the season feels shortsighted. Even with him under center, the Ravens looked disjointed and lacked identity — especially on offense. The bye week was a chance for the coaching staff to reevaluate, adjust, and maybe acknowledge some uncomfortable truths about their schemes and personnel. Instead, it feels like the Ravens are doubling down on a familiar narrative: as long as No. 8 is healthy, all is well. But at 1-5, time — and faith — is running out.

Offensive Struggles

Safe to say, without Lamar Jackson, this offense is nothing. Nada, zip. We cannot score touchdowns without Lamar Jackson under center. But you can't entirely blame the players for not trying. The offensive game plan has no actual plan without Lamar Jackson. It is at a point where we, the fans, see that the only plan is Lamar Jackson. Goes to show how many people on the coaching staff rely on him in order to keep their jobs, most notably John Harbaugh.

What does this offense need to do to get back on track? Well, for one, wait for Lamar's return. No brainer there. The other? Get rid of guards Daniel Faalale and Andrew Vorhees. I cannot take week after week of both men struggling to protect the QB and Derrick Henry, especially Daniel Faalale. My voice is gone after every game from the amount of screaming when I see Faalale fall down or look lost on every single play, and even more when coaches defend his play and praise both of them week after week. A middle school offensive guard can protect the quarterback better than Daniel Faalale can. If the Ravens can address the interior guard position during the bye week, then we can start seeing the light a little bit here.

Defensive Identity

Oh lord, this one. I can rant for days on end about how bad our defense needs a change in coaching, but let's wait until the offseason to do that send-off. With injuries, this defense has struggled immensely. But with some players returning, there's hope. Once the defense is back and entirely healthy, we can get something going. On the topic of the coaches, I mentioned at the beginning, Zach Orr's seat better be white hot behind the scenes. I cannot fathom the amount of confusion there seems to be among the defense under Orr's game plan. Even if the Ravens make the playoffs or a Super Bowl, Orr needs to be fired in the offseason. It's just too much to start so badly at the beginning of the season.

Final Thoughts

If Harbaugh really is relying on Lamar Jackson to save the Ravens' season, then his job truly is in question. I see the exposure of an incompetent coach without his star QB. Good coaches, like Kyle Shanahan and even Mike Tomlin, can manage to will their teams into the playoffs without star players. This goes to show how Harbaugh has lost the fanbase and the locker room. We are really going to see where this Ravens team is going after the bye week, because that playoff window is closing fast, and when Lamar comes back, we will need him to go Super Lamar once again in order to make that slide.

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