The Ravens have squandered a promising 4-1 start to the season by losing the past two weeks, going from first to worst in the AFC North.
They have started 0-2 in the division for the first time in almost 20 years (2007) and will have a tough hill to climb if they hope to make a playoff run. They face two first-place teams in the same week and could find themselves under .500 if they do not bounce back from the embarrassing loss to the Bengals on Sunday.
“I am disappointed in how we played in the second half. But told the team today, ‘We control where we go from here.’ I feel like it’s kind of one of those points in the season where you make a decision of the type of team you want to be. feel like we have a 10-game season (where) we’re in a good spot. We’re not in a great spot. We’re in an OK spot with our record being what it is to still have a lot of control over what happens to us in the next 10 games, starting with obviously this one, two in the short week,” Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said.
The injury issues continued, especially for the offensive line, which lost first-round rookie Vega Ioane to a sprained MCL, and he is expected to miss time, according to reports. With Ioane out, it would be six different starting offensive line combinations when they face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
The hope is for Lamar Jackson to return after missing the past three games with what was revealed last week to be a high-ankle sprain. The Ravens’ offense has struggled without him, averaging less than 18 points per game, mostly due to the fact that they have had to settle for field goals.
Jackson’s return may not matter if the defense does not improve from the team that gave up 35 points in a half to the Bengals. That was one of the worst defensive showings in franchise history, and even had Ravens great Terrell Suggs criticizing them on X, saying, “35 UNANSWERED ‘MF’ POINTS?!”
His frustration was felt across the Ravens Flock, and fans showed it with an early exit from Sunday’s game. Their feelings are understandable as the trend of losing double-digit leads has continued despite the coaching change last season. The pressure is on Minter to right the ship over the next couple of weeks, especially on defense.
The offense has the luxury of an MVP-level quarterback returning to the lineup, but there are no reinforcements coming on the defensive side. This season, they have put together good halves here and there, but have only one complete game defensively against Cleveland Browns game, which the Ravens still lost.
Minter and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver will have to find a way to slow down two powerful offenses in the Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars. The defense is a veteran-led group, and the coaches will lean on players like Roquan Smith, Calais Campbell and Kyle Hamilton to help the turnaround.
“I think as a team, we’re working through who that is. Who is that person? Who are those players? There’s guys that want to do it, and then there’s guys that maybe they’re dealing with something or they’re not playing the way they want to play, so they don’t feel like they can do it in those moments. To me, again, it’s like if you’re kind of a known leader, sometimes you have to even erase how you’re playing if you feel like you can collectively get everybody out of a funk or whatever it might be in at the time,” Minter said.
On Wednesday, there should be more clarity on the status of Jackson and whether he can return for the two games this upcoming week. If the Ravens can find a way to win both games, then they would gain the confidence needed to turn this season around.
READ MORE:Ravens Reaction: Pressure is on Minter and Ravens to respond to bad loss
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