Nobody should have expected the Baltimore Ravens to have much of a chance going into Thursday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Injuries to quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley forced them to start undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano at quarterback, and he looked overmatched in his first NFL start, which turned into a 33-10 loss at the hands of a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
But while the quarterback situation is less than ideal at this point, the Ravens cannot allow themselves to use that as an excuse for the way the rest of this season might go.
The quarterback injuries are only one of their problems.
Ravens have many problems beyond quarterback injuries
After Thursday’s loss, the Ravens drop to 4-5 and have lost four consecutive games.
Of the four games they have won, they managed to take advantage of Brian Schottenheimer forgetting how to manage the clock, and needed a late fourth-quarter rally against the Atlanta Falcons to steal a game in overtime. Those wins still count, but there was nothing about them that was overly impressive, and they very easily could have turned into losses.
But the flaws that have been exposed during this losing streak, and the season as a whole, go far beyond just the absence of Jackson.
Over the past four games, they have been outscored 84-10 in the second half. They are melting down late.
The defense has not pulled its weight and has now allowed 30 points in three consecutive games, and four times for the season.
The offensive line is in shambles and has not only done an inconsistent job in pass protection, but they are not consistently opening running lanes.
Along with that, Derrick Henry, for several years a focal point of their offense and a dominant force in the backfield, is not only looking pedestrian, but he is looking like his days as an elite runner are over. That should not be a surprise given the fact he is a 32-year-old running back who has played a ton of football and carried a massive workload throughout his career. There is a reason that position has the shortest shelf life in the NFL and very few players remain impactful into their 30s. It is a big problem with no solution.
It also leaves the Ravens in a tough spot, and it makes their decision to trade for Jacoby Brissett even more curious. This team is not one Jacoby Brissett away from being able to stay in the AFC playoff race. The best approach might be determining which players are not part of the plan next season and seeing who has trade value before next week’s NFL trade deadline and getting what you can.
It is not just a team with an injured quarterback. It is starting to just look like a bad team.
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