For the last several years, the Baltimore Ravens have entered the season as de facto, no brainer Super Bowl contenders.
The last 2 years, with a 2-time NFL MVP quarterback in Lamar Jackson, 4-time NFL All-Pro and former NFL Offensive Player of the Year in running back Derrick Henry and one of the NFL’s best defenses, that buzz has been even more pronounced.
That’s why it’s come as such a shock to see the Ravens stumble to a 1-3 start to the regular season and why Bleacher Report has the Ravens’ Super Bowl aspirations listed as the NFL’s biggest loser headed into Week 5 and following an embarrassing, 37-20 road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4.
From Bleacher Report “Speaking of dead…and cooked. The 1-3 Ravens are both. Is Baltimore still the most talented team in the AFC North? Probably. At least on offense. But after Sunday’s Arrowhead embarrassment, the Ravens are two back of Pittsburgh and have the same record as the Cleveland Browns. The biggest problem isn’t hard to spot. The Ravens are awful defensively. Baltimore has now allowed at least 37 points in three of four games. That’s not the stat of a Super Bowl contender.”
ESPN’s MJ Acosta pointed out an alarming stat that applies to the Ravens following the loss to the Chiefs.
“Only 11 percent of teams have made the playoffs after a 1-3 start in the Super Bowl era,” Acosta said on “First Take” on September 29.
Why We Shouldn’t Give Up On Ravens
While things seem bad for the Ravens right now, their upcoming schedule tells us that if they can keep their heads above water for a few weeks and get everyone healthy again, a playoff berth might still be in the cards.
Baltimore doesn’t have to leave home for the next month. They have consecutive home games against the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams the next 2 weeks followed by a bye, followed by a home game against the Chicago Bears in Week 8 followed by a road game against the lowly Miami Dolphins.
While the schedule matches up with success, the problem for the Ravens is a series of debilitating injuries.
Waiting for Word on Jackson’s Hamstring
The biggest question for the Ravens right now is the status of Jackson’s hamstring after he left the loss to the Chiefs in the third quarter.
If Jackson is out for any extended period of time — say the next 4 games — there’s still a chance the Ravens could split and go 2-2.
The Ravens signed backup quarterback Cooper Rush to a 2-year, $6.2 million contract in March, which seems like an incredible investment now because of his experience as a starter.
Rush, who is his ninth season, spent his first 8 NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys as a backup to Dak Prescott. In 14 starts — all since 2021 — Rush has a 9-5 record with 3,515 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 60.7 percent of his passes.
One thing Rush can’t do is run the ball in any helpful way. In 38 career games he has -7 rushing yards, averages -0.1 yards per carry and has zero career rushing touchdowns. Rush can not only not be counted on to use his legs to get extra yards, he’s not even capable of doing it in short yardage situations.
Amari Cooper and Ezekiel Elliott were scary good on the game-winning drive 🎃
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Ravens’ Super Bowl Hopes Called ‘Dead and Cooked’