The second week of any NFL season is the first time we see how squads course-correct. It’s the first instance we see them processing and responding to legitimate adversity as they embark on a football marathon they’re hoping goes in January and February. An NFL season is long and exhausting, necessitating teams to respond to its ebbs and flows in a healthy fashion.
By this measuring stick, the Baltimore Ravens failed their first test in spectacular fashion. I’m not trying to be hyperbolic either.
After blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to the Las Vegas Raiders in their home opener, it’s time to panic about John Harbaugh’s squad. We’re in mid-September, and this 0-2 team that had the NFL’s best record last year is already in huge trouble.
I will readily admit that I expected a convincing rebound from the Ravens after coming this close to upsetting the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but losing to the two-time defending Super Bowl champions on the road is still respectable. Most would not expect an underdog to leave the Chiefs’ home stadium with a victory. But beating Antonio Pierce’s Raiders, who have no expectations and will probably be an average team at best in 2024, should’ve been a given.
It’s this failure that makes me think we have probably excused the Ravens’ lingering flaws a bit too much.
Let me give you some examples.
Lamar Jackson is behind a struggling Baltimore offensive line, but he’s still the reigning MVP, a veritable top-five quarterback capable of winning a game by himself. Derrick Henry has likely lost a step, but he’s still a Mack Truck tailor-made for the Ravens’ offensive scheme. The Ravens’ receivers are nothing to write home about, but Zay Flowers is a tremendous weapon and Baltimore’s strength was never in that position group anyway. Losing ex-standout linebacker Patrick Queen undoubtedly hurt the Ravens’ defense, but they still have All-Pro caliber players like Roquan Smith, Nnamdi Madubuike, Kyle Hamilton, and Marlon Humphrey. They should be able to lock most opposing offenses down without blinking.
Yet, somehow, all these issues came back to bite the Ravens against the Raiders.
The Baltimore offensive line couldn’t consistently hold up against Maxx Crosby and Co. Henry remains a bruising runner, but he did have an alarming number of negative plays that put the Ravens’ behind the eight ball. Two games into 2024, Flowers is the only Ravens receiver above 100 yards. The Ravens don’t need a special receiving corps, but it can’t be that underwhelming from top to bottom. And I’m not sure what’s particularly off about Baltimore’s defense, but when it’s mattered most, it hasn’t been able to stop Patrick Mahomes (that’s fine) and Gardner Minshew (c’mon now).
In the week ahead, the tenured John Harbaugh is going to preach patience. He will say the Ravens’ underwhelming play has been unacceptable so far, but he still believes in his team. You know, all the usual coach-speak platitudes. Given Harbaugh’s tremendous, extended track record, it’s not hard to believe the Ravens eventually turning this operation around. It wouldn’t be unprecedented for one of the NFL’s best franchises.
But you know the deal about starting 0-2 in the NFL. Let’s make the data more recent and relevant.
Since the playoff expansion to seven teams per conference in 2020, only six percent of squads who started 0-2 the year made the playoffs. That’s two of … 32 teams, dearest readers. Factor in a challenging AFC North and deep AFC conference, and it’s time to really start worrying about the Ravens. This hole might be too big to dig out of.
The Ravens have got the Dallas Cowboys on the road next week. If they don’t rebound here, then we’ll be having another pertinent discussion soon. We’ll be talking about how Baltimore wasted another year of Lamar Jackson’s prime.
Elsewhere in this week’s NFL awards, Will Levis and Bryce Young continued to disappoint, Kevin Harlan is an improvising master, and Marvin Harrison Jr. has a VERY bright future.
Let’s dive in, folks
