NFL
By: Joey MacDonald
It seems that things are going from bad to worse for the 2025 Baltimore Ravens, as it was a no-contest, as the Houston Texans came in and demolished the Ravens by the score of 44-10. As CJ Stroud and the Texans had a field day, Stroud threw for four touchdowns, going 23/27 and 244 yards through the air against the worst defense in the NFL. And now the Baltimore Ravens need some answers, rather than asking questions, given the way they have been playing so far this season, marking their 30th anniversary.
The Ravens had nothing for the Houston Texans on this particular day in Week 5, as the Texans, on their first drive of the game, went down the field and scored a touchdown. They scored on every possession in the first half, either on touchdowns or field goals. The Ravens’ offensive touchdown came in garbage time, when they were down 34-3, and made it 34-10. That was their only touchdown of the day, as the offense went silent without star quarterback Lamar Jackson and others missing on the field. The most disappointing aspect of this team is its lack of success in the running game, considering they have one of the best running backs in the NFL, Derrick Henry.
The defense continues its worst season start since its inaugural season in 1996, when it was ranked 28th in the NFL. As they gave up a total of 417 yards on defense, that’s right, 417 yards – a figure that falls below the Baltimore Ravens’ standards in their history, and today was no exception. Zach Orr is not the answer at the Defensive Coordinator position; he’s too soft on playing, and I’m not going to give him a pass because of the injuries. If things don’t pick up for him by week 10, then he could be on the unemployment line.
The Houston Texans, on the other hand, played a great game from the start by scoring on 8 of their 10 possessions. CJ Stroud played a flawless game, throwing for four touchdown passes. Also, their running game was flawless the whole game, with Nick Chubb leading the way, running the ball for 61 yards on 11 carries, and 8 players combined for a total of 167 yards running the ball. Their defense forced three turnovers by picking off Cooper Rush three times in the blowout win, and had four penalties to the Ravens’ nine, a key reason why the Texans were able to control the game smoothly. Having the ball for 36 minutes and executing long drives was another key to their victory today. Texans coming into this game, they knew they had to take advantage of Baltimore’s misfortunes and took advantage of it, barrel-rolling the Ravens to victory in Week 5.
The Baltimore Ravens, entering this season, were picked by many to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LX, but now they appear to be a football team that is lost and lacks an identity as we speak in Week 5 of this season. And with several injuries and inconsistent play calling, John Harbaugh’s seat just got incredibly hotter following this debacle of a loss against the Texans. Harbaugh has been the head coach for 17 years and counting. No doubt, he will go down as one of the most successful coaches in Baltimore Ravens history, having guided them to four AFC Championship games and a Super Bowl championship. However, the current situation suggests that a change might be on the horizon for him and the Baltimore Ravens moving forward. The talent is there for the Baltimore Ravens, but they need to use the #1 word in football, and that is execution. That’s something the Ravens can’t do right now; not playing fundamentals is also a reason why they are where they are this season.
The Baltimore Ravens are now 1-4 on the season, and it won’t be any easier as they face the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday at 1:00 pm. If things get worse, then the Ravens will have no choice but to make changes moving forward, going into their bye week.
