The Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens face off this week in a game that could be considered a must-win for both teams. Both L.A. and Baltimore are coming off bad losses, and are looking to right the
ship before things get out of hand—or more so in the Ravens’ case.
This week, I spoke with Nikhil Mehta, Zach Canter and Dustin Cox from Baltimore Beatdown and asked them about John Harbaugh’s job security, the Ravens’ horrific defense and more. Huge thanks to that awesome trio for answering my questions ahead of Week 6!
Q – Things have been rough for the Ravens’ defense, as the unit has given up 35.4 points per game in the first five weeks. Head coach John Harbaugh said that he’s not going to make any changes on that side of the ball, so what are your thoughts on the situation?
A – It’s a combination of everything at every level. One, the unit is massively injured, especially up front. They simply don’t have the horses to create interior pressure and it puts stress on every other unit. Two, the players themselves are struggling fundamentally, missing tackles, failing to get off of blocks, struggling in zone and to be aggressive in coverage. Three, the defensive coordinator isn’t putting them in a position to succeed. A unit this massacred by injury should die by being aggressive, but they aren’t blitzing enough and playing soft zones. They should be looking to create chaos, blitz to create pressure and allow their secondary to be aggressive in man coverage. Fourth, head coach John Harbaugh has allowed this to occur for weeks in a row, complicit in allowing that side of the team to struggle with no changes or desperate actions to get things back on track. – Canter
Q – Speaking of Harbaugh, Baltimore is off to its worst start since 2015. Not everything has been his fault, given all the injuries across the roster; however, the Ravens haven’t looked remotely competitive without Lamar Jackson. What are the chances of the team firing Harbaugh if they don’t get their act together?
A – I think the odds of Harbaugh being fired at the end of this season if things continue to plummet at this rate are fairly high. Steve Bisciotti has been one of the most patient owners in the NFL — something that has largely been a positive — but I think he feels the growing frustration around this team and the head coach. This season is certainly not all on Harbaugh, but things have been slowly building to a boiling point over the years after Ravens fans have watched ultra-talented rosters flame out in the playoffs season after season. If Harbaugh has lost the locker room, which some signs point to it being a possibility right now, then I think Bisciotti will make the tough decision to move on from Harbaugh after 18 seasons. Sometimes a change is needed, even with a great coach. We saw it with Andy Reid in Philadelphia and I feel this situation is similar. – Cox
Q – Backup Cooper Rush started against the Texans in Week 5 and had a game to forget, throwing three interceptions in the 34-point loss. If Rush is again the starter versus L.A., what must to do to have a turnaround performance?
A – Rush played better in Week 5 than the box score indicated. He was excellent on the first drive and should have gotten a chance to convert a 4th-and-3 through the air. But the Ravens’ inability to establish a rushing game kept him in 3rd-and-long situations against a ferocious Texans pass rush without left tackle Ronnie Stanley on the field. Only one of Rush’s three interceptions–a bad throw into the flat–was his fault; another was bobbled by Mark Andrews into the hands of a Texans defender and the third was a deep ball that Rashod Bateman seemed to give up on. To play well against the Rams, he will have to establish a rhythm with the quick game underneath and connect on a few big passes like he did last week. – Mehta
Q – Who is one player on offense that Rams fans need to keep an eye on Sunday? What about on defense?
A – The Ravens may need to change up their running game with defenses stifling Derrick Henry for the last three games. Theoretically, this would be a place to use the electric athleticism of Keaton Mitchell, but the Ravens have been hesitant to use him this year. He was active for the first time in Week 5 and only received three carries and one target. On defense, edge rushers Mike Green and Tavius Robinson will be expected to step up after Baltimore surprisingly sent Odafe Oweh to the Chargers on Tuesday. Green is still chasing his first sack, while Robinson has made some impact plays but struggled against the Texans last week. – Mehta
Q – What are a couple questions that you have for Rams fans?
A – Ravens fans are used to their team hoarding draft capital (and adding compensatory picks whenever possible), but the Rams have consistently been willing to move first-round picks for splash acquisitions. That led to their Super Bowl win in 2021, but has limited their roster-building since. Do Rams fans like that approach?
What post-Stafford future do Rams fans envision at quarterback? Are they hoping that McVay can reclaim a young passer already in the NFL, expecting another big trade and/or looking for a successor in the draft? – Mehta
