On Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs face the Baltimore Ravens. We welcome three contributors from Baltimore Beatdown — our sister SB Nation site covering the Ravens — for Five Questions with the Enemy.
1. With the Ravens now sitting at 1-2, how are fans reacting? Do you sense any level of panic?
The harsh truth is there’s a ton of panic in the fanbase. It’s less about the record; they’ve here plenty of times. Rather, it’s more about the preseason roster construction fears. The weakest part of the team going in was the lack of depth on the defensive line and the worries about guard play on the offensive line. Both fears have been realized.
It’s only Week 4 and the defensive tackle room has been obliterated already. Nnamdi Madubuike, the team’s best pass rusher, is out indefinitely with a neck injury nobody seems to know anything about. Travis Jones and Broderick Washington have missed practices this week. The team added two more tackles to the practice squad, not instilling confidence that guys are going to be healthy in the short or long term.
[Since this was written, the Ravens made several roster moves, placing Madubuike and Washington on their Reserve/Injured list, activating practice squad defensive lineman Brent Urban and tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden to the roster and elevating practice squad defensive tackles C.J. Okoye and Josh Tupou for Sunday’s game.]
The guard play also seems to be the biggest limiter on what could realistically be the best offense in the league. I’m not sure it will stop the team putting up points, as the league saw nationwide on Monday. But the worry about Lamar Jackson’s health is abundant, especially when you look at what’s happened with division rival Joe Burrow.
The team very well could right the ship and get back on track. The Ravens were 2-2 in 2019, 3-2 in 2023 (with massive questions) and 1-2 in 2024. They’ll probably make the playoffs. But panic about future playoff disappointment is hard to avoid right now.
— Zach Canter
2. Derrick Henry has fumbled in every game so far — twice in crucial moments. Do you see him becoming a liability, or is this something he can correct?
It’s hard to imagine Derrick Henry’s ball security issues being a long-term liability for the Ravens.
First, the numbers. Henry has fumbled three times on 41 carries (7.3% fumble rate) this year, the same number he had on his previous 605 carries across 2023 and 2024. That’s an 0.5% fumble rate in the last two years, slightly lower than his 0.85% career mark coming into the 2025 season.
Second, the plays. Two of Henry’s fumbles were forced by elite defensive plays (Bills DT Ed Oliver, Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson). He could have covered up better against Oliver, and certainly against Browns CB Cam Mitchell in Week 2. Against Hutchinson, though, there may not have been anything he could have done.
Third, the player. Between his distraught reactions during the game and comments after, Henry has clearly taken the fumbles personally. He talked this week about his embarrassment to be having this issue and the technique adjustments he’s adopted this week. It would be a surprise if one of the league’s most dedicated, fastidious players continued to drop the ball.
— Nikhil Mehta
3. The Ravens have allowed 32 points per game. What have been the biggest defensive issues?
It’s hard to pinpoint, as they seem to vary from week to week. In Week 1 against the Bills, the pass rush did a poor job of containing Josh Allen, while the secondary — particularly cornerback Jaire Alexander — allowed multiple big plays down the field. In Week 3 against the Lions, the pass rush seemed non-existent — failing to sack Goff even once — while the run defense completely fell apart. It feels like a game of whack-a-mole with Baltimore’s defense at the moment.
In my opinion, the root of all these issues has been a lackluster front seven. If defensive tackle Madubuike is unable to return anytime soon, the Ravens’ pass rush and run defense will continue to be a crippling issue against other contending teams.
— Dustin Cox
4. If Baltimore loses this week, could head coach John Harbaugh’s job security come into question?
It’s just not how the Ravens’ organizations runs things. A mid-season firing would go against all historical data on the way they operate. 1-3 isn’t going to change that. The Ravens would have to go winless for several weeks in a row and/or miss the playoffs for Harbaugh’s job to actually be in jeopardy. And even with all that, it would still be an offseason firing — if I had to guess. The Ravens’ organization rarely makes impulsive moves and typically takes weeks or months to finalize massive decisions like this.
— Zach Canter
5. Lamar Jackson is 1-4 in his career against Patrick Mahomes — and hasn’t won since 2021. What does Jackson need to do to
get the upper hand?
Kansas City’s defense has given Jackson trouble throughout his career. It has largely forced him to dink-and-dunk his way down the field, which is hardly his preferred style of play. That emphasis on downfield coverage has allowed Jackson to rack up yards on the ground against the Chiefs, and he will have to be ready to do so again on Sunday.
A key factor will be his decisiveness and pre-snap adjustments. He looked uncomfortable in the pocket at times in Week 3 and the Lions’ use of a spy limited his scrambling opportunities. If the Chiefs use the same strategy, Jackson needs to identify the spy pre-snap and look for opportunities for quick, in-rhythm completions.
More than anything, he needs to maintain his composure and avoid trying to be the hero. That doesn’t mean throw the ball away on scrambles – Jackson is the league’s foremost magician on extended plays – but he has to focus on ball security when passing and running. Avoiding a late, back-breaking turnover will be crucial to overcoming the Chiefs in what should be a tight game.
— Nikhil Mehta
Be sure to check out the answers I gave to their questions by clicking here.
