The Chicago Bears head to Maryland to face the Baltimore Ravens in a game that, if they win, means the Bears will have a flawless record for the month of October. Could the Bears extend their winning streak
to five? What’s the status of Lamar Jackson? How would his presence (or absence) impact the game?
To get you set for this game, we sat down with Nikhil Mehta from Baltimore Beatdown (SB Nation’s Baltimore Ravens site) to get the Ravens’ perspective on this game. Check out the Q&A below.
1. 1-5 is a shocking record for a team most experts considered to be the league’s best before week one. What are your adjusted expectations for this team moving forward this season?
Getting Lamar Jackson back will do wonders for the Ravens’ offense, but their defense is still a serious liability until they prove otherwise. But Baltimore’s five losses were all to good teams, and they have an easier schedule for the rest of the year. It’s entirely possible they get back into the playoff race and even sneak in as a 10-7 or 9-8 wild card.
But based on how the Ravens have looked this year, they are not a Super Bowl contender. They may not even belong in the postseason. And some fans would even argue that an all-out collapse – including perhaps some sales at the deadline – would be best for the team to force a change in their coaching staff and give the franchise a chance at a truly elite prospect.
As a friend recently told me, the Ravens have a way of doing the most frustrating thing possible. So, that probably means a furious comeback in the second half of the season, only to just miss the playoffs or lose in the first round to keep them picking in the 20s or later.
2. Let’s discuss John Harbaugh. I know the injuries have been off the charts, but with the past failings that Harbaugh has had in the playoffs over the last five years or so, even if the Ravens recover and win 9 or 10 games, is it time the Ravens and Harbaugh part ways?
Fans have been calling for Harbaugh’s job for a while now, but the Ravens value stability and continuity too much to make that kind of a move during their recent success with Jackson. It was hard to make an argument for firing him after any individual season. 2020 was the COVID season, 2021 and 2022 were riddled with injuries (including two to Jackson), and 2023 featured the Ravens’ first AFC Championship Game with Jackson. 2024 featured an earlier playoff exit, but it was hard to blame that loss to the Bills on Harbaugh, given some of the players’ on-field miscues.
However, that has also raised expectations to ‘Super Bowl or bust,’ and it seems like the Ravens will do the latter. Assuming Jackson comes back this week or next, Baltimore probably has to make the playoffs and win at least one game – if not get to the AFC Championship game – to keep Harbaugh safe.
3. I know the Ravens have had some injuries on defense, but they also haven’t looked good when those players were playing. Why has a defense with several talented players been so bad this year?
The Ravens’ defense struggled in the first year of Zach Orr’s tenure, but turned it around for the second half of the season after a few personnel and schematic adjustments. A lot of blame was put on Orr, partially because he brought in former Ravens DC Dean Pees right before the team corrected course. That made fans think that Orr was the problem, especially when the unit struggled again this year.
But the Ravens’ defenders have largely put the blame on their shoulders, both publicly and anonymously in a recent article in The Baltimore Sun. They insist that Orr is preparing them well and calling plays well in games, but they are failing to execute. The tape shows some of that, but it also shows some confusing coaching decisions. For one, the Ravens, who normally pride themselves on a physically secondary, have played a lot of soft zone coverage this season, sometimes with spot drops behind the sticks on third down.
The biggest issue overall is the Ravens’ lack of a pass rush after losing Nnamdi Madubuike. They don’t have another impact interior rusher, and their edge rush has disappointed to start the year. Kyle Van Noy has been injured, rookie Mike Green has not lived up to the hype, and Odafe Oweh had zero sacks before being shipped off to the Chargers, where he has two sacks in three games. Orr is going to have to find ways to scheme up pressure to take some of the burden off his secondary.
4. Derrick Henry is averaging 5 yards per carry and has a success rate over 50% but he doesn’t seem like his same dominant self. Are Henry’s issues more from the struggles of the team around him, or is he finally showing that at nearly 32, he’s finally slowing down a little bit?
The Ravens’ offensive line has struggled, and they have been missing versatile blocking weapon Patrick Ricard, but it does feel like Henry hasn’t been as physically dominant this season. Part of what makes him so dangerous is his ability to build up steam and blow through the hole like a freight train, but he’s getting contacted in the backfield too often. It occasionally looks like he could drop his shoulder and try to run through players more, but he’s also committed to protecting the ball after his three fumbles to start the season.
It’s worth noting that Henry averaged fewer than 4.5 yards per carry in his last three years with the Titans. He was still one of the league’s best running backs, and he is also the type of player who is maximized by playing with Lamar Jackson. It limits defenders’ abilities to shoot gaps and creates more opportunities for 1-on-1 matchups in space. Having both his attention-drawing quarterback and punishing fullback back on the field will bring out a better version of Henry.
5. How much does Lamar Jackson swing this game? Can it be simplified as much as, if Lamar plays, the Ravens will win against the Bears, if he doesn’t, the Ravens will lose? Please give two predictions, one if Lamar plays, and one if he doesn’t.
If Lamar Jackson plays, this game will turn into a shootout that Baltimore likely wins. The problems with the Ravens’ defense don’t feel like they can be fixed in one game, especially against Ben Johnson’s streaking offense. But Jackson also has a way of tearing through NFC teams, especially the ones that don’t play him often.
If Lamar Jackson doesn’t play, the Bears will likely aggressively try to stop the run and force the Ravens to be one-dimensional with Cooper Rush or Tyler Huntley under center. Their offense will be able to find the same success, if not more, with better field position and perhaps a few turnovers. On a very basic level, it’s hard to imagine Baltimore scoring more points than Chicago.
