The Baltimore Ravens began the 2025 season at +700 odds of winning the Super Bowl, joining the reigning Super Bowl champion, the Philadelphia Eagles, and AFC championship runner up, the Buffalo Bills as co-favorites to win the Lombardi Trophy.
In a month and a half span that included a historic collapse, a few major injuries, and two stagnant offensive performances at home. Baltimore’s odds plummeted ten times more than they were originally as they sat at a 1-5 record, the worst start in Head Coach John Harbaugh’s tenure since the dreaded 2015 campaign.
Currently residing in 12th place in the AFC as the team had a better chance of getting a top three pick in next year’s draft than playing in January, let alone in February as Baltimore dropped to a 25-30% chance of making the playoffs by week seven of the NFL season.
The Ravens backs were against the walls, many began to call for the potential firing of Head Coach John Harbaugh and Defensive Coordinator Zachary Orr as many chanted “Fire Harbaugh” from the home stands during a 17-9 defeat against the Los Angeles Rams.
Then the tables began to turn from their week seven bye week and on, Baltimore started winning. The Ravens shifted the tides in an emotional 30-16 week eight victory versus the Chicago Bears. A victory that Ravens All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith described postgame as “new energy” and how the team has a chance at a “fresh start”as they now look at a favorable schedule to finish off the regular season.
Baltimore took full advantage, winning their next four games to sit at 6-5, tying for the AFC North division lead alongside the Pittsburgh Steelers. This gives the Baltimore Ravens the ability to achieve a feat that hasn’t been since the 2020 Washington Football Team, to start off the year 1-5 and make the playoffs.
With a quarter left remaining in the season, let’s look at the key changes in Baltimore that turned a down right disaster of a season into the revival of championship aspirations and how the Ravens need to finish off strong.
The Arrival of Alohi
The Baltimore Ravens had some major problems on defense that made the 2024 defense, which was known for a lack of pass rush and constant blown coverage, not so bad in hindsight. As to start off 2025, the Ravens clearly showed that the strength for once in the teams 30 year history was the offense. Throughout the first six games, Baltimore was at the bottom in scoring defense (35.4 ppg), bottom three in both rushing(146.4ypg) and passing(262.4 ypg), while having only two takeaways on the year. Ravens defense allowed an opponent passer rating of 108.6, fifth-worst in the NFL, and allowed 14 touchdowns to just one interception. A huge dip in defensive production that hasn’t been seen since the 2015 season.
There were contributing factors to this as injuries of stars such as defensive tackle Justin Madubike, edge rusher Kyle Van Noy, and Roquan Smith to start the year were major setbacks for the front seven. Ravens safety Marcus Williams and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie missing time also thinned out an already vulnerable Ravens secondary.
As players were starting to get healthy once again, the Ravens made a move around the trade deadline that was confusing to many at first. With Baltimore trading edge rusher Odafe Oweh a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers for safety Alohi Gilman and a 2026 fifth-round pick.
The Ravens have since reaped the benefits of Alohi as since the week 6 acquisition the defense has allowed 17.2 points per game, 7th best in the NFL. Top ten in total defense, giving up 298 yards and allowing under 100 yards rushing. Forcing nine turnovers and being in the top ten in third defense at an allowed conversion rate of 34.8%. Also flipping their defensive EPA from +0.12 to -0.08, which is also top ten in the NFL.
Ravens defensive re-tooling mimics the worst to best shift from Zachary Orr’s defense last season but with more added firepower. Since Gilman has been able to handle a ton of responsibility on the back end of this defense, that has led to All-Pro defender Kyle Hamilton back to what he does best, being a defensive Swiss army knife.
Hamilton has been the primary winner of this trade. Once Gilman was inserted into the lineup, Hamilton returned to having the freedom to roam closer to the box to stop the run and raised his opportunities as a blitzer.
Kyle Hamilton since week six has reached a blitz rate of 14%, a seven percent jump from before the trade that has resulted in eight quarterback pressures and amplified Baltimore’s pressure rate to 34%, which is top twelve currently in the NFL. Hamilton is still able to be a threat in coverage as he has taken 61% snaps in coverage while being targeted only 11% of the time.
The Ravens defense has been the star of the show during this five-game winning streak as for the first time since the end of last season, the defense is playing with full confidence and making vital stops in each game. Beginning to “Play Like A Raven” once more.
The Unusual Return of #8
The Ravens had issues to start the season but the most glaring weren’t on the offensive side of the ball.
Despite the early fumbles from running back Derrick Henry that many saw more as an extreme rarity than a red flag, and early signs of problems in pass protection that resulted in 22 pressures in a week three loss against the Detroit Lions. The Ravens had the 10th best scoring offense(25ppg), 7th best rushing attack (137.9ypg), and Lamar Jackson was on pace for another MVP caliber season. Starting the year with 869 yards while completing 71% of his passes, 10 touchdowns to 1 interception, all to the tune of a 130.5 passer rating that led the entire NFL.
Then week four came as Baltimore squared off against Kansas City in Arrowhead, with both teams trying to shake off their slow start. In the final minute of the third quarter down 30-13, Lamar Jackson is seen trying to evade a heavy pass rush from the Chiefs which lead to George Karlaftis sack.
The panic for Ravens fans began after Jackson was sidelined for the rest of the game with an apparent hamstring injury. The restlessness got deeper from there as Jackson was then put on injury designation and sat out for three straight games.
Once Jackson was out of the lineup, it looked as the offensive success followed with him. As during those games the offense managed to score 14 points and 286 total yards on average. The offense was able to gain some traction against the Bears with Derrick Henry reaching the endzone twice and backup quarterback Tyler Huntley making his Ravens return, going 17-22 for 186 yards and one touchdown.
Jackson would finally suit up on Thursday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins and made his grand return throwing for 204 yards and four touchdowns while completing 78% of his passes.
Since the explosive effort against a lackluster Dolphins defense, the Ravens have surprisingly been middle of the pack offensively. Jackson is clearly evident to be lingering with other minor injuries and hasn’t thrown for more than 200 yards since week nine but this Ravens offense is still averaging 25 points while supplying 312 yards of total offense.
Showing ability to effectively move the ball yet constantly leave points on the field as the Ravens have a red zone touchdown rate of 46.3%, 30th in the NFL. As well as converting 38% of the time on third down, a frustration that was witnessed in full effect in their 23-10 victory against the New York Jets as the Jets defense held Baltimore to 2-13 on the crucial down.
Raven’s offensive line has been a prime focus of concern as well. Since Jackson’s return, he has been sacked nine times, including a five sack game against the Cleveland Browns in week eleven. Jackson has been sacked 24 this season in 8 games played which is on pace to be one of his most sacked seasons since 2022.
Baltimore Ravens offensively hasn’t picked up back to speed from where it was back in week three yet the team is still winning. If the Ravens want to prove that this team is a contender, the offense will need to heat up once again.
The Road Ahead
The final six game stretch is make or break for Baltimore as they play four divisional games in that span. The teams two non-division games are against the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers, two teams that are trying to maintain their spot in the playoffs as well. So, this five-game hot streak can be all for nothing if Baltimore doesn’t play their best.
In order to finish the year off back on top and continue their AFC North title reign for another season, the Ravens offense is the side of the ball that has to pick up the slack.
With a short week as the Baltimore Ravens host the Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving night. The Ravens have a prime opportunity ahead of them to jump start their offense against a struggling Bengals defense.
