The Baltimore Ravens are desperate for a win in Week 6. They enter Sunday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Rams at 1-4, and are quickly falling out of contention in the playoff race.
The biggest storyline of the game is quarterback Lamar Jackson’s status. He will be out for another contest with a hamstring injury, putting backup quarterback Cooper Rush in line for his second start of the 2025 campaign.
Rush and Baltimore’s offense clearly were not right in their Week 5 loss to the Houston Texans. They put just 10 points on the board, and it was the worst the offense has looked in years. They will need Rush to take significant strides in Week 6. Here are three areas that he needs to improve on to put the Ravens in a position to win.
3 key areas Cooper Rush needs to clean up
Limit turnovers
Baltimore lost the turnover battle against the Texans. They were a -3 in that department, as the defense once again failed to force a turnover, while Rush threw three interceptions. Not all of the picks were his fault, as tight end Mark Andrews bobbled a pass on one and wide receiver Rashod Bateman had trouble locating the football on another.
Still, Rush was not entirely smart with the football. The Ravens had the chance to get back on track at the start of the third quarter, but Rush threw an interception to safety Jalen Pitre in Baltimore’s own territory, which led to the all but game–sealing touchdown.
Through five weeks, the Rams are +1 in turnover differential. Their defense has seven takeaways, which ranks eighth in the NFL. If Rush can avoid giving the ball back to the other team, they might have a fighter’s chance on Sunday.
Make quicker decisions in the face of pressure
While Rush only took one sack last Sunday, there were moments where he looked unprepared for the pressure. Texans’ defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. got to Rush for a 16-yard sack early in the second quarter for a sack that ended Baltimore’s second drive, and Houston’s pressure clearly had the Ravens out of sync all day.
Baltimore already had issues handling the Texans’ defensive line, and the Rams’ defensive front is expected to give Baltimore even more problems.
If Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken can simplify the offense and draw up quicker passing concepts for Rush, then Baltimore could better handle the likes of Jared Verse and Byron Young. Still, it is up to Rush, and he will need to come calm and composed on Sunday.
Find a rhythm and remain efficient
The lack of a rhythm has been the story of the Ravens’ offense for the past few weeks. They always start fast, but often fail to keep their foot on the gas pedal. Rush needs to help change that tune.
In Week 5, Rush led an early scoring drive to keep pace with the Texans in the first quarter. Like usual, though, they stalled and were unable to adjust to what the defense was throwing at them.
In his press conference leading up to the game, Rush highlighted the importance of efficiency.
“We gotta be more efficient,” Rush said. “First and second down, especially, get more manageable third downs…More efficiency overall to get us going.”
The Ravens were only 3-for-8 on third downs last week, and against a high-powered offense like Los Angeles’ that must improve in Week 6.
Simply put, Rush needs to play better and settle in with Monken’s offense if Baltimore wants any shot at salvaging this season.