Lamar Jackson, Marlon Humphrey, and Roquan Smith are all expected to be out for Week 5, all of whom are integral pieces of this Baltimore Ravens team. Cooper Rush will likely be under center for the matchup against the Houston Texans, but the offense still boasts firepower in Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, and others.
Facing a Texans squad eager to also right their own ship, Baltimore must overcome injuries, depth issues, and a hungry opponent.
Here are three keys the Ravens must execute to escape with a win.
3 keys for the Ravens in Week 5
1. Rush must be efficient — no flash, just function
With Jackson on the sidelines, the Ravens' offensive identity shifts. Rush isn’t a dynamic runner, so the Ravens won’t ask him to make magic happen behind a struggling offensive line — they’ll ask him to be accurate, poised, and mistake-free. He needs to make quick reads, smart decisions, and the ability to manage drives.
Baltimore’s scheming should simplify some reads, lean on play-action off the Henry run game, and deploy motions to confuse coverage. Rush doesn’t need to be spectacular — just consistent. If he turns it over or misses easy throws, Houston will pounce.
2. Lean hard on Henry & let Flowers be the safety valve
Even without Jackson, Baltimore still has two dangerous threats:
- Derrick Henry: He must be more than a decoy. Baltimore needs Henry to punish Houston’s front, control the pace, and force the Texans to respect the ground game, while also holding on to the football. If Henry is effective, it opens up passing lanes off play-action and helps Rush in the process.
- Zay Flowers: He becomes Rush’s best friend. With Houston’s secondary likely targeting Baltimore’s weakest links, Flowers needs to win 1-on-1s, make contested catches, and stretch the field. He’s the most proven receiver out there besides DeAndre Hopkins, and he is the Ravens' most constant threat.
If Henry wears down Houston’s front and keeps the defense off the field and fresh, along with Flowers' snaps off chunk plays, that’s how the Ravens can maintain balance and keep pressure off Rush.
3. Disrupt Texans passing attack & force turnovers
Houston’s calling card is their passing game — Stroud has shown he can hurt defenses through the air, especially when his offensive line is blocking well. With Baltimore’s secondary already depleted by injuries ( Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, and Jaire Alexander), the Ravens defense must be conservative but also aggressive when it counts most:
- Bring pressure at timely moments to rattle Stroud and help out the front four
- Force contested passes and secure takeaways
Turnover margin could decide this game. If Baltimore can flip a few possessions and make Stroud uncomfortable, it offsets some of their offensive limitations under Rush.
Final snap:
This is a must-win for the Ravens’ 2025 season, or it could get ugly fast. Their margin for error is slimmer without Jackson, but they still have playmakers capable of pushing them through. It’s just about whether those playmakers around Rush can give him the help and confidence to steal a win from this hungry Texans team.