The Baltimore Ravens fell to the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football, losing 38-30. They lost control in the fourth quarter, as their defense finally broke down. They could not get off the field all night, and Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr has some serious questions to answer.
It did not matter how Detroit attacked Baltimore’s defense. Whether it was through the air or on the ground, they tormented the Ravens in every way imaginable. The Lions finished the night with 202 passing yards and 224 rushing yards.
The most disappointing part of the unit’s performance was its inability to make timely stops. The Lions’ offense proved to be a slow killer, as they monotonously picked apart Baltimore’s defense.
Punter Jordan Stout gave them strong starting field position almost all night, and they failed to pull through for the offense. The defense gave up touchdown drives of 96 and 98 yards, which was the first time a team had given up two 95-plus-yard scoring drives on Monday Night Football since 2010. The team that did that? The Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have allowed TD drives of 96 and 98 yards tonight.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) September 23, 2025
The last team to allow multiple 95-yard TD drives on Monday Night Football was the Ravens, who did so against the Texans in 2010, per ESPN Research.
Zach Orr’s defensive disaster class vs. Lions has him on the hot seat
Baltimore had one of the toughest early-season schedules coming into the 2025 campaign, and in both of their must-see matchups against the Buffalo Bills and Lions, Orr’s unit has looked unprepared. Just like everyone saw in Week 1, the dam broke on defense, and a chain of countless big plays put the Ravens to bed.
In 2024, the defense saw similar struggles early on. While there is still time to turn it around, Orr has failed to come ready for the challenge against some of the NFL’s best offenses during his time calling the defensive plays. Now, he might be on the hot seat.
It is rare for a defensive coordinator to get fired this early in the season. These late-game collapses have come against the second-highest (Lions) and fourth-highest (Bills) scoring offenses after all.
Still, you see the defense is making the same mistakes repeatedly. In Week 1, the coverage and pass rush were significant issues. In Week 2, they had trouble bringing down Cleveland Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins. And in Week 3, the whole unit unraveled.
The tackling was horrendous, the coverage was unreliable, and the pass rush failed to get a sack, breaking a 57-game streak of the Ravens recording a sack. It was evidently a struggle without defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, but you cannot rely on one player.
The Ravens had a 57 game sack streak coming into tonight…
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) September 23, 2025
The Ravens finished with zero sacks & zero takeaways…not the same defense.
Orr will have a chance to get back on the right track against a scuffling Kansas City Chiefs offense in Week 4. Hopefully, the defense can find a rhythm.