The Baltimore Ravens' coaching staff has been rightfully criticized for not properly utilizing Derrick Henry this season. These critiques (rightfully) reached an all-time high after an embarrassing 32-14 Thanksgiving Night loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Let's put into perspective just how poor Todd Monken's play-calling was on Thursday. Lamar Jackson dropped back 38 times, but Henry had just 10 carries. In the second quarter specifically, Lamar dropped back 12 times, which resulted in a negative EPA, and Henry didn't get a single carry. To make matters worse, this came against the 31st-ranked Bengals defense.
the Ravens played the #31 Cincy run defense
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) November 28, 2025
38 Lamar Jackson dropbacks
10 Derrick Henry rushes (2 Keaton)
Baltimore led 7-3 entering the 2nd quarter
in the 2nd quarter:
12 Lamar dropbacks (-0.51 EPA/att)
0 Derrick Henry rushes
Todd Monken lost his mind last night
Jackson fumbled twice in this game, and Henry rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown. Rasheen Ali was also on the field for five more snaps than Henry. This management of Henry from Monken is unacceptable.
The Ravens could soon part ways with Monken
The Ravens have had a lot of success since Monken took over as the offensive coordinator in 2023. Before this season, the Ravens were 25-9 with Monken as their OC. Last season, Baltimore led the league with 424.9 yards per game. By all accounts, Monken is a good coach.
However, his play-calling and abandoning the run game aren't new problems. Last season, Henry's 16 carries against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs were below his season average. While the Ravens didn't have Henry in Monken's first season, the Ravens fell short to the Kansas City Chiefs in the conference championship in a game where the Ravens passed the ball twice as much as they ran it.
Despite the success, the Ravens have seen under Monken, there's also been plenty of low points.
Monken's play-calling has been a common theme of the Ravens' yearly shortcomings. In a game where the Ravens had five turnovers, solely blaming Monken isn't fair. Regardless, he deserves some blame. At 6-6, the Ravens are fighting for a playoff spot, and Monken's play-calling could ultimately cause Baltimore to miss the playoffs entirely.
Earlier this season, Ravens fans were hoping that defensive coordinator Zach Orr would be fired. Nevertheless, the Ravens' defense hasn't been the problem over the last seven weeks, and Orr has made a lot of progress. The Ravens have shown John Harbaugh immense loyalty, so I doubt they'd fire him even if they miss the playoffs.
This leaves Monken as the most logical person to be fired if the Ravens are unable to make the playoffs. Frankly, with his and the offense's shortcomings, moving on from Monken would be justified.
Even if the Ravens make the playoffs, it's unlikely that they'll advance very far. Likewise, there's no denying this season has been an overall disappointment, and Monken is a factor for the Ravens' underwhelming play.
While Thursday was the most egregious example of Monken's play-calling, this isn't a new problem, and his days could very well be numbered.