The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the worst teams in football in recent weeks. They sit at 1-4 entering Week 6, and while their offense was a bright spot early on, it has looked almost as bad as their defense in the last two games.
The loss of quarterback Lamar Jackson has undoubtedly hurt the unit, and against the Los Angeles Rams this week, it is looking increasingly likely that he will be sidelined for another game. He was out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday, meaning Cooper Rush is in line to start for now.
Still, regardless of who is starting, the offense has been out of sync. The run game has struggled, and the offensive line has made things difficult for the pass attack, but Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken seems ready to flip the script on Sunday. In his press conference on Thursday, he highlighted what it will take to rebound from such a rough stretch.
“We’ve got ourselves in a little bit of a rut,” Monken said. “We've got to coach better, we've got to scheme it better, we've got to call it better, we've got to execute better. Everybody’s a part of that…How do we build it together, and how do we get it done during the week so that it shows up on Sunday?”
Ravens’ offense searching for reinforcements ahead of crucial stretch
The Ravens received good news on Thursday, as fullback Patrick Ricard returned to practice for the first time since injuring his calf in mid-August. He was a limited participant in practice, and Head Coach John Harbaugh does not expect him to return until after the bye week in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears. Still, this should bring a significant boost, especially to the rushing attack, as Baltimore attempts to bounce back from a slow start.
Reinforcements could come from other angles, too, as earlier in the week, Harbaugh mentioned everything is on the table in terms of changes, and that includes the offensive line.
John Harbaugh was asked if he's considered personnel changes along the offensive line:
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) October 6, 2025
"Oh, yeah. Everything is on the table. ... There are guys who are still in that area where they still have to prove themselves, and those guys are under consideration all the time. They are…
Particularly, the offensive guard spot has been a huge issue through five weeks. Both starting guards, Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele, have fallen short of the expectations starting-caliber linemen carry. The duo has hurt the team on run plays; Vorhees has posted a 50.7 run blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus, and Faalele has posted a 50.2 grade in that department.
With such a poor performance from each of Vorhees and Faalele, a reshuffling up front could be the exact reinforcements the offense needs to sustain consistent success down the road. Backup linemen Ben Cleveland and Corey Bullock are more than deserving of opportunities at this point. Both performed well throughout training camp and preseason, and by the sounds of it, their chances could be coming.