The Baltimore Ravens will lean on an offense led by quarterback Tyler Huntley in their Week 8 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Without their star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, Baltimore will need more from Huntley, running back Derrick Henry, and a defense that has struggled for most of the 2025 season.
The team should not have too many outstanding issues with Huntley under center. He looked good enough in the Ravens’ Week 6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and Henry finally found his footing after an inconsistent stretch of games. However, it is the defense that Baltimore will have to worry about, just as it has been all year long.
Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr's unit looked miles better in Week 6. Problems remain with occasional blown coverages in the secondary and a lack of pushback in the pocket from the pass rush, though. Newcomer safety Alohi Gilman should continue to help patch up Baltimore’s leaky secondary, but the pressure is in serious trouble entering Sunday’s game.
After the Odafe Oweh trade and a foot injury to outside linebacker Tavius Robinson, the Ravens’ depth at the spot is being tested. To make it even tougher, the team chose not to call up any pass rushers from the practice squad.
The Ravens are elevating DL Taven Bryan and S Keondre Jackson from the practice squad. Bryan will give the Ravens another body inside against the Bears' run game and Jackson will play special teams.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) October 25, 2025
This is Bryan's first elevation and Jackson's second.
Ravens' weak pass rush room could haunt them vs. Bears
Baltimore had options. They added veteran pass rusher Carl Lawson from free agency, but he still needs time to ramp up for game action. Still, practice squad members Malik Hamm and Kaimon Rucker seemed primed for opportunities on Sunday. Instead, the Ravens chose to bring up defensive lineman Taven Bryan and safety Keondre Jackson.
That leaves Kyle Van Noy, Mike Green, and David Ojabo as the only true pass rushers for the must-win matchup. On the defensive line, Travis Jones, John Jenkins, Brent Urban, Aeneas Peebles, C.J. Okoye, and Bryan are eligible to play. While the extra bodies should help supply some interior pressure, there will undoubtedly be a spark still missing along the edge.
Baltimore could use linebacker Trenton Simpson as a pass rusher against Chicago. He had 12.5 sacks through three years at Clemson, and in 2025, he is posting a 64.4 pass rush grade, according to Pro Football Focus, while tallying one sack.
The pass rush is already suffering, posting just eight sacks through seven weeks, a mark that ranks tied for dead last in the NFL. Without many fresh bodies to put out there on Sunday, it is unlikely the unit will finally find the success rushing the passer that they have been looking for.