The Baltimore Ravens’ 2025 season is on life support, and their Week 6 game against the Los Angeles Rams is a must-win. They desperately needed their defense to turn things around, and it appears they are doing just that, as they allowed just three points through two quarters of play.
On offense, they needed running back Derrick Henry to find a rhythm, and he dominated the first half, going for 90 yards on 18 carries, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken’s game plan was finally working out after two rough weeks, but he never fails to outsmart himself.
The Ravens had a golden opportunity to go into the locker room up 10-3. However, Monken had other plans. With the ball at the goal line, instead of letting Henry take three carries up the middle to try to pick up one yard for a touchdown, Monken elected to run the tush push twice with tight end Mark Andrews. It failed on both occasions, and on fourth down, he finally gave Henry the ball, but the play was blown up in the backfield.
Todd Monken never fails to outsmart himself
Ravens fans have been calling for almost every coach to be fired this year. It has been a disappointing season from head coaching to offensive and defensive playcalling. From the coaching staff to the players on the field, everyone has fallen short of expectations. And it seems that in the biggest moments when the team is being gift-wrapped chances to score or win the game, they manage to mess it up.
Monken’s incompetent play-calling late in the second quarter summed up Baltimore’s season. He can never seem to stay with the hot hand. He tends to try and make unnecessary adjustments, and they almost always backfire.
In the past couple of seasons, whether it was Gus Edwards or Henry toting the rock, the Ravens were one of the most successful teams in the red zone, especially inside the five-yard line. This year, it has been vastly different, and it is due to the poor execution from Monken.
In such a pivotal matchup, you cannot make those mistakes, especially when the defense, which has had problems all season, is finally giving the offense a strong half of play. They were almost guaranteed a touchdown on that final drive, and somehow Monken called the exact set of plays that kept them from finding the end zone. It will undoubtedly have an effect on the outcome of the game.