While the Baltimore Ravens lost in Week 6 to the Los Angeles Rams, it was an encouraging performance for the most part. The defense looked much improved, the offense finally leaned into running the football, and the special teams units did their jobs.
Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken let running back Derrick Henry go to work, as he ran for 122 yards on 24 carries. The offense as a whole had 37 rush attempts, but one key factor was missing: running back Keaton Mitchell.
Mitchell was active for his second straight contest after being a healthy scratch for the first four games of the 2025 season. He only got four touches in Week 5 against the Houston Texans, but with a larger emphasis on the ground game on Sunday, it was widely expected that Monken would get Mitchell involved more. That was not the case.
Mitchell did not receive a single carry against the Rams. He was only on the field for two snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Henry got the most action with 38 snaps, and backup running back Justice Hill saw the field on 35 snaps. Even Rasheen Ali was given more offensive reps than Mitchell, outpacing him by one with three snaps.
Keaton Mitchell is still stuck at the bottom of the depth chart
The Ravens’ offensive game plan in Week 6 should have worked out to near perfection. They won the time of possession battle with nearly 38 minutes with the ball and slowly moved down the field on several drives. However, turnovers by quarterback Cooper Rush and wide receiver Zay Flowers put the offense out of sync, and they ultimately put up just three points. The unit did lack some explosiveness, though, which is an element Mitchell could have provided.
The team’s longest rush of the game went for 19 yards by quarterback Tyler Huntley. Henry’s long of 12 was the longest for running backs, and while Hill was finding success early, it was clear the Rams were better prepared for his carries later on. Hill averaged just 2.7 yards per carry, rushing for 16 yards on six carries.
While it made sense to continue to lean on the duo of Henry and Hill early, especially in a tight game through the first half, once the Rams went up by two touchdowns, Mitchell should have been put on the field more.
Fans have seen Mitchell change the script of the game in just a single play, as he was known for gashing defenses for chunk plays in his rookie year. He ran for 396 yards on 47 carries in 2023, for an otherworldly 8.4 yards per carry. His longest run went for 60 yards against the Seattle Seahawks. A horrific knee injury that year kept him out of action for a while, but he finally looks like he is 100 percent healthy, and the coaching staff has yet to give him a chance to prove it.
In Week 8 against the Chicago Bears, stars like quarterback Lamar Jackson and linebacker Roquan Smith are expected to return to action. The team is getting healthier by the day, which could mean Mitchell will go back to being a healthy scratch. Hopefully, that is not the case.