The Baltimore Ravens’ offense is in the midst of one of the worst stretches they have ever endured under quarterback Lamar Jackson. The passing attack has failed to account for a touchdown in three straight games, and the rushing attack led by running back Derrick Henry has found a ton of inconsistencies across the 2025 campaign.
In their disastrous Week 13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, their struggles were clearer than they ever have been. They put just 14 points on the board, and after an opening-drive touchdown, the offense disappeared. Most notably, the running game faded after the first quarter.
Henry had only 10 carries throughout the night, but the part that irritated fans the most was the usage of backup running back and key specialist Rasheen Ali. Ali took 29 snaps with the offense, which was five more than Henry and 21 more than electric running back Keaton Mitchell.
John Harbaugh’s update on Ravens’ rushing attack has fans worried
On Monday, Head Coach John Harbaugh let everyone know that despite the offense’s troubles on Thanksgiving, Ali will remain a significant part of the offense with running back Justice Hill out.
“[Ali] played really well,” Harbaugh said. “The plays he was in, he got the job done. He pass protected well, he ran his route well, he chipped well. He had one run where I thought he was tentative, could’ve hit it up in there on the A-gap on third and medium. He played well.”
Credit where credit is due, Ali got the job done in Hill’s usual role. He had an 81.1 pass blocking grade per Pro Football Focus, and in his four touches, he gained 17 yards on the ground. Still, it felt like the Ravens used him too much in Week 13.
While Harbaugh noted that the offense was in two-minute situations far too often on Thursday night, Henry’s presence on the field could have kept the Bengals’ defense on their toes and opened up both the passing and rushing attacks. Instead, he was only on the field for 12 passing plays.
Mitchell also deserved more chances. He saw just eight reps on offense, and accounted for 19 rushing yards and 12 receiving yards.
Harbaugh’s comments do not bode well for much changing in the future. If Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken’s unit wants to get out of the hole they are digging themselves into, trusting Henry and Hill more on third downs and passing scenarios more will be critical. Ali obviously deserves opportunities, but not as big as the one he is getting.
Baltimore needs to get their best playmakers on the field, and that means getting Henry and Mitchell on the field a lot more moving forward.