After an embarrassing 38-30 loss to the Detroit Lions, it's clear that the Baltimore Ravens' defense needs changes. Baltimore gave up 426 total yards, 224 rushing yards, failed to get a single sack, and recorded 20 missed tackles. Currently, the Ravens are dead last in overall defense and 30th in rushing defense. As a result, many believe that second-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr is now on the hot seat.
Ravens fans being upset with Orr isn't entirely new. Last season, Baltimore had the 31st-ranked pass defense and had the worst pass defense to start the season. That was Orr's first season, though, and being patient was understandable. However, in his second year with the defense looking worse than ever, Eric DeCosta might not be as patient this time around.
The Ravens have Super Bowl aspirations, so getting off to a 1-2 start is an enormous disappointment, especially given how poorly the defense has played. After the game, head coach John Harbaugh even mentioned how poorly the run defense played. At some point, that has to fall on Orr.
Orr is a big part of the Ravens' early season struggles
Yes, on Monday night's game, the Ravens were missing Nnamdi Madubuike and Kyle Van Noy. Regardless, Monday's defensive performance is never acceptable, and on paper, the Ravens have solid personnel. Some of this comes down to players like Broderick Washington Jr., Tavius Robinson, and even the usually great Roquan Smith are simply underperforming. However, a lot of the blame has to be on Orr.
The Ravens failed to generate pressure against the Lions, which partly falls on Orr. When the Ravens would try to blitz, it was horribly untimely. Additionally, they often left the middle of the field open, which is a fatal flaw against a Lions team that loves to attack the middle of the field. The Ravens also had no solution to the Lions' run game and constantly gave them holes to run. Baltimore gave up two 90-plus-yard drives on Monday.
By all accounts, this was a poorly coached game from Orr, and it's far from an outlier game. These problems were eerily similar in the Ravens' Week 1 loss against the Buffalo Bills. Even dating back to last year, the Ravens would consistently give up big plays, but mostly in the pass game.
Orr had never been a playcaller before last season, spending three seasons as a linebacker coach. The 33-year-old is young and inexperienced. Maybe Orr could blossom into a great defensive coordinator one day, but he's far away from that now. On a team with Super Bowl aspirations, the margin of error is so thin, and Orr doesn't seem to be the right man for the job. Whether Orr gets fired immediately, his seat continues to get hotter, or the Ravens make a trade, changes are coming in Baltimore.