The Baltimore Ravens dropped to 1-5 after another lackluster showing in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Rams, losing 17-3. While the defense had some strong moments, the unit once again failed to come out of halftime prepared, quickly allowing the Rams to build up a big enough lead to put the game on ice. On offense, they had an eerily similar outing to that of Week 5, finding a rhythm on their first drive, but let self-inflicted errors hurt them and were unable to readjust.
The story of the game for Baltimore was those self-inflicted errors. Whether it was not scoring before the half on three plays from the Rams’ one-yard line, the three turnovers, the lack of communication, or struggles to capitalize on their opponent’s mistakes, the Ravens fell short in nearly every way possible.
Of course, injuries have made this team look worse than they really are, but even when they were healthy, the group was still making questionable mistakes from week to week. Sure, players should be held accountable, but with how often these mental errors are occurring, the leadership of the coaching staff needs to be put into question.
Ravens may have a leadership problem
All year, Baltimore has fallen victim to drive-killing errors. Penalties have been an issue, miscommunication on both offense and defense has given the opposition the upper hand, and the play calling looks worse with each passing game. Despite the injuries, there is still a ton of talent on the Ravens taking the field each week, and somehow, they fail to learn from their mistakes.
These repetitive issues fall on the shoulders Head Coach John Harbaugh, Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken, and Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr. However, regardless of who the blame falls on, it is clear that the group does not look right. They have been downright sloppy nearly all year.
There have been moments where the offensive line does not know who they are blocking, the secondary does not know who they are covering, and the defensive line has failed to remain disciplined.
Some of these mishaps are mistakes you would see from college teams, not NFL teams. Yet, at 1-5, the Ravens have tumbled downhill and become one of the most undisciplined teams in the league.
At this point, most of the hope to turn the year around is gone. The likes of Harbaugh, Monken, and Orr could be on the hot seat by season's end, but if the team continues to look careless, changes could come faster than expected.