The Baltimore Ravens entered their Week 13 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals with a golden opportunity to wake up their lackluster offense and take control of the AFC North. In a 32-14 loss on Thanksgiving night, the unit somehow got worse.
In 2025, no team has had an issue getting things rolling against Cincinnati’s defense. Through 11 games, they comfortably ranked dead last in the NFL in yards allowed per game with 415.8. They are the only defense this year to give up over 400 yards per game. They were also giving up the most total points with 360.
Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken was staring down a chance to prove himself as one of the better offensive minds in the league. Instead, he did the exact opposite, and he may be leaving Week 13 with questions being raised about his future in Charm City.
Do the Ravens need a new offensive coordinator?
Monken has been awful this year. Every time the offense enters the red zone, it loses all ability to move the football. A team that was once scoring touchdowns in the red zone at a league-best pace in 2024, they have found the end zone less than half the time in 2025.
The offensive line has obviously been a significant issue. Quarterback Lamar Jackson’s pocket often collapses from the interior, and running back Derrick Henry has failed to find consistency when running in between the tackles. Head Coach John Harbaugh experimented with playing rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. at left guard, but that did not change anything.
Still, despite the troubles on the offensive front, Henry simply cannot finish the game with 10 carries. He was moving fairly well on the ground in this one. However, the Ravens fell behind by two scores in the second half and Monken moved away from Henry just as he always tends to do in those situations. He did not have to.
Another thing that has followed Monken through nearly his entire tenure in Baltimore has been his inability to keep the offense firing on all cylinders for four quarters. The unit either starts hot and fizzles out as the game goes on, or opens the game extremely cold, only to wake up in the second half. Against the Bengals, Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr gave the offense chance after chance to find a rhythm, and Monken and the group failed time and time again.
2025’s edition of Baltimore’s offense may be the most loaded Jackson has had at his disposal. There is a strong wide receiver trio of Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and DeAndre Hopkins. The tight end trio might be the best in the NFL with Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and Charlie Kolar. Henry is still a top back in the league, and with fullback Patrick Ricard leading the way, the rushing attack is dangerous.
The only player the Ravens lost is now-Jacksonville Jaguars offensive guard Patrick Mekari, and even he was an average at best player. The stunning downfall does not stem from just Mekari departing, but more of a massive regression by Monken’s playcalling. He will follow up explosive plays with plays that go for no gain or negative yardage, and that has been the main part of their downfall this year.