SportfootballInjuries and Suspensions
Ravens suddenly first place in AFC North, but clock is ticking for Lamar Jackson and offense to get right
The Baltimore Ravens sit atop the AFC North, a position that seemed improbable just six weeks ago when they were mired three games back, yet this hard-earned 6-5 record arrives shrouded in offensive anxiety rather than celebration. Derrick Henry, whose 23-10 victory over the New York Jets propelled him past Hall of Fame running backs Marcus Allen, Edgerrin James, and Marshall Faulk into 12th place on the NFL's all-time rushing list, stood in the locker room post-game with furrowed brows, his terseness speaking volumes about an offense that continues to sputter despite a five-game winning streak.'We didn't play to the way we feel like we should, and we've got to be better,' Henry stated, holding the team to the gold-jacket standard he embodies. This paradoxical success—joining the mere 1% of NFL teams since 1990 to rally from a 1-5 start to playoff contention, per ESPN—masks a critical vulnerability as the schedule pivots to a brutal gauntlet.The impending stretch includes two pivotal clashes each with the Pittsburgh Steelers and a Cincinnati Bengals squad potentially rejuvenated by Joe Burrow's return, starting this Thanksgiving, alongside tests against the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers. The offense's struggles are starkly quantifiable.While the defense and special teams have been stellar—forcing four turnovers against the Jets and leveraging Jordan Stout's monumental 74 and 67-yard punts—the offense has regressed dramatically. Over this win streak, they are averaging 26.2 points per game, a significant drop from both last season's output and their explosive 32. 8-point average through the first four games of 2023, a period that preceded Lamar Jackson's hamstring-induced absence.Since his return on October 30, Jackson has not resembled the dual-threat dynamo who captured two MVP awards. He has gone two consecutive games without a touchdown pass for the first time since 2019, completing just 13 of 23 attempts for 153 yards against the Jets.His trademark elusiveness has vanished; he managed a mere 11 rushing yards on seven carries, a stark contrast to the 70-yard rushing performance in the season opener. The underlying metrics are alarming.According to Pro Football Focus, a career-high 25. 6% of pressures against Jackson are resulting in sacks, a drastic increase from his remarkable 11.3% rate last season when he was one of the league's best under duress. This season, he has been sacked 24 times in just eight games, nearly eclipsing the 23 sacks he took across 17 games in 2022.The offensive line's regression is a factor, but so is Jackson's palpable hesitation, evident on a third-and-5 scramble against the Jets where he cut back into traffic rather than accelerating past defenders, settling for a single yard and forcing a field goal. The red-zone efficiency has collapsed to a league-worst 28th rank, converting just 47.2% of trips into touchdowns, a far cry from last year's league-leading 74. 2%.Third-down performance is equally concerning, with a 2-of-11 conversion rate against the Jets following a 5-of-13 showing against the Browns. Center Tyler Linderbaum acknowledged the disparity, noting 'Special teams kept us in the game.Defense kept us in the game,' while left tackle Ronnie Stanley articulated the ultimate stakes: 'We believe that to win a Super Bowl, that's the type of offense we're gonna need to have. ' Head coach John Harbaugh maintains 'utmost confidence' in his quarterback, framing the wins as characteristic Baltimore grit, but the pendulum has undeniably swung.The defense, once torched for 44 points by Houston, hasn't allowed more than 19 points in subsequent games. The clock is now ticking for Jackson and his unit to rediscover their explosive identity before this forgiving portion of the schedule gives way to a playoff-caliber crucible that will demand offensive fireworks, not just defensive heroics, for any legitimate Super Bowl aspiration.
#featured
#Baltimore Ravens
#Lamar Jackson
#AFC North
#offensive struggles
#Derrick Henry
#NFL playoffs
#team performance
