The defense has to pull its weight.
Why Ravens defense is putting 'unfair expectations' on Lamar Jackson originally appeared on The Sporting News
The Baltimore Ravens slumped to 1-2 after a 38-30 loss to the Detroit Lions, prompting many to question how good this team actually is in 2025.
Granted, with Lamar Jackson leading the offense, many aren't doubting that unit, but defensively? Oh boy, there are question marks.
Currently giving up 32.0 points per game, which ranks 31st in the league, plus the defense has given up over 400 yards of total offense in two of its three games, but here's the kicker, and it came against Detroit, the defense gave up a whopping 224 yards on the ground.
We have become accustomed to Baltimore stopping the run with ease, and not allowing many points at all, and for Marlon Humphrey, the defense simply has to do better to cut Lamar and the offense some slack.
"We're just not very good," Humphrey said via ESPN. "I know we got Lamar Jackson, but we just can't expect them to score 28, 30 points every game. It's putting unfair expectations on the offense. So we got to do our part."
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Ravens brutalized by Lions
The 224 rushing yards allowed were the most by the Ravens since Week 6 of 2017, when the Chicago Bears rushed for 231, so that is one thing, but here is the other: Detroit took the defense's soul.
How? Let's take a look.
Jared Goff and Co. had a 19-play, 98-yard touchdown drive that took 10:48 off the clock in the second quarter, and then went 96 yards in nine plays for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Both times the Ravens had them backed up, and both times they couldn't stop them at all.
It will be a week of soul-searching for the Ravens with the Kansas City Chiefs up next in a game that will see the loser fall to 1-3 and have their season on life support.
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