The Baltimore Ravens returned home today to the M&T Bank Stadium against the Houston Texans with a hope of reviving their 1-3 awful start to the season. The team entered the match with a terrible defense, ranking 31st in yards allowed and 32nd in points allowed. Also, they were without their star QB Lamar Jackson, who was sidelined due to a hamstring injury. Well, it looked like the Ravens would bounce back and give what the home crowd has been waiting for throughout the season. However, it appears that none of their defensive rankings will improve after today’s game. 

The Texans ended up scoring on every first-half possession, which has led to the team piling up 228 yards and 24 points. Now at halftime, the Texans are leading the game at 24-3, and the Ravens look completely lost. The unimpressive scoreboard elicited strong reactions from the home crowd, who had come to see something better than this. 

As per Washington Post reporter Mark Maske, there were some boos heard at M&T Bank Stadium in today’s match. The home stadium voiced its frustration in the final minutes of the first half, when the hammered and depleted Ravens were way behind in the game. 

With around seven or eight key starters missing in today’s game, Baltimore allowed the Texans to gain 15 first-half first downs, 5-6 on third down. This also came with an eight-minute advantage in time of possession. And the only lone sack that came from the Ravens was of Kyle Van Noy. What made it worse? It was Lamar Jackson’s absence that became more evident after Cooper Rush’s performance in the first half. 

By the end of the first half, Rush was 6-8 passing for 64 yards (8.0 avg) with no TDs and no interceptions, along with a 97.9 rating. He also had one first-half sack. Throughout the first half, Rush completed passes to five different players on the gridiron. Cooper Rush was expected to deliver on the field, as many vouched for him. Like HC, John Harbaugh said, “Cooper’s experience, he’s been in these situations before, he’s up to speed”. But that might change after today’s game. 

The offense under Cooper Rush was shattered all over the place. The team gained only 92 yards. And out of that 92 yards,  66 come on their opening drive that produced their only points. It’s quite clear that Cooper Rush hasn’t only failed to live up to the expectations but also come up far short when it mattered the most. And with the latest updates regarding Lamar Jackson’s injury, the Ravens will have to find answers to their offensive blunders soon. 

Ravens are cautious with Lamar Jackson’s injury 

After Lamar Jackson’s injury, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that Jackson “could miss next week.” Even NFL insider Josina Anderson expected he would sit in Week 6. Now, a latest update from Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer suggests that there is a slight chance of him returning in the Week 6 game against the Rams, as Jay Glazer mentioned the return as an  “outside shot”. 

But Ravens might have different plans. If they don’t rush with Jackson’s in Week 6, they have a bye in Week 7, which will give Jackson enough time to recover. This will also reduce the chances of putting Jacksons on the IR just for a single game before the bye. But now that Rush has put up an awful show, the Ravens might rethink their decision. 

The team can either adjust its offensive plan, wait for Jackson’s return, or explore trade options as well.  Anyway, the Ravens will have to find a solution to their offensive void moving forward in the season; otherwise, they can expect more boos in the stadium.