The Ravens were hyped all summer, but four weeks in, they’re 1-3 after losing to the Chiefs, their only win came with Lamar carrying the offense. Now sidelined with a hamstring injury, it’s Cooper Rush time in Baltimore. The good news? Lamar isn’t ghosting.

The 28-year-old QB is in the building, making sure his backup isn’t flying blind. “He’s been around. You know, questions here and there about how does Zay run this? Things like that. He’s been helpful,” Cooper Rush said.

Jackson was pegged to be the MVP this season, and the Ravens were expected to go all the way and win the Lombardi. The start of the season couldn’t have been worse, but the quarterback knows that those dreams are still very much real. And he’ll do everything he can to make sure Cooper Rush is ready ahead of week 5.

NFL, American Football Herren, USA Baltimore Ravens Minicamp Jun 10, 2025 Baltimore, MD, USA Baltimore Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush 15 throws during an NFL OTA at Under Armour Performance Center. Baltimore Under Armour Performance Center MD USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xDanielxKucinxJr.x 20250610_szo_on5_0033And yes, he can go through an entire day talking about how Zay Flowers or Derrick Henry runs things. But what he really needs to do is warn Rush about the Ravens‘ defense and the OL.

First, he’d better get used to shootouts. Baltimore is scoring 32.8 points a game. Good enough for third-best in the league. The problem? Their defense is gifting 33.3 per game, dead last. Basically, even if Rush puts 30 on the board, it might not be enough.

Second, he needs to forget all about protection. This offensive line has already let Lamar get sacked 15 times in four weeks. Yeah, this is what Rush will have to deal with when he takes on the field vs the Texans. Still, if any backup QB can weather this chaos, it’s him.

Can Cooper Rush weather the storm?

There’s a reason why the Ravens brought Rush in from the Cowboys this offseason. Rush has proved time and again that he can hold the fort just fine in the QB1’s absence. Think back to 2022 when he went 4-1 as the starter, racking up 1,051 yards, 5 TDs, 3 picks while he was at it.

And he balled out last season, too, when he started eight games for Dak Prescott. He accounted for 1,844 yards, 12 TDs, and 5 interceptions. He’s the dream backup for any franchise in the league. He is 9-5 as a starter throughout his career. And the Ravens, who are sitting on 1-3, could sure use that.

“Whenever a franchise QB goes down, it’s always a ‘sky-is-falling’ feeling everywhere you are. It’s normal. We’ve been here before in this type of situation. It’s nothing new, so you lean on that. You get confidence from it, just trust yourself, and if you have to go out there, you can do it,” Rush said.

The Ravens face off against the Texans in week 5, a team Rush actually started against last season with the Cowboys. Not his best showing last season, to say the least. He completed 32 passes for 55, racked up one touchdown along the way. He wasn’t great, but he faced a similar problem he’s likely to face this week: a leaky defense.