Head Coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens is under immense pressure to change the stats of the team, and all eyes are on defensive coordinator Zach Orr. Orr was just promoted to defensive coordinator, but right now, a lot of people are saying he simply isn’t the strategist Harbaugh thought he was. The defensive meltdowns have made rumors of Orr’s firing a daily conversation.

However, Harbaugh publicly shut down any immediate coaching changes, specifically stating he is sticking with Orr. As per ESPN, when asked if he would consider making a change with his defensive staff, Harbaugh was resolute: “I do not think that’s the answer. We got to go to work, is what we need to do. We need to stick together, is what we need to do. We need to find ourselves. And that has to do with coaches and players [working] together.”

The Ravens went from being pre-season Super Bowl favorites to an absolute trainwreck, crashing to a shocking 1-4 record. The low point? A soul-crushing 44-10 humiliation by the Houston Texans. Their defense, the supposed backbone of this team, has completely disappeared, giving up over 30 points and 300 yards in four of their five games.

The defensive scheme is one thing, but there’s a second factor as well, which is injuries. That’s the real missing piece. When you lose stars like MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, you lose the engine of your entire offense. Jackson’s dual-threat ability isn’t just a bonus; it is their formula for winning.

Without Lamar, this team is forced to win grinding, low-scoring defensive battles. And guess what? The porous defense they have right now simply can’t deliver that.

John Harbaugh still believes Zach Orr is the right man for the Ravens 

The Ravens have lost five defensive rookies alone—guys like safety Malaki Starks, linebacker Teddye Buchanan, and cornerback Keyon Martin. That’s a massive hole to fill. But here’s the thing: Coach Harbaugh refuses to use it as an excuse. He’s looking straight at the performance, saying, “I thought we would tackle better. I thought we would play our run defense better than we did.” 

The Ravens lost their successful defensive coordinator, Mike Macdonald, in 2024, who went on to be the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. Harbaugh immediately promoted Orr, a former Ravens player, the first in franchise history to become a coordinator. Orr’s first stretch wasn’t easy. He had a rough start in 2024, with the defense ranking dead last in the NFL in passing yards allowed through Week 10. But he did stabilize the ship, capping the season with a crucial four-game win streak against tough teams like the Steelers and Browns.

That turnaround is the very foundation of Harbaugh’s current faith. He’s betting that Orr can lead them out of this spiral again. Harbaugh clearly believes that if the coaches and players put in the hard work with Orr’s guidance, the results will be completely different come Week 6.