Pundits Question Whether Ravens Hit ‘Rock Bottom’ With Loss to Texans
Baltimore’s offense struggled mightily in a decisive loss to Houston on Sunday, raising questions about whether the team has reached a low point during Lamar Jackson‘s absence. The Ravens fell to the Texans, and the performance has sparked criticism from analysts questioning the team’s direction without their star quarterback.
Cooper Rush threw three interceptions in his first start as a Raven,and the running game produced a season-low 44 yards on 19 carries,averaging just 2.3 yards per carry. Derrick Henry,despite receiving 15 carries – his second-highest total this season – was limited to 33 yards.
“On paper, it was a bad matchup for Cooper Rush to make his first start in a Ravens jersey. that played out on the gridiron,” NFL.com’s Kevin Patra wrote. “Rush was under siege and could not establish a rhythm against a stout Texans defense. Between self-inflicted mistakes and penalties,Baltimore never gave itself much of a chance on Sunday. With little run help to speak of, Rush never found consistency, forced to mostly short throws. Of his 179 passing yards, 85 came on two plays (47.5%).
“The second drive of the second half underscored the Ravens’ issues. Following a Rush INT, the Ravens attempted to jumpstart Derrick Henry.Three straight runs,though,only netted eight yards. Lined up to go for it on fourth-and-2 down 31-3, Baltimore false-started and was forced to punt. A big 56-yard pass to Zay Flowers,followed by a short Henry TD,gave some life late in the third quarter,but it was far too little,far too late. The veteran running back was surprisingly still taking handoffs deep into the fourth quarter of a blowout. If Henry is going to stay on the struggle bus, Baltimore’s offense will find it hard to move the ball as long as Lamar Jackson is out.”