The Baltimore Ravens’ rough start to the 2025 NFL season just got worse. Without Lamar Jackson under center, the team dropped another game this week. The Ravens’ offense, led by veteran backup Cooper Rush, looked disjointed from the opening drive in their game against the Houston Texans, who cruised to a 34-point blowout victory.
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The crushing loss, the second-largest margin of defeat in Ravens’ history, pushed their record to 1-4, placing them alongside the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, and Las Vegas Raiders as the AFC’s most struggling teams.
The energy at M&T Bank Stadium turned sour during the game. Frustrated fans began to boo head coach John Harbaugh, voicing their displeasure at the team’s poor start and questionable play-calling decisions.
“We’re not executing the way we need to. That’s on all of us, coaches and players,” Harbaugh said after the game. However, his words did little to calm the home crowd’s frustration.
Jackson’s absence looks set to haunt the team, according to FOX Sports NFL. The former MVP suffered an injury during Baltimore’s Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, when he was sacked late in the third quarter and did not return. The team ruled him out after he missed all practice sessions this past week.
Coach Harbaugh described the decision to sit out Jackson as “precautionary.” It was Jackson’s first missed game due to injury since the 2022 season. In his absence, Rush made his first start as a Raven, while Tyler Huntley was elevated from the practice squad to serve as backup.
Before the injury, Jackson had been in elite form, throwing for 869 yards and 10 touchdowns through the first four weeks. His absence has left a gaping hole in Baltimore’s offense.
The Ravens also played Sunday’s game without several key defensive stars: Kyle Hamilton, Roquan Smith, and Marlon Humphrey. All of them were listed as inactive. The depleted lineup proved costly as C.J. Stroud and the Texans lit up Baltimore’s defense.
Stroud completed 23-of-27 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns. That included a 30-yard scramble in what was arguably his best game since his rookie year.
As of now, Jackson’s return remains uncertain. Team insiders describe his status as “week-to-week,” with some analysts predicting a 2–3 week recovery window.
For now, though, Baltimore’s season is teetering. Once considered an AFC powerhouse, the Jackson-less Ravens now find themselves grouped with three other struggling franchises at the bottom of the standings. No one expected them to join this unflattering list just a month ago.
