As the Ravens walked off the field Sunday night, it was clear that not only was their season in jeopardy, but perhaps this era of Ravens football was in jeopardy as well.
From 2018 to 2021, Lamar Jackson took the league by storm in Greg Roman’s offense. With Roman relieved of his duties, it’s Todd Monken’s turn to maximize the offensive potential. Coincidentally, the Ravens have assembled their dream coaching staff on defense in Mike Macdonald.
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Unfortunately for Baltimore, McDonald’s success was so overwhelming that he was quickly poached by the Seattle Seahawks. Additionally, Baltimore lost defensive line coach Anthony Weaver and defensive backs coach Denard Wilson after a historic 2023 season. That forced Baltimore to make a quick transition, promoting linebackers coach Zach Orr to its new defensive coordinator.
Fast forward to now, when a team with Super Bowl aspirations falls out of the playoff picture, and it’s clear the talent on the roster isn’t being maximized. Obviously, each coach has had some success and improved the team in some areas. Unfortunately, this is a “what have you done for me lately” league, and mediocrity is not tolerated in a place like Baltimore. That begs the question of what changes need to be made and which leaders in the Ravens organization have the hottest seats.
John Harbaugh
John Harbaugh is the second-longest-tenured coach in the NFL, behind only Mike Tomlin. Harbaugh ranks 14th all-time in wins and 35th in winning percentage. Harbaugh ranks seventh all-time with 13 wins. However, nine of those wins came in his first four seasons. During the Lamar Jackson era, the Ravens only managed three wins in the playoffs despite their success in the regular season. Needless to say, Harbaugh accomplished a lot, but most of it came early in his career when players like Reid, Lewis and Suggs defined the team’s leadership and culture.
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The league has changed a lot since 2008. Most of the more successful teams have a coach who brings some sort of tactical edge to the game. CEO-style coaching still exists, but it’s increasingly rare that they thrive. When you look at the elite teams in the league right now, names like McVay, McDonald, Shanahan, Payton are all attached to them.
This is no coincidence. For a team to have a CEO-style head coach, their coordinator must be elite. That’s why in the modern game it makes more sense to have a head coach who can have some kind of positive impact on the attacking or defensive side. Otherwise, you’re playing with one arm tied behind your back, relying on your coordinator to be the best at what they do. In 2023, that’s the luxury John Harbaugh shares with Monken and MacDonald. In 2024, Nick Siriani enjoys a similar luxury. That said, the Ravens fell behind.
Like Mike Tomlin and other CEO-style coaches, Harbaugh has always been known as a floor-lifter, able to get the best effort, toughness and grit out of the players on the field. This keeps the Ravens in playoff contention and with excellent depth. Things are different in 2025. The Ravens looked tired, unmotivated and unable to get up and compete in the big game. That’s a reflection on the coach’s part, which makes it seem more likely that Harbaugh’s message and coaching practices have become stale. While 2025 seemed like the straw that broke the camel’s back, other issues have been consistent under Harbaugh’s leadership. Blotting leads in the second half, not guarding the ball in key situations, and showing questionable game plans and player usage in big games have been staples of the Ravens’ past seven years.
The Ravens were able to get through the regular season with talent, but were often exposed in high-leverage games against top coaches and teams. In short, fans and players alike looked tired. Harbaugh’s performance was good, but he was running low on battery and kept turning the ball over in big games, reaching a breaking point. The Ravens don’t like change, especially one of this magnitude, but heading into 2026, it feels like it’s time.
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Zach Orr
Zach Orr’s tenure as Ravens defensive coordinator has certainly had its ups and downs. Baltimore has started the season in rotten fashion on defense the past two years. The solution usually involves Kyle Hamilton moving to the areas where help is most needed. In 2024, the defense will need his heroics. In 2025, Hamilton moved down into the box to ensure run defense and pass rush. While Hamilton is a versatile talent who should be deployed in a variety of ways, it’s concerning to rely so heavily on one player to fix the defense.
The Ravens are talented on defense. Heck, they now have four first-round picks in the second grade. Somehow, this has become one of the worst defenses in football over the past two years — especially against a good offense. Since 2024, the Ravens have been torn between good offenses and bad offenses. Obviously you want to give up more points against better teams, but the stark contrast is very worrying. Through the first five weeks of the season, the Ravens have allowed more than 35 points per game. Yes, they had some injuries and played against good opponents, but there are a lot of injured defensemen around the league. They rarely look that bad. The Ravens’ pass rush is abysmal this year, and what’s even more concerning is that a player like O’Duffy Ovie, who had 0 sacks this year in Baltimore, is thriving in another system. That’s not to say the lack of pass rush is entirely Orr’s fault, but it’s questionable.
It would be a tall order for Orr to replicate what Mike McDonald did. If Weaver and Wilson hadn’t left, they might be the Ravens right now. Unfortunately, Orr fell short of nearly all expectations, often needing retired coaches back in Baltimore to help. In 2026, the Ravens will either need to hire an impactful head coach or go in a different direction.
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Todd Monken
Todd Monken probably has the most job security of the three. In 2023 and 2024, the Ravens have had overwhelming success on offense. Especially in 2024, the offense continues to break records, with Lamar Jackson having one of the greatest quarterback seasons in NFL history. 2025 is already different, to say the least. The offense is hot, scoring over 30 points in the first three games. Unfortunately, numerous injuries to Lamar Jackson have derailed the offense, and the team seems destined to repeat its 2024 success. Additionally, the Ravens’ offensive line has taken a major step back this year. Jackson is getting pressured and sacked more than ever before, and the running game, while still excellent, isn’t quite up to the standards of past Ravens teams.
With the quarterback injured, the Ravens have to rely on Derrick Henry, but Monken often falls back into the drop-down passing game when the offensive line can’t stop and Jackson’s mobility seems limited. All in all, Monken is a clear upgrade over Greg Roman. He’s not perfect, nor is he the offensive mind of a Sean McVay or Andy Reid, but we’ve seen what the offense’s ceiling is, and it’s glorious. With a healthy Jackson and a retooled offensive line, I expect Monken and company to bounce back this season. 2026.
Eric DeCosta
DeCosta is considered by most to be a great general manager for the Ravens. He has been very good at drafting throughout his tenure and has generally been able to make in-season trades and offseason acquisitions beyond his contract. Jadavion Clowney, Kyle Van Noy, Derrick Henry, Draymont Jones, Marcus Peters and others have all far exceeded their cap numbers or trade costs. Yet DeCosta isn’t perfect. He also made questionable decisions and prioritized certain areas like linebackers and safeties over the pass rush and offensive line. Trading/signing players like Mark Andrews, Roquan Smith, Marcus Williams, and Rashod Bateman is either backfiring or heading in that direction.
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The biggest knock on DeCosta’s resume is neglecting the trenches and trying to build the Ravens from the outside in, rather than the other way around. Granted, the team had incredible success with nearly the same offensive line in 2024 and lost their best pass rusher in Week 2. Things change quickly, however, and the Ravens have been very weak at the line of scrimmage for several years. Even though Baltimore leads the league in sacks, that’s more due to their ability to generate pressure through disguises and simulations than organically through their four linemen.
Essentially, the talent of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry masks the flaws on the offensive line, and similarly, the talent in the Ravens’ backfield masks the flaws on the defensive front. Those weaknesses were magnified as coaches changed and players regressed. Nonetheless, DeCosta has built a very good roster. The Ravens still have a group of talented young players such as Kyle Hamilton, Nate Wiggins, Travis Jones, Zay Flowers, Tyler Linderbaum and others. Unfortunately, key pieces like Henry, Smith, and Humphrey are all old, taking up a lot of salary cap money, and don’t have many years left.
Through a coaching or personnel change, DeCosta will need to make changes to the Ravens’ overall philosophy. The league is transitioning toward a more old-school leaning, with multiple extra offensive linemen and a big, athletic front seven. Baltimore has a good foundation with Draymont Jones (pending extension), Travis Jones and Mike Green, and the team thinks they’ll take a big leap in Year 2, but as we’ve seen this year, they need more. It won’t be easy, but giving Lamar Jackson an extension this offseason could be a major advantage in helping the team get back on track.
in conclusion
2025 is a bust for Baltimore. It’s clear that without a great supporting staff, John Harbaugh can’t get the most out of his team’s talents. Who knows, maybe the Ravens will get a new defensive coordinator, upgrade the pass rush and offensive line, and get back into contention. It’s certainly possible, and we’ve seen them do it before. Unfortunately, fans know that even if Baltimore rebounds, the same problems we’ve seen over the past decade will resurface with Harbaugh at the helm. Mistakes, lack of preparation, poor situational awareness, etc. If Baltimore does decide to move forward, it would become one of the more desirable coaching positions in football. The question is – will they finally rip the Band-Aid off?
