The Baltimore Ravens' defense was the strength of the organization for many years, but somewhere in the rafters of M&T Bank Stadium, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed’s retired jerseys are screaming with concern!

The Ravens fell to 1 - 2 after another disappointing loss on Monday Night Football to the Detroit Lions, 38 - 30.

While there are many reasons to be concerned as a Ravens fan moving forward, the defensive effort is becoming quite concerning.

Let’s start with the offensive issues. The third fumble of the 2025 season from Derrick Henry put the defense in a precarious position on Monday night. Henry’s fourth-quarter fumble in a 7-point game came at an unfortunately late time in a close Monday Night game, and the pressure on the Ravens' defense is building by the week. Henry putting the ball on the ground in each of the first three games is just another concern in camp.

The Lions sacked Action Jackson 7 times on Monday night, and while that is no easy task, the Ravens didn't get Jarrett Goff's jersey dirty at all. 

While everyone in Ravens camp is happy to see the 6 - 0 TD to INT ratio for Lamar Jackson in 2025, the running game for the Ravens has been #22, #8, and not much else is contributing to the mix. Rasheen Ali and Justice Hill are the only two running backs to have touched the ball in the Ravens' backfield, and they have combined to lose 2 yards! We would say +5 and -7 yards, respectively, in this spot, but there is nothing to respect about it.

Now, let’s talk about this underachieving defense for the Baltimore Ravens in 2025.

With 0 sacks and another 38 points allowed, the Ravens have given up 96 points through three games. Only the Miami Dolphins have allowed more points through the first three games of the new season (97). 

The Ravens defense has recorded a total of three sacks through three games, and Nnamdi Madubuike is responsible for two of those. Only the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens have allowed their opponents to average more than 400+ YPG this season, and the Birds are dead last in the NFL in that category.

Getting the defense off the field on third down has proven difficult for the 28th-ranked team in the category. The Ravens allowed Buffalo and Cleveland to convert 13 of 34 third-down chances, and the Lions went 7 of 14 on third down on Monday night, converting at a 50% rate while going 3 for 3 on fourth down attempts.

The road ahead for the Ravens is filled with hardship before they hit the bye week on October 19. A Road trip to Kansas City is on deck this weekend, and two home games against Houston and the Chargers will prove tough tests for this Ravens defense if they don't start to come together soon.

How much longer will John Harbaugh have faith in his defensive coordinator, Zach Orr? Orr led the Ravens to the #1 rush defense in the NFL last season, and year two is not going smoothly for the 33-year-old Virginia native and former Raven linebacker.

Getting pressure on opposing QBs has got to be the center of attention in the film room for Orr and his staff this week, especially with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert on deck for the Ravens defense.

With only two fumbles forced this season, only one of which was recovered by the Ravens’ defense, slowing down the run game and getting pressure in the offensive backfield will be the only way to turn this thing around before it gets further out of control.