Ravens give Rams golden shot at a 'get right' game (and stats prove it)

The 3-2 Los Angeles Rams have plenty of time after a heartbreaking Thursday Night Football loss to the San Francisco 49ers to mend and regroup. Several teams are already spiraling downward through five weeks. The 2-3 Kansas City Chiefs are struggling. The 2-3 Cincinnati Bengals are struggling. But perhaps the biggest shock to the 2025 NFL season is the fact that the 1-4 Baltimore Ravens are struggling, hard, especially on defense:

The Ravens are a team that has known success from a basic formula:
1 - Field a strong defense
2 - Keep the other offense off the football field with a dominating rushing attack
3 - Mix in just enough passing to move the chains
4 - Boast multiple talented tight ends who can block and catch
So far, the Ravens have not managed to excel in any of these categories.

And that's why this once-feared game on the road — that appeared to be an almost certain loss — is suddenly seen as not just a winnable game, but a game to 'get right'. While Baltimore still boasts a solid rushing offense (17th), their passing attack is not nearly as effective (22nd). But the true challenge for Flock is their defense... which is horrific (31st).

And that is where the Horns hope to get right.

Rams limp into Week 6 with a punch list of fix-it items against Ravens

While Los Angeles has three wins in five games, this is by no means a playoff-ready team. It is second-guessing the struggling secondary, openly in disarray over the offensive line, and has already lost two games due to the bad blocking on special teams. And yet, with all of that being said, LA remains the expected victor against a reeling Ravens team.

This matchup could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Baltimore's defense is suffering an outbreak of injuries that has forced the team to promote questionable backups into starting roles. And it has yet to gel. They allow 146.4 rushing yards per game (29th-ranked) and 262.6 passing yards per game (31st-ranked).

Their lone victory came at the expense of the Cleveland Browns, a team held to just 17 points. But in their four losses, this team has allowed an average of 40 points. Still, after the defeat at the hands of the depleted 49ers, Sean McVay's group has no room to underestimate anybody.

But the window of opportunity for change was just thrown wide open. Against Baltimore's defense, the team could:
1 - Plan to mix in some rookies into the offense
2 - Reset the offensive line
3 - Ramp up tight end Terrance Ferguson's workload
4 - Give CB Tre Brown some work
5 - Have contingency plans to sit Stafford if the score warrants it.

At some point, LA must transform from a team that is sprinting for quick wins into a team that is prepared to run the gauntlet of a 17-game season. To do so, this team needs to get more offensive weapons involved quickly. And fans would love to see what wide receiver Konata Mumpfield, running back Jarquez Hunter, and tight end Terrance Ferguson can do with a moderate workload.

Running back Kyren Williams has two lost fumbles in five games. Tight end Tyler Higbee has caught six of 11 passes for 62 yards in five games. Stafford has only thrown to five wide receivers in five games, without throwing to Mumpfield yet. If not now, then when? Perhaps the Ravens are the right team at the right time to give untested rookies their first NFL opportunities. As always, thanks for reading.