The Baltimore Ravens are in the middle of a cold streak that’s hard to ignore - and harder to explain. For an offense led by former MVP Lamar Jackson, going three straight games without a passing touchdown is more than a slump - it’s a red flag. Add in a run game that’s been all over the place despite having Derrick Henry in the backfield, and you’ve got a unit searching for answers at a crucial point in the season.
Week 13’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals made the struggles impossible to miss. Baltimore managed just 14 points, and outside of a promising opening-drive touchdown, the offense completely vanished.
The most glaring issue? The run game - and more specifically, how it was managed.
After the first quarter, the ground attack lost steam, and the usage of personnel raised more than a few eyebrows.
Derrick Henry, a back built for volume and punishment, had only 10 carries all night. Meanwhile, Rasheen Ali, a rookie specialist and backup, saw the field more than any other Ravens running back. Ali logged 29 offensive snaps - five more than Henry and a whopping 21 more than Keaton Mitchell, who’s been one of the most explosive players in the offense when given the chance.
On Monday, Head Coach John Harbaugh addressed the situation, and his comments didn’t exactly ease fan concerns. With Justice Hill sidelined, Harbaugh made it clear that Ali will continue to have a sizable role.
“[Ali] played really well,” Harbaugh said. “The plays he was in, he got the job done.
He pass protected well, he ran his route well, he chipped well. He had one run where I thought he was tentative, could’ve hit it up in there on the A-gap on third and medium.
He played well.”
To be fair, Ali did his job. He earned an 81.1 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus and picked up 17 rushing yards on four touches.
But the issue isn’t whether Ali played well - it’s about how much he played. His heavy usage in Week 13 felt disproportionate, especially with Henry and Mitchell both healthy and available.
Henry, the centerpiece of Baltimore’s backfield, was on the field for just 12 passing plays. That’s a tough pill to swallow when you consider how much his presence alone can tilt a defense. Even if he’s not getting the ball, Henry forces defenders to respect the run, which can open up lanes in the passing game - something the Ravens desperately needed against Cincinnati.
Then there’s Mitchell, who continues to flash whenever he gets touches. He was on the field for just eight offensive snaps but still managed 19 rushing yards and added 12 more through the air. He’s a spark plug, and right now, the Ravens need all the electricity they can get.
Harbaugh pointed to the offense being stuck in too many two-minute situations as part of the reason for the rotation, but that doesn’t fully explain the snap distribution. If anything, it underscores the need for better planning and more trust in the team’s top playmakers.
Looking ahead, Baltimore has to recalibrate. The offense is in a rut, and getting out of it means leaning on the guys who can change the game - Henry and Mitchell chief among them.
Ali has earned a role, no doubt. But that role shouldn’t come at the expense of limiting your two most dynamic backs.
If the Ravens want to get back on track and make a serious push down the stretch, they need to get their best weapons on the field - and keep them there. That starts with a more balanced, strategic approach to the run game. Because right now, Baltimore isn’t just losing games - they’re losing their identity on offense.