The Baltimore Ravens are 12 weeks into the 2025 NFL season, and the storylines surrounding this team are beginning to crystallize - just not in the way many expected. While much of the early-season criticism was directed at first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the real struggles are rooted on the other side of the ball. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s unit, despite its talent-rich roster, has yet to find consistent rhythm, and it’s starting to wear down a defense that’s been asked to do far too much.
Lamar Jackson said it himself last week: “We’re leaving our defense on the field too long.” That’s not just quarterback-speak - it’s a fact backed by the numbers. The Ravens currently sit 20th in the league in third-down conversion rate, a stat that paints a clear picture of an offense that can’t stay on the field and, by extension, a defense that’s being overextended week after week.
Let’s talk about that defense. In Week 13 against the Bengals, Baltimore’s defense was on the field for a staggering 38 minutes and 46 seconds - that’s 80 defensive snaps.
That kind of workload is unsustainable, even for a well-coached unit. Yet, despite the exhaustion, they held Joe Burrow to 22 incompletions and limited Cincinnati to just 12 points in the first half.
The Bengals eventually broke through for 32 points, but that’s what happens when a defense is asked to carry the load without support. It’s not about effort - it’s about attrition.
And Orr’s defense has been giving effort in spades. This isn’t a group that’s folding under pressure.
It’s one that’s been holding the line, even as the offense sputters. Since Week 4 - when the Ravens managed just three third-down conversions on 10 attempts against Kansas City - the trend has been alarmingly consistent.
Monken’s offense can’t stay on schedule, can’t extend drives, and can’t give the defense a breather.
That’s a problem. Especially when you consider the offensive weapons at Monken’s disposal: a former MVP in Jackson, a perennial Pro Bowl tight end in Mark Andrews, a bruising back in Derrick Henry, and a dynamic young receiver in Zay Flowers.
On paper, this should be one of the more balanced and dangerous offenses in the league. But the results haven’t matched the potential.
And at some point, that disconnect falls squarely on the play-caller.
This isn’t about finger-pointing for the sake of drama. It’s about identifying why a team with Super Bowl aspirations keeps coming up short against playoff-caliber opponents.
The defense is doing its job - often under duress and with limited rest. The offense, meanwhile, is failing to uphold its end of the bargain.
Zach Orr has weathered the early-season criticism and quietly turned his unit into a resilient, if overworked, force. Todd Monken, on the other hand, is running out of time to prove he can maximize the talent he’s been given. If the Ravens want to make a serious push in the second half of the season, it starts with getting off the field on third down - and that means Monken’s offense has to start pulling its weight.