The Baltimore Ravens are still chasing the same problem that has shadowed them for years: getting to the fourth quarter with a lead and somehow letting it slip away.
That pattern showed up again Sunday in a 24-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints, a game Baltimore had in hand after moving ahead 17-9 in the third quarter. From there, the Ravens were outscored 15-0 the rest of the way, and the finish felt every bit as rough as the final score.
What made it sting is that this was supposed to be the fresh start. Jesse Minter is on the sideline now, the old setup is gone, and plenty of people around Baltimore were hoping that would mean the late-game unraveling would finally disappear. Instead, the same issue keeps resurfacing, and this one looked less like a one-man coaching problem and more like a breakdown across the board.
The defense took the biggest hit in the fourth quarter. New Orleans put together two 68-yard touchdown drives to erase the deficit and seize control, while the Ravens’ pass rush lost its edge completely.
Tyler Shough wasn’t sacked once in the final period, and the extra time let him work the secondary over snap after snap. The coverage never tightened up, the corners gave up chunk plays, and safeties Malaki Starks and Jaylinn Hawkins both struggled.
Baltimore also had a real chance to capitalize when left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. left with an injury, but that never turned into the kind of pressure burst the Ravens needed. The edge rushers never turned the game into the kind of collapse that should have followed.
On the other side, the offense never found its footing after halftime. The explosive plays that gave Baltimore life earlier in the game went quiet, protection became a problem again, and the penalties kept piling up until the whole operation stalled out.
The second half gave the Ravens four possessions. One ended with a field goal, though it felt like a drive that should have finished with seven.
Two more died on three-and-outs, and the last one ended with a desperate interception. There was no rhythm, no patience, and not enough production to back up the lead they had built.
The biggest question, though, was the one that keeps coming back: where was Derrick Henry? Baltimore did not lean on him nearly enough, and that was especially glaring late.
Henry carried the ball only five times in the second half, and between the two three-and-outs he got just one touch. The most puzzling moment came on 3rd-and-1 with 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter, when offensive coordinator Declan Doyle went away from Henry entirely.
For a team that wants to control games and finish them, that choice stood out.
The loss also matters because of what’s ahead. Baltimore has a favorable opening stretch, but the back end of the schedule is lined with several former playoff teams and four straight AFC North games to close the year. Those early chances matter, and this was one the Ravens had every reason to take.
Maybe this ends up being a one-off for a young coaching staff still settling into new roles. Maybe it’s a lesson that gets cleaned up fast. But on Sunday, Baltimore had the lead, had the opportunity, and still let the game slip through its hands.
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Weather and heavy use have taken a toll on the surface, and the NFL along with both teams is working to address the problem before kickoff. For Baltimore, it is one more wrinkle in a trip that already comes with the usual adjustment to an unfamiliar setting, and the condition of the pitch could become a major storyline long before the opening snap. [Read more 🡒]