The last time the Baltimore Ravens lost their first two games, they struggled throughout the rest of the season.
Even though this year’s team seems more talented than the 2015 squad, they’re starting off in the same way.
How the Ravens’ season turns out now depends on their ability to bounce back and fix some clear problems.
On Sunday, Baltimore blew a 10-point lead in the last 12 minutes and lost 26-23 to the Las Vegas Raiders. After having the best record in the NFL last year with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, the Ravens are now winless and already have half as many losses as they did last year when they reached the AFC title game.
The Ravens first lost a close game to the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and then gave away a double-digit lead to a Raiders team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2021.
Jackson completed 21 of 34 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown, but he was sacked twice, threw an interception, and struggled on the ground.
“We’ve got to find our mojo and do what we do,” Jackson said. “Because that’s not us at all.”
The Ravens were expected to improve with the addition of Derrick Henry to the backfield. Henry ran for 84 yards, and his touchdown run with 12:11 left gave Baltimore a seemingly safe 23-13 lead against the Raiders and quarterback Gardner Minshew, who had a 15-23 record as a starter.
But Minshew led the Raiders back, directing three scoring drives after Henry’s touchdown. It was a blow to a defense that usually excels at holding onto late leads.
“All we can do is respond,” linebacker Roquan Smith said. “I know the guys in the locker room and how we feel about it. Trust me, it sucks more for us than anyone else, and I just know we’re going to put our head down and keep going and correct our mistakes — because there’s no way we should be 0-2.”
For the first time since starting 0-3 in 2015 and finishing 5-11, the Ravens are 0-2 under head coach John Harbaugh.
“We’re not going to be defined by everyone that’s saying we’re not any good, or that the season is over after two games,” Harbaugh said. “That’s what’s going to be said, and we understand that. But no one inside is going to say that.”
