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Ravens coach John Harbaugh gave embattled defensive coordinator Zach Orr a vote of confidence Monday, saying he had no plans to make a change to the team’s coaching staff amid a 1-3 start.
“I have confidence in all of our guys, including Zach and our players, our coaches,” he said. “I watch our guys every day. I watch how they work. I watch how well they coach. I’m in meetings. I watch the meetings. I know the schemes that we’re running. I know the soundness of what we’re doing. I understand what we’re up against from week to week and play to play. ...
“That’s what you do. You believe in your people, and we have really good people and good players.”
The Ravens’ defense has been one of the NFL’s most disappointing units through four weeks, ranking last in scoring defense (33.3 points per game) and second to last in total defense (406.8 yards allowed per game). Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes on Sunday became the latest quarterback to pick apart their pass defense, finishing 25-for-37 for 270 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-20 win.
The Ravens’ defense started slowly last year, the unit’s first season under Orr, before addressing their communication breakdowns in the defensive backfield and benching a handful of starters. Over the second half of 2024, the Ravens had one of the NFL’s stingiest defenses, matching a run-stuffing front with an organized secondary.
Injuries could make a similar turnaround difficult this season. The Ravens finished their loss to Kansas City without six Week 1 defensive starters available. Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, and Harbaugh said Monday he’ll miss the rest of the year. Fellow defensive lineman Travis Jones (knee) and outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) were inactive for Week 4. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf), inside linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) and cornerback Nate Wiggins (elbow) all left Sunday’s game with injuries and did not return.
Safety Kyle Hamilton acknowledged the defense’s surprising struggles Sunday, saying, “We’re trying our best to correct it, but obviously, something is wrong, so it’s up to all of us to try and fix that.” Defensive lineman John Jenkins called Harbaugh and Orr “great leaders” and said Ravens players are “going to do what we can to fulfill our jobs.”
“They’re just going to keep leading the way, and we’re going to keep following,” he said. “And we’re just going to keep working, putting our head down, putting the hard hat on, and whatever they need us to do, we’re going to keep trying to chop wood to do what we need to do to fulfill the jobs that they require us to do.”
The Ravens on Sunday will host a Houston Texans team that ranks 24th in yards per game and 30th in points per game. The Los Angeles Rams, the Ravens’ last opponent before their Week 7 bye, are fourth in yards and 13th in points per game.
“We’re not too far away on defense,” Harbaugh said Monday. “I really feel confident we’re going to play really good defense this year. I really am, and I know the fans hear that and I hope they have a little bit of confidence that we’ve been down this road before a little bit. We do need to get healthy, for sure. That’s an important part of it as well, but also play with the guys that we’ve got.”
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