Starting 1-3 will have any NFL head coach lashing out at his team’s failings, and John Harbaugh is no different, with the Baltimore Ravens boss unleashing some choice words for his offense after the 37-20 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4.
The unit has been prolific through the first quarter(ish) of the 2025 season, but Harbaugh wasn’t happy with how the Ravens’ offense approached its latest challenge. Specifically, Harbs couldn’t hide his unhappiness after the offense failed to react to Kansas City’s sophisticated blitz packages.
Speaking to reporters, including ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, on Monday, September 29, Harbaugh said, “I don’t think our approach was good. I’m not happy about it. None of the coaches are happy about it. It was not a good job.”
What stands out equally as much as Harbaugh’s barb toward how his players executed, as well as the schemes of offensive coordinator Todd Monken, is Hensley’s note about Harbaugh indicating his “team had a plan but didn’t stick with it.”
The disparity between how the Ravens intended to play the Chiefs’ tricky defense, and what actually happened, suggests a possible disconnect between players and coaches.
Perhaps that explains Harbaugh’s uncharacteristically frank assessment of the Ravens’ failings, something noted by Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, who “can’t remember too many times where Harbaugh was that vocal in critique of offensive approach/plan.”
Ravens Couldn’t Solve Familiar Problem vs. Chiefs
It’s not as if the Ravens didn’t know what they would face from Kansas City’s defense. They’ve had a problem with Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for years.
He’s consistently thwarted franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson with a smorgasbord of elaborate pressures and murky coverages. Spagnuolo wasn’t shy about pressing the blitz button early and often during the Ravens’ latest ill-fated visit to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs got after Jackson in multiple ways, rendering the usual model of efficiency jittery, confused and mistake-prone. Jackson was all of those things when he threw his first interception of the season, with the Ravens leading 7-3 late in the opening quarter.
Versatile Leo Chenal snagged the pick, but only after Spagnuolo had sent fellow linebackers Drue Tranquill and Nick Bolton blitzing through the middle, highlighted by NFL on CBS.
Interestingly, The Kansas City Star’s Sam McDowell noted how “the Chiefs have run the play in practice, or at least put in on the white board, for a few months now. It has a couple of other layers to it. But this week was the first time that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo plugged it in a weekly game plan.”
So the Ravens could be forgiven for not anticipating something the Chiefs hadn’t run before. At least in theory, but Harbaugh is in no mood for excuses, even if the Ravens aren’t short of a few good ones.
Ravens Protection Issues Not Isolated vs. Chiefs
Monken could cite many mitigating factors for why his unit failed to cope with pressure in Kansas City. Including Jackson’s hamstring injury that eventually took the two-time NFL MVP out of the game for the final quarter.
There was also the not-so small matter of All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley leaving the game earlier and being replaced by Joseph Noteboom. Stanley’s ankle problem robbed Jackson of his blindside protector, but the problems with keeping a clean pocket run deeper.
Jackson was also under siege when he took seven sacks against the Detroit Lions in Week 3. The Ravens appeared fooled by spies and line stunts at M&T Bank Stadium.
Back-to-back games failing to protect their prized asset makes it more likely the Ravens have a core weakness up front. Either in personnel or how their blocking schemes are being designed.
Harbaugh’s unusually direct critique of his offense’s plan seems to indicate the Ravens are getting out-coached in a crucial area.
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