The Baltimore Ravens have not had the start to the 2025 campaign that they were hoping for, as they have suffered a pair of tough losses to the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions to begin the year. While they did destroy the Cleveland Browns in Week 2, their inability to take down a pair of Super Bowl contenders has once again raised some concerns.
While the Ravens’ offense has largely been able to score at will, their defense has been unable to keep their opponents from scoring. That has led to a lot of folks pointing the finger at defensive coordinator Zach Orr. Ahead of the team’s Week 4 action, Orr issued a strong message to his critics that will surely catch folks’ attention.
Zach Orr Addresses Ravens’ Slow Start on Defense
While Baltimore limited Cleveland to just 17 points in Week 2, Buffalo dropped 41 on them in Week 1, while Detroit poured on 38 points in Week 3. In both instances, the defense had simply gotten one more stop, chances are, the Ravens would have won both of those games, considering how well their offense was playing, but that didn’t happen either time.
That has led to questions about Orr, who was promoted from inside linebackers coach to be the team’s new defensive coordinator in 2024 after Mike Macdonald left to take the Seattle Seahawks’ head coaching gig. Having briefly played in the NFL with the Ravens, Orr is familiar with how the league operates, and he knows he’s going to face some heat as a result of Baltimore’s early struggles on defense.
However, Orr isn’t letting that get to him. While he admitted that losing hurts, he knows that there’s nothing he can do to change the past. Instead, he’s focused on helping his team improve for their upcoming games, with another difficult contest against the Kansas City Chiefs on their schedule for Week 4.
“Every loss and every time we don’t go out there and we feel like we don’t play up to our standards is heartbreaking to me,” Orr said on Thursday. “You got to move forward. The loss definitely stung Monday night into Tuesday morning, but it’s a week-to-week league. I’ve been around, I understand that you got to move forward and you got to put that behind you.”
Ravens Preparing for Crucial Week 4 Clash with Chiefs
GettyBaltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The Ravens have had a difficult schedule to start the season, and things won’t be getting any easier for them in Week 4, as they are set to square off against one of their top competitors in the AFC, the Chiefs. Considering how Kansas City is also 1-2 through its first three games, it’s safe to say that both teams will be entering this contest desperate for a win.
For the most part, Baltimore has looked to be the more complete team so far this season, and they appear to have a good opportunity to hand their longtime rival a devastating blow. In order to do that, though, Orr’s defense is going to have to find a way to slow down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense. With kickoff scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, it’s clear that this heavyweight battle is going to be one of the most entertaining games in Week 4.
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