The Fix is in For the Ravens Defense

To say that the Ravens defense is struggling might qualify as an NFL understatement of the year. Locked on Ravens Kevin Oestreicher recently shared via X the following – a daunting reality for second-year DC Zach Orr.

Ravens defense after Week 5:

• 29th in rushing yards allowed (732)
• 30th in rushing TDs allowed (8)
• 31st in passing yards allowed (1,312)
• 31st in total yards allowed (2,044)
• 32nd in passing TDs allowed (13)
• 32nd in 1st downs allowed (121)
• 32nd in points allowed (177)

Pathetic!

It’s an insult to all that is truly pathetic. It’s an embarrassment of epic proportions particularly when one considers the investment of salary cap dollars and draft capital in Orr’s defensive unit. To put this in perspective, it’s as if an alleged chef was handed the finest ingredients and meats on the planet and the best he can come up with is Sloppy Joe sammies but only with the assistance of Hamburger Helper.

Determined not to let the season slip away, the Ravens appear to be on an aggressive mission to try and fix things for Zach, beginning with the trade of Odafe Oweh and the signing of S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to the practice squad. In exchange for Oweh and a 2026 7th-round pick the Ravens acquire S Alohi Gilman and a 2026 5th-round pick.

[Related video: Alohi Gilman highlights]

RSR’s Brian McFarland shared via X that Gilman has played in 87% of the Chargers’ D snaps this year (5 starts) and he has started 25 games in 2023-2024 (every game when healthy). The Ravens will pay Gilman $2,527,778 for the balance of the yr, while being relieved of paying the balance of Oweh’s remaining salary $9,570,167. That frees up a little over $7M in cap space.

On the surface it looks as if the Ravens have given up on a former first-round edge defender when their cupboard of pass rushers is already bare. Oweh, while leading the team in pressures this season, is still looking for his first sack and despite the 20 pounds of muscle he added during the offseason, he has struggled to hold down the edge as a run defender.

Questions abound and the hope here is that the moves are just pieces to an incomplete puzzle. Some things to consider:

The additional safety depth frees up Kyle Hamilton (assuming he’s healthy) to resume his role as a chess piece – a unicorn defender who has proven to be effective on all levels of the defense, creating problems for opposing offenses.

The newly found cap flexibility could signal another move is on the way – one that might help both the run defense and the interior pass rush in the form of a multi-talented IDL

Free-agent safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is signing with Ravens practice squad, per his agent Kevin Conner of @unisportsmgmt.

Gardner-Johnson still gets his fully guaranteed 2025 salary with the Texans so there is little financial impact for the Ravens. pic.twitter.com/InJnQ6c2wi

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 7, 2025

As for Gardner-Johnson, he has a reputation as a diva who can disrupt a locker room. From most accounts he’s an acquired taste who wore out his welcome in Philadelphia and Houston in just a few months. But the Ravens defense could use a little personality. They could use some swagger because in their present state, they are nothing more than stale melba toast.

Besides, can it get any worse than the defensive rankings above?

DUVAL

When think of Duval, my thoughts travel to the heartbeat of Key West, Duval Street. In Jacksonville, it’s a rallying cry for the Jaguars that seems to be working quite well. Who would have thought the Jaguars would start the season at (4-1) while the Ravens sit at (1-4). Yet here we are.

Yesterday the Jaguars placed ascending tight end Brenton Strange who has 20 catches on 24 targets this season for 204 yards. Strange is now on IR with a quad injury that will sideline him for a minimum of 4 games. Might the Jaguars be Eric DeCosta’s next trading partner dangling a carrot named Mark Andrews?

Olay-lay

If you’ve followed me at all you know that I don’t share the same opinion about Daniel Faalele that apparently John Harbaugh and Eric DeCosta steadfastly embrace. They call such silliness “escalation of commitment” which is defined as a phenomenon where people continue to invest more resources (like time or money) into a failing course of action, rather than cutting their losses, because of their emotional or financial investment in it.

The shoe fits, right?

But if the guys that sit behind Faalele aren’t better than a player with the change of direction skills of a 50-gallon trash can, then they shouldn’t be in the league and the team’s personnel group should be reevaluated.

When asked if the coaching staff might be willing to think outside the box and change things up, Harbaugh replied:

“I know for sure in the National Football League, you’d better be evolving and finding ways to do things differently all the time because it’s just so competitive. There’s a lot of challenges out there, and it can be fixed, it can be corrected, and things can turn. That’s been proven by us and by other teams, so we know we can do it. We’re going to fight crazy to do it and come up a way to do it.”

Then please, for the love of God, why do you insist on marching Faalele out there to start every game when the tape suggests that he’s lost?

See for yourself. The tape doesn’t lie.

Since yall believe Daniel falelele is better than Ben Cleveland! Can yall explain how does he get lost this bad? Number #77 can you block someone plz? Block the ref or something! @sgellison @jeffzrebiec @CordellWoodland @HuddleItUpFilms @IngravenVids #RavensFlock #baltimore pic.twitter.com/mmxA8FOhYt

— BIGG E3 (@kingdom_rave) October 7, 2025

Meet the best player on the Baltimore Ravens Daniel Faalele pic.twitter.com/jY916ORy0A

— devo #EGE (@devo4TG) September 27, 2025

Both guards fundamental problems in one clip!

Vorhees – wide hands, gives up his chest, can’t anchor when you’re turned into a sled.

Faalele – just the most awkward movement, supposed to bang in on the hip and then help outside. Doesn’t have the athleticism! pic.twitter.com/4aNHcvbNF7

— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) October 7, 2025

The post The Fix is in For the Ravens Defense appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2025/10/08/tltakes/ravens-defense-is-bad/