OTL: In Search of (The Good Kind of) Consistency

Getting a team to play well at the NFL level is difficult. Getting them to do it consistently can seem damn near impossible at times, especially in a league where parity has been a hallmark for some time now. On Sunday, the Ravens extended their winning streak to four after they escaped Cleveland with a win…

Through hell and high water, the Baltimore Ravens are 5-5 after starting 1-5.

They haven’t allowed 20 points since October 5th.

— Spenny Powers (@ravens4dummies) November 17, 2025

…but as we’ve seen week-to-week with them, they didn’t make it easy on themselves, and even as they fight back and try to stay in the hunt, lingering concerns about inconsistencies have the fanbase wondering about this team’s longevity even if they do make a bid for the postseason. Yesterday, our guy Derek highlighted the offensive line’s issues, which have been consistent, in the worst of ways…

OTL: A Win, But Ravens OL Abused Once Again

…but some of the concerns in my mind come from when Baltimore seems to work themselves out of positions for success by pivoting away from strategies that seem to be working. For example, take the game two weeks ago against Minnesota. Part of the reason that Baltimore was able to move the ball down the field with some success was because they utilized the quick passing game effectively, which neutralized some of the threat of the Vikings’ pass rush. Granted, Cleveland’s defense is significantly better than Minnesota’s, but the strategy could have remained the same in theory, and instead we saw an offense this past Sunday that was noticeably slow to develop.

I just don’t understand the game plan. Why are you not getting the ball out fast

— BMORE Reeta (@theNFLchick) November 16, 2025

It’s not just the approach that’s an issue either. Going back a few years, the Ravens have sometimes had a tell with the personnel sets that they use indicating run or pass based on individual players, and it seems like Cleveland definitely caught onto that as well.

Harbaugh said the Ravens had some QB runs called yesterday and the Browns were focused on taking that away.

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) November 17, 2025

Keaton Mitchell was on the field for 10 pass plays.

He ran a route on 9 on them.

— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) November 17, 2025

Mitchell’s presence as he substituted into the game was indicative of what Baltimore was planning to do, as Rasheen Ali’s reps usually meant that he was in on pass protection. Some of this was likely due to being shorthanded in Justice Hill’s absence, leading us to another reason that consistency has been such a problem: injuries.

Coach Harbaugh provides an update on Keyon Martin: pic.twitter.com/Rs2pD9yp3C

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 17, 2025

It seems like every time a guy starts to show up as a bright spot on either side of the ball, they get hurt. Keyon Martin would be a big loss given the game that he just logged on Sunday, and Rashod Bateman’s absence was noticeable against Cleveland. Marlon Humphrey had a rough game against the Vikings before his injury sidelined him this past week, and you worry if he can return to form after being so reliable in seasons past.

Luckily, it’s not all bad news on the health front, as there are rumblings of Ar’Darius Washington potentially returning to practice soon…

“The reports have been really positive. Talking to Ar’Darius, he’s moving around really well… He hasn’t been cleared to practice yet, but it seems like we’re getting close to that point.”https://t.co/wfowpSR8fQ

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 14, 2025

…and with an estimated six-to-eight-week recovery timeline for Tavius Robinson, he may be able to return down the stretch when the Ravens play some of their stiffest competition. In the meantime, their next two matchups are against some extremely vulnerable teams, and they get to face them at home. If there’s ever been a time to establish some consistency and improve to the team we expected at the beginning of the year, it’s now.

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