Ravens’ Playoff Hopes Fade After 44-10 Loss to Houston

Coach Harbaugh urges team to “stick together” as injuries mount and defense stumbles

The Baltimore Ravens took a tough tumble, falling 44-10 to the Houston Texans in a game that laid bare some glaring cracks in their defense. To put it bluntly, this was the most points the Ravens have surrendered at home since John Harbaugh took the reins—and that’s saying something for a team that usually prides itself on a steel curtain defense.

Still, Harbaugh isn’t throwing anyone under the bus. He’s standing by defensive coordinator Zach Orr, even after this bruising loss. “Stick together” and “find themselves”—those were Harbaugh’s marching orders to reporters, sounding a bit like a coach trying to rally his team for one last stand in a movie montage.

Baltimore’s defense has been leaking points like a sieve lately, giving up 177 over the last five games. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy didn’t mince words, saying the team needs to “get our s--- together” and execute better. When pressed about accountability in the locker room, Van Noy paused, hinting that not everything is sunshine and rainbows behind closed doors.

And as if things weren’t tough enough, the injury bug has bitten hard. Seven Pro Bowl players are currently sidelined, including quarterback Lamar Jackson. Without Jackson at the helm, the Ravens’ record has slumped to 4-10—a stark reminder of just how much he means to Baltimore’s hopes and dreams.

With a 1-4 start to the season, the Ravens’ playoff hopes are hanging by a thread—think of it as life support with the alarm already beeping. That fragile position was shaped by several early-season swing games, with matchup-level insights from NFL Week 10 matchups sleepers and betting tips highlighting where Baltimore and similar teams lost critical ground. Another AFC storyline impacting the playoff race is the Joe Burrow Thursday night return, which shifts the Bengals’ outlook and adds pressure on teams like Baltimore. History isn’t on their side; very few teams have clawed their way into the playoffs after stumbling out of the gate like this.

Now, the Ravens are left to answer some tough questions about their defense and whether they can keep their roster in one piece. Coach Harbaugh, ever the optimist, is urging everyone to stay the course and keep swinging—because as any Ravens fan knows, it’s not over until the final whistle blows.