It was nearly a year ago in very similar circumstances: a Thursday night game in November, in Baltimore, with the Purple Rising threads. The Ravens were fighting the Steelers for the top of the AFC North, and the Bengals were fighting for their postseason lives. In a shootout fit for primetime, Baltimore’s defense ended up allowing 35 points and nearly 500 yards of offense, another embarrassing moment for a unit that had struggled for much of the season.
On Thursday night, the Ravens are set to host the Bengals again. Baltimore knows that their most likely path to the postseason is winning the division. Cincinnati’s only path is to win out (and hope a few other games fall their way). To do so, they are counting on a dramatic, somewhat rushed return to the field by Joe Burrow to give their offense enough juice to overcome their bottom-ranked defense. No. 2 wideout Tee Higgins is out, putting all eyes on Ja’Marr Chase, who has gashed the Ravens in his career. There is little doubt that the Bengals will lean on the Burrow-Chase connection to carry them to victory in Baltimore, which brings us to the key question for tonight’s game:
Can Zach Orr figure out Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase?
Last season, the Ravens had major defensive issues. They ranked in the bottom five in most defensive stats through the first 12 weeks of the season. The Bengals, in particular, destroyed that defense. In the two division matchups, the Bengals put up 72 points with Burrow throwing for 820 yards and nine touchdowns. Chase alone was on the receiving end for 457 of those yards and five touchdowns.
This year, the Ravens had another awful defensive start. They gave up 35 points or more in four of their first five games and were the primary reason for the team’s 1-5 start. But to his credit, Zach Orr has found his fixes much faster than last year. After a couple of trades and a redeployment of Kyle Hamilton, the defense has given up fewer than 20 points in their last six games. Though that has come against a series of weaker quarterbacks/offenses, the Ravens still seem far more prepared to deal with the Bengals. And they’ll have to be. The offense, since Lamar Jackson’s return, hasn’t been sharp, or even good. They’ve won five in a row, but it’s been on the shoulders of the defense and special teams giving the offense plenty of opportunities to score enough points to win.
On Thanksgiving, the defense will have to put up another strong performance to give the Ravens a chance at winning. And it falls on Zach Orr’s shoulders. He’s silenced the doubters and the headhunters for a second year in a row. But these are the moments where the worms of doubt can crawl back in. Last year’s defensive ‘turnaround’ covered only four regular-season games against poor offenses like the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cleveland Browns. They ended up giving up 27 points to the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs, planting the seed that maybe the improvement was just a paper tiger.
This year’s turnaround raises similar questions. Games against the Browns, New York Jets, and Minnesota Vikings have definitely helped the Ravens defense round into form. Sure, they also played the Chicago Bears, a top-10 offfense, but that was coming off a bye week with extra time. Only allowing 17 points to the Los Angeles Rams before the bye looks a lot worse considering the Rams’ offensive miscues and an injury to Puka Nacua. That offense looked nothing like the buzzsaw that has been carving through the NFC as of late.
As a result, Thursday night feels like the biggest test for Zach Orr yet. The 2025 Ravens can’t afford to have another defensive collapse against Burrow and Chase. Last year’s offense could weather a bad defense while Lamar Jackson played MVP football. But now, they have zero wiggle room in the standings and no superpowered offense coming to save them. If the Ravens drop this one because the defense once again fell apart, the air will be sucked out of the room. Any hopes of a deep playoff run fueled by this newly formed defense will be scattered.
Worse yet, it could spell disaster for Orr himself. He’s managed to silence those calling for his job for now. But if Ja’Marr Chase runs around for 300 yards? The vultures will return, and this time, not much could silence them, and for good reason. The media talking points will be easy: ‘Orr unable to prepare defenses for big games”, ‘Orr’s magical turnaround ends against a real offense’, ‘Ravens defense continues poor play against winning teams for second year in a row.’
Orr isn’t just coaching for the Ravens’ playoff life. He’s calling a game to prove he can step up to the stage. That his ability to adapt and change wasn’t fueled by weaker schedules. That he is the defensive coordinator of the future. That he and his Ravens defense are for real and they’re here to stay for the 2025 season and beyond.
At home. In the Bank. Thanksgiving night. Burrow returning from injury. A short week matchup. And a pivotal turning point for the Baltimore Ravens. What does Zach Orr have in store for us? And for his future.
