The Baltimore Ravens are rolling into 2026 with a nasty problem they just can’t shake: giving up fourth-quarter leads in soul-crushing fashion. It’s a brutal pattern, according to Ben Solak over at ESPN, who points out they’ve blown eight games in the last five seasons where they had at least a 90% win probability at some point. Think about that for a second. Eight games! The next closest team only has six. That kind of collapse is tough to watch, and honestly, the Ravens crossed the “tiresome” line a long time ago.
New Faces, Same Old Problems?
This year is wild for Baltimore, though. They’re hitting the field with a new head coach, Jesse Minter, for the first time in 18 seasons, and Lamar Jackson will be answering to a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle. That’s a ton of newness, and you gotta wonder if it’ll finally help them break this nasty habit. Solak ranks the Ravens at No. 11 for “thrilling to watch” this season, which is cool, but if they keep choking away leads, that excitement is gonna turn into major frustration super fast.
Doyle’s Plan to Push the Envelope
Declan Doyle is the new offensive coordinator, and Solak believes Jackson’s never had anyone like him. Previous OCs, Greg Roman and Todd Monken, were fine, but they reportedly ran out of fresh ideas for a modern passing attack. Doyle, a Sean Payton disciple with a year learning under Ben Johnson, is apparently “primed to push the envelope.” You gotta hope he can inject some serious creativity and make sure Lamar and the offense don’t go stagnant when it matters most. Because if they don’t stop giving away games late, even with all these new faces, the criticism is gonna be absolutely relentless.
So, what’s at stake for the Ravens this year? Everything. Can Lamar Jackson finally lead this team past their fourth-quarter demons and towards that Super Bowl dream? We’re about to find out, and if they can’t, it’s gonna be a long, tough season in Baltimore.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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