John Harbaugh Says Ravens (1-5) Can Save Season And It Starts With Lamar Jackson's Imminent Return
Only four NFL teams have recovered from 1-5 starts to make playoffs since the NFL merger
The natural reaction is to think the Baltimore Ravens are pretty much done this season. They lost again on Sunday, are 1-5, and the history of teams with that record recovering is terrible. But don't tell John Harbaugh that.
He sees light as he continues to grope in the darkness.
He sees better days after the bye.
Jackson, Smith Returning After Bye
And, believe it or not, it's not a completely crazy notion.
"The players we have, we're going to have healthy players coming back," Harbaugh told reporters after Sunday's 17-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. "I mean, our quarterback's going to be back. That's probably a big one.
"Our middle linebacker will be back."
Harbaugh is saying that after the bye week he expects Lamar Jackson, who missed the last two starts with a hamstring injury, to return to the lineup for the Oct. 26 game against the Chicago Bears.
Middle linebacker Roquan Smith, who strained his hamstring Sept. 28 against the Kansas City Chiefs, is also expected back.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images
(Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Ravens Were Struggling Before Injuries
The small detail amid all that optimism?
The Ravens were losing games with both Smith and Jackson in the lineup. Their record was 1-3 after that Chiefs game in which both played.
So, it feels like Harbaugh is being glass-half-full-guy.
And history suggests the glass is much closer to empty. That's because only four NFL teams have started the season 1-5 and recovered well enough to qualify for the playoffs sinc the 1970 NFL merger.
The 2015 Chiefs did it.
The 2018 Indianapolis Colts did it.
The 2020 Washington Football Team did it. They didn't get back to .500 but did get in the playoffs.
And the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals did it.
"Only [four] teams have done it? Good," Harbaugh said. "What an opportunity."
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 12: Cooper Rush #15 of the Baltimore Ravens during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams at M&T Bank Stadium on October 12, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Cooper Rush Ineffective As Backup
The Ravens had some opportunities in Sunday's loss. They turned the ball over on downs at the Rams' 1-yard line in the second quarter. They fumbled at their own 26-yard line in the third quarter, leading to a Rams touchdown. They also blew another scoring opportunity by fumbling at the Los Angeles 27-yard line in the third quarter.
Nightmare, folks.
And it didn't look good when starting quarterback Cooper Rush, who was wildly ineffective, was replaced by Tyler Huntley, who was less ineffective but still didn't get the offense in the end zone.
"Within all that there's a lot of good things that tell me that we can be the kind of football team we want to be the rest of the season," Harbaugh insisted. "We'll build on all those things.
"You got to understand how close you are sometimes. And you can't allow the weight of the disappointment or the weight of the scrutiny, you can't allow that to derail you, or sidetrack you or push you away from your goal.
"Because we can accomplish what we want to accomplish. We can do it. We're the kind of team that can do it."
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 12: Derrick Henry #22 of the Baltimore Ravens avoids a tackle against Jared Verse #8 of the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter in the game at M&T Bank Stadium on October 12, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Derrick Henry: 1-5 Not Good
Now, Harbaugh is known as a man of faith. And God has blessed him for that.
But it's going to take more than faith to keep this ship that is thisclose to hitting the iceberg from going down after the bye.
His players know this. And fans who left M&T Bank Stadium early on Sunday apparently know this.
"I know 1-5 doesn't look good," running back Derrick Henry said. "We all know it's rough right now, and, you know, [fans] want to see a good, a good product out there, and, you know, we haven't displayed that.
"So them leaving early, you know, it's a given, but I want to let them know that we're gonna keep working and, you know, we're gonna turn this thing around. It's hard to believe being at 1-5, but still a lot of football left."