Andy Reid just said what no Ravens fan thinks about Zach Orr
The story of the Baltimore Ravens' season through three weeks has been defensive miscues. While they bounced back in Week 2 with a superb end-to-end performance against the Cleveland Browns, they stumbled right back to square one in their Week 3 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr's unit ranks the worst in the NFL. They have given up 1,245 total yards, which sits comfortably in last place. Their passing defense ranks 31st, allowing 799 yards, and the rushing defense ranks 30th, with 447 yards allowed.
They have a golden opportunity to get back on track against a struggling Kansas City Chiefs’ offense in Week 4. However, everyone knows what quarterback Patrick Mahomes is capable of, and if he gets comfortable, it could get awful for the Ravens.
Chiefs’ Head Coach Andy Reid spoke about the challenges of going up against the Ravens in his press conference on Wednesday. To many Baltimore fans' surprise, Reid spoke highly of Orr and his group heading into Sunday’s showdown.
“Orr, he’s a good one. He brings guys from all over when needed. At the same time, they play good, sound defense on top of that. They got good players,” Reid said. “He does a nice job with that defense. He’s got a lot of flexibility there.”
Andy Reid praises Zach Orr’s defense amid Baltimore’s struggles
Of course, you will not hear Reid speak ill of an opposing defense ahead of their matchup. You never want to give the opposition extra motivation in what should be an electric game. Still, the phrase “good, sound defense” does not come close to describing the Ravens this season.
Baltimore has yet to apply consistent pressure on the quarterback this year, and their run defense has been especially leaky over the past couple of weeks. Even the secondary that many thought could be the best in the NFL this year has fallen short.
On top of all that, the defense is being dealt an unfortunate hand with injuries. Star defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike is dealing with a neck injury, and veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy is currently on the shelf due to a hamstring injury. There is no timetable on Madubuike for now, but he has already been ruled out for Week 4, while Van Noy is expected to be unavailable for at least one more week.
Orr still has a ton of potential as a defensive coordinator. He is only in his second year and is being tasked with going through a gauntlet of high-powered offenses for the 2025 campaign. But, this is also the second season that Baltimore has had a slow start on defense. We will see if they switch up the narrative against Kansas City.
Adoree' Jackson's injury comes at worst time after his bounce back last 2 games
One of the most impressive turnarounds from Week 1 to Week 3 has to be Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Adoree' Jackson.
Everyone had written off Jackson after his awful performance in the Eagles' 24-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys. He had allowed five receptions for 103 yards, with all five catches being for first down.
After the game, it was all about whether the Eagles had made a fatal mistake signing Jackson over keeping either Darius Slay or Isaiah Rodgers. Jackson gave himself a grade of C, an opinion with which many people would likely disagree.
Ever since that game, though, it has been a completely different story. A great story that has Eagles fans believing in him...until his new injury occurred.
Jackson's spectacular last two games and the injury that might derail everything
Games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams ended up being good ones for Jackson. The Philly Special Show's Anthony DiBona shared Jackson's key stats from the last two games.
Against the Chiefs, Jackson allowed just three receptions on five targets for 26 yards. Last week in the Rams game, he had similar numbers with three catches on four targets for 23 yards.
Considering what happened in Week 1, this is a massive upgrade for Jackson. Playing better coverage and not allowing the big plays down the field is a big step in the right direction.
Unfortunately, all that might be a wash after Jackson left the Rams game with a groin injury. It was originally reported at the beginning of the week that his chances of playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4 were not high. The good news is that, despite missing Wednesday's practice, Jackson returned on Thursday in a limited capacity.
It still feels like he might not be able to go against the Buccaneers, though, which is a crushing blow. Jackson was starting to gain the trust of the fan base and coaching staff, and for him to get hurt and potentially miss a game is a tough blow.
Especially with Jakorian Bennett on IR, Jackson will be needed more than ever. The hope is that he can recover quickly and return to the field to carry the momentum from the previous two games.
