Five Reasons the Baltimore Ravens Could Get Worse Under Jesse Minter

When the Baltimore Ravens fired head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons and installed the 43-year-old Jesse Minter (who in turn hired three coordinators whose ages average out at 39), they made it clear that something had to change.

The consistent regular season success followed by repeat postseason failures common late in the Harbaugh era with quarterback Lamar Jackson no longer was good enough.

But when you opt out of consistency in a league where the median head coach lasts 2-3 seasons, you bring a higher ceiling and a lower floor into play.

The vibes at Ravens camp are great right now after a pair of preseason wins. Still, we know absolutely nothing about how this exciting new era will play out. And there are just as many reasons things could get worse in Minter’s first season.

Here are five of the most likely.

One of the final straws of the Harbaugh era was the regression under defensive coordinator Zach Orr in 2024 and 2025.

Now it’s the offense where Minter has turned to promising young coaching talent Declan Doyle, a 30-year-old novice NFL play-caller.

Doyle was also OC with the Bears last season, but head coach Ben Johnson called the plays. And while Doyle is captivating and charismatic, frequently referencing great offensive minds like Bill Walsh and Sean Payton, there’s no substitute for real-game experience.

Doyle will be plenty prepared. But there’s the danger he overthinks it in a job that relies on feel during high-leverage moments.

Lamar Jackson Still Can’t Stay Healthy

The Ravens have only missed the playoffs twice since Jackson was drafted in 2018. He missed at least four games both times.

And even in the 13 games he played last year, there was a sense that he was playing through pain or injury while posting a career-worst 6-7 personal record.

Jackson is 29. He’s improved in the pocket, but still relies on improvisation to make many of his biggest plays. And watching him last year, you questioned whether his body still recovered from those off-script adventures the way it used to.

The Demons Get Tyler Loop

Baltimore’s 2025 was rough. And still, if rookie Loop makes a 44-yard field goal attempt as time expires in Week 18, it’s the Ravens who beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and win the AFC North.

And unlike when Billy Cundiff missed a potential game-tying field goal for Baltimore in New England in 2012, the Ravens brought Loop, a sixth-round draft pick, back to camp without competition this summer.

He’s 3-for-4 this preseason, missing from 49 yards before converting from 42, 49 and 20 yards. That’s far from proving last season’s final miss still isn’t in the back of his head.

Center Play Regresses Significantly

Tyler Linderbaum departed for Las Vegas on a 3-year, $81-million deal and left the center position as an open competition.

Now that role may be decided by default after the Ravens lost Danny Pinter for the season.

Center is probably the second-most crucial offensive line position behind whichever tackle defends the quarterback’s blind side. And it’s even more important when you’re blocking for an offense with Jackson, running back Derrick Henry, and most likely a lot of option-style running.

Minter’s Magic Doesn’t Materialize

The Ravens likely hired Minter hoping he could restore a regressing defense.

Once the organization’s calling card, that unit was 24th in yards allowed in the NFL last season, and tied for the second-most passing yards allowed.

Meanwhile, Minter led the NFL’s fifth-best defense with the Los Angeles Chargers in his second season in the role.

Can he lead that kind of performance again as the defensive play-caller while also adapting to the burdens of being a head coach? The preseason performances are promising, but they can be famously inaccurate in predicting regular-season futures.