The Baltimore Ravens have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel.
We found out last week that the Ravens were going to be without Lamar Jackson for at least one game, which was a sky-is-falling moment for a team that was already riddled with injuries and sitting with a 1-3 record.
Then, in Week 5, the Ravens got their doors blown off by a Houston Texans team that was also 1-3 and struggling mightily. Making matters worse (as if that was even possible), Jackson's backup, Cooper Rush, was bad.
When asked about everything the Ravens have o overcome in terms of injuries, Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy pointed to the San Francisco 49ers as a prime example of why there are no excuses for why Baltimore played so badly.
"No excuses, man. No excuses. I just watched the Niners have injuries and go out there and play football and [win]. No excuses for injuries. We're professionals," Van Noy told reporters. "You get paid to play. Gotta play better."
The Niners are a fantastic example for Van Noy to point to.
San Francisco has been hit hard by injuries, also, with the team missing Nick Bosa, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Brock Purdy and Brandon Aiyuk in Week 5.
Despite all those key players missing, the Niners managed to pull off an impressive upset win on the road over a good Los Angeles Rams team in Week 5 thanks to huge performances from Mac Jones and Kendrick Bourne, among others.
“All the things that went into it and just the injuries and stuff and overcoming so many things and guys making those plays at the end which were unbelievable,” Shanahan said on Friday.
"I think all that added up and made it one of the more special ones that you’ll definitely remember for a long time,” Shanahan added.
To be fair, not every team can do what the Niners accomplished on Thursday night, but the Ravens better figure out how to do that because their season is on the brink.
More NFL News
- Rico Dowdle sends clear message to Cowboys after 200-yard game
- How long is Lamar Jackson out? Latest injury update on Ravens QB
- Is Joe Mixon out for 2025? Latest injury update on Texans RB
- NFL insider offers more details on Brock Bowers' knee injury
- Will CeeDee Lamb be back next week? Latest update on Cowboys WR