On Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens took their first loss of the 2026 NFL season with an ugly home defeat at the hands of the New Orleans Saints. The Ravens blew yet another double-digit lead in this one, which has unfortunately become a hallmark of the team during the Lamar Jackson era.
Recently, former Ravens rival and New England Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski hit the team with a brutal reality check following the tough loss.
“These are the same old Ravens,” he said, per Kay Adams on X, formerly Twitter.
Adams then followed up her reporting on the quote with a sad face, signaling her discontent with Baltimore reverting to its same old habits.
Ravens fans were hoping that the departure of John Harbaugh this offseason would allow the team to put its choking ways behind them and start a new culture under head coach Jesse Minter, but clearly, getting rid of the ghosts of the past will take some soul-searching.
The Ravens' offense got off to another hot start on Sunday before tapering off the stretch, thanks in large part to the puzzling decision to only give Derrick Henry the ball five times in the second half against the Saints.
Of course, injuries did play a role in this outcome, with newly re-signed star wide receiver Zay Flowers and others missing this game with various ailments. However, until the Ravens can consistently keep other teams at bay without relinquishing big leads, fans will always have the possibility of a choke job in the back of their minds.
The Ravens will next hit the field for a game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon in Brazil.