BALTIMORE — Through the first three games of the NFL season, the Ravens have fielded one of the worst defenses in the league.

Baltimore is ranked second-to-last in points allowed per game (32) and last in yards allowed per game (415). Just two seasons ago, with much of the same personnel, the Ravens became the first team to win the defensive triple crown, leading the league in sacks, takeaways and points allowed.

Much of the criticism from outside the building has fallen to defensive coordinator Zach Orr, who is in just his second year calling a defense at any level. But to put it all on the 33-year-old former Ravens linebacker, safety Kyle Hamilton said, isn’t fair.

“Whatever criticism he’s getting, I don’t know, sometimes I feel like Ravens fans can be a little bit spoiled [with] just the amount of success that this franchise has had,” the All-Pro said. “We lose five games and the world’s about to end.

“It’s unfair to put all the blame on him when there’s 11 guys out there on the field that are playing their hearts off and he’s put us in the right positions. It’s just a matter of us doing the right stuff.”

So far, it’s gone wrong in several and unusual ways.

After ranking first in red zone defense last season, the Ravens are 28th this season, allowing opponents to score a touchdown 78.57% of the time. After ranking first in run defense in 2024, allowing 80.1 yards per game, they are 30th this year, allowing 149 rushing yards per game.

That included a backbreaking 224 in a 38-30 loss at home to the Detroit Lions on Monday night.

“I don’t think last game is who we are,” said Hamilton, who pointed to a lack of tackling and physicality. “It hurts a little more when you come out like that.”

Injuries have played a factor, too. Baltimore is without Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) for the foreseeable future. Pro Bowl outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) also missed Monday night’s game.

There have been other problems, though, too.

Orr acknowledged that the loss to the Lions was a combination of scheme and putting players in position to succeed and execution. He also acknowledged that coach John Harbaugh saying that the defense was at times trying to do too much was a fair assessment.

With a short week, Orr added that he can’t afford to dwell on it.

On Wednesday, coaches packed two days of work into one, spending the first half of the day reviewing film from the Lions game to “get stuff right” and the second half of the day focused on this week’s opponent, the Chiefs, who are 5-1 against the Ravens (including playoffs) during quarterback Lamar Jackson’s tenure. That includes a perfect 3-0 mark at Arrowhead Stadium.

“What’s happened has happened. Nothing we can change about it,” Orr said, adding that not being on social media has helped him block out outside criticism. “Do we like it? No. Are we frustrated about it? Yes. But it’s about what we do going forward. Can’t change the past and adversity is gonna hit. Unfortunately, it’s hit us again in this aspect. But what are we gonna do about it? You either sulk and let it get you down and lay in it, or you pick yourself up and figure it out.”

It’s also a familiar position.

Last year, the Ravens began the season 1-2 and went on to win the AFC North. The road to recovery is even harder now, though, at least in the short term with the Chiefs on Sunday and a game against the Los Angeles Rams, a playoff team from last season, two weeks later at M&T Bank Stadium.

“I feel like we’ve given ourselves the hardest path these past couple years,” Hamilton said. “But we ended up in a good spot last year. I feel like if we get it corrected even sooner this year, we’ll be in a better spot.

“The sky’s not falling, so we’ll be all right.”

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