A 1-3 record has Baltimore at an unfamiliar crossroads in Week 5.
The Ravens have previously dropped three of their first four games only twice in the team's history (2005, 2015) and just once have they began a season with a 1-4 record (2015) during the club's 30 years of existence.
Lamar Jackson, the catalyst to that consistent success in recent seasons, won't be available for Sunday's home game against the Texans due to a hamstring injury, which only pressurizes the situation after the first quarter of the season.
Cooper Rush feels prepared for the task at hand.
"Whenever a franchise QB goes down, it's always a 'sky is falling' feeling everywhere you are," Rush said Friday, via team transcript. "It's normal, and if you have to go out there on Sunday and do what you have to do, it's nice knowing you had a whole week to prep for it, so things like that are good."
Rush, who signed with the Ravens this past offseason, has been in this situation before as a backup quarterback aiming to save or maintain a season.
In 2022 he went 4-1 as a starter with the Cowboys when Dak Prescott went down with an injury, a crucial early stretch that kept afloat an eventual playoff team. Rush was called upon again last season in Dallas after another Prescott injury, going 4-4, but it wasn't enough for a postseason appearance.
There are only five QBs with a higher win percentage than Rush since 2021 (minimum ten starts) -- link-placeholder-0, link-placeholder-1, link-placeholder-2 and Jackson (.672).
"We've been here before in this type of situation," Rush said of his past experience in relief. "It's nothing new, so you lean on that. You get confidence from it, just trust yourself, and if you have to go out there, you can do it."
Jackson, a two-time MVP, has been helping Rush prepare for his first start with Baltimore.
"Yes, [Lamar Jackson] has been around, so we've just been [having] a normal week of preparation," Rush said. "I know he is doing everything to get right, but he's been around. [I'm asking] questions here and there [like], 'How does Zay [Flowers] run this?' [With] things like that, he's been helpful."
Jackson isn't the only key absence Baltimore will be dealing with on Sunday. The Ravens, who hold a 4-9 record sans Jackson since 2019, won't have All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) and All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf) on Sunday. Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) and Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton (calf) are also questionable to play.
Providing a solid offense for a banged up defense will be crucial for the Ravens against a Texans team also looking to climb out of a 1-3 hole. Baltimore ranks third in the league in points per game (32.8), but we'll see if that prowess can be maintained without the league leader in passing touchdowns (10) and total TDs (11).
"We're really versatile, really deep in every room with guys that can do different things throughout the position groups," Rush said of the offense. "So, it's a lot of fun. You turn around; you have the [running] backs we do [and] the tight ends we do. We can do a lot with the receivers -- hand it to them [or] throw it to them -- so it's fun. Up front, those guys are experienced [and have] played a lot of ball together, and we'll rely on them."
