The Ravens are 1-3, and that ‘1’ exists entirely because of Lamar Jackson. Week after week, he has been forced to drag a defense that bleeds points just to keep Baltimore afloat. Now with Lamar sidelined, all that weight shifts to Cooper Rush, and according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, it won’t be an easy task.

Rapoport thinks that Rush is very much capable of performing backup duties, but this defense would make things hard for him. “He could do it. He absolutely could go out and do it. But as we’ve seen, for a backup quarterback to go out and get wins, he has to be perfect across the board. Considering where this Ravens defense is, it will for sure be a challenge,” he said.

It really highlights how lopsided things are for the Ravens. Their offense, thanks largely to Lamar, is averaging 32.8 points per game, third in the league. But as strong as the offense is, the defense is just as weak, giving up 33.3 points per game, worst in the NFL.

Tony's Top Prospects For QB For RAVENS

VIEW ALL TONY'S PICKS ON THE BIG BOARD

The quarterback can have the game of his life, but this defense would concede just as many points and more.

When your defense is giving up 271 passing yards a game and coughing up 30-plus points every Sunday, the spotlight usually swings right back to the quarterback. Turnovers, bad field position, that’s the usual scapegoat book. But the funny part?

Lamar Jackson has just one turnover in four games. He is not the problem; he has been the duct tape holding this thing together. Cooper Rush? Yeah, good luck replicating that.

Injuries have piled up on defense. Nnamdi Madubuike, Broderick Washington Jr., and others on IR. But for a unit that was hyped all summer as “one of the league’s nastiest,” a couple of missing names shouldn’t equal full-blown collapse. Yet here we are.

Yes, the defense surely wouldn’t help Cooper Rush. But he shouldn’t expect any favors from the OL either. Ravens have allowed 15 sacks through four games. Protection would be a pipe dream for Rush heading into week 5. But forget about the help for a second. Is Rush capable of racking up wins in Lamar’s absence?

Is Cooper Rush capable of holding it all down?

Lamar Jackson’s hamstring tweak against the Chiefs has officially thrown the Ravens’ season into Cooper Rush territory. And while the defense leaks like a busted pipe and the offensive line treats protection like optional homework, Rush himself isn’t really the problem. In fact, he might be the only thing that could keep this ship steady.

He has built a career out of bailing teams out. Remember 2022? Thrown into the fire with Dallas, he went 4–1 as a starter, stacking up 1,051 yards with 5 TDs against just 3 picks. Just enough to keep the Cowboys upright. And last year, he racked up 1,844 yards, 12 TDs, 5 INTs across starts that season, proving he can shoulder more than just mop-up duty.

Baltimore knew what they were getting when they brought him in. A steady hand who won’t blow games with reckless mistakes. And when Lamar limped off last week, Rush showed up sharp: 9-for-13, 52 yards, almost 70% completions. Pretty decent for a very little cameo.

So yeah, Rush can handle QB1. The bigger question is whether the Ravens’ line can keep him upright and whether this defense can stop giving away points like free samples. If not, Rush’s competence won’t really matter.