Four Storylines for Ravens' Must-Win Matchup vs. Bears

Coming off a much-needed bye and in dire need of a win in the worst way, the Baltimore Ravens will be facing off with the Chicago Bears in Week 8. There are several intriguing storylines surrounding this massively important matchup of two teams who are trending in opposite directions up to this point in the season. Here are the top four, to name a few:

Can Snoop Keep Ravens' season alive?

After getting filled with hope that two-time MVP-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson would be making his long-awaited return from injury, the Ravens will be playing their third straight game without him. Unlike the previous two instances, they'll be starting Pro Bowl backup, Tyler Huntley, who was named their new No. 2 quarterback over Cooper Rush on Friday.

The sixth-year veteran provided an immediate spark when he checked in late into the team's Week 6 loss and now will have a chance to be that sparkplug for the offense from the start instead of coming off the bench. Huntley has a 5-9 career record as a starter with the bulk of his experience coming with the Ravens from 2021-2023, including his very first, which came against the Bears, coincidentally. In order to help the team avoid falling into a 1-6 hole and snap their four-game losing skid, he'll need to play a clean game against a defense that leads the league with 16 takeaways.

"I always prepare to start," Huntley said Friday. "I treat it like every week. I'm studying and drawing up the plays, watching film and everything I need to do to be prepared like I do every week."

Roquan Smith's Revenge

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (0) reacts after a play during the second half against the Indianapolis Colts. — Sep 24, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (0) reacts after a play during the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

While the Ravens' All-Pro leader on offense won't be making his return to the starting lineup due to a hamstring injury, their field general on defense will be back in action after missing the last two games with the same ailment. The eighth-year veteran will be going up against his former team, who selected him No. 8 overall in 2018 out of the University of Georgia, for the first time since they traded him near the 2022 midseason deadline.

With Jackson out and Huntley starting in his place, the defense will likely have to lead the charge in this game, and it starts with Smith. He is the emotional leader, physical tone-setter and green dot wearer, which means he's responsible for relaying the play calls to the rest of the defense.

"I'm excited about the matchup, for sure," Smith said earlier in the week. "[There are] lot of amazing people over there [that I] have a tremendous amount of respect [for], but obviously, it's the team that's on the schedule, and every team on the schedule has to get dealt with accordingly. You have to be the best version of yourself, week in and week out, and it happens to be the Bears. Obviously, I have a lot of friends and family that will be in [town for the game], but it's about doing my job to the best of my ability and showing the world exactly who I am."

Can defense build off promising performance?

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams carries the ball against the Baltimore Ravens in the first quarter in Week 6. — Oct 12, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) carries the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter of the game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The first game Smith missed couldn't have gone any worse for the Ravens defense and the young off-ball linebackers who were tasked with filling his massive void. They got blown out by the lowly Houston Texans at home but were able to bounce back with a highly encouraging outing against the Los Angeles Rams the following week, ahead of the bye.

They held one of the most balanced and potent offenses in the league to season lows across the board in points (17), rushing yards (74) and passing yards (167) and even forced an early turnover.

With all of their Pro Bowlers and other veteran starters slated to be back and playing at full strength in this game, they're poised to put together another strong showing and prove that their turnaround on that side of the ball is just getting started.

Post-bye adjustments and personnel changes

Baltimore Ravens guard Daniel Faalele blocks Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver in the first quarter in Week 1, 2025. — Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Baltimore Ravens guard Daniel Faalele (77) blocks Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver (91) in the first quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The Ravens coaches went into the bye suggesting changes to certain lineups were under serious consideration and came out of it proclaiming that they spent the time doing as much self reflection as they did game planning for their next opponent because the two goals are essentially intertwined. Now it's time to see what, if any, alterations and adaptations were made when they take the field against the Bears.

Two of the biggest questions for both sides of the ball heading into the bye were whether there would be a change to the starting offensive line and how they planned to generate more pressure after sack leader Tavius Robinson suffered a broken foot in their last game.

Fans and pundits will have to wait until pre-game warmups, or even the Ravens' first possession, to see if they finally benched right guard Daniel Faalele. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr shared that he spent much of the past week finding more creative ways to scheme up pressure.

"That was probably the main focus that we looked at," Orr said. "I think the coaches – all of the coaches – have done a great job, including [head] coach [John] Harbaugh and our defensive coaches, of coming up with a pressure plan and a blitz plan, and I'm excited about it. I can't talk too much about it right now, but I think it's going to be good for us."

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