Next up for Baltimore's beleaguered defense: a matchup with the high-octane Rams

Baltimore's beleaguered defense could desperately use a break.

What the Ravens have instead is a date with Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and the Los Angeles Rams, who rank second in the NFL in total offense.

After the Ravens gave up 44 points in last week's loss to Houston — and 177 through five games — it may seem like there's nothing they can do to slow down the Rams on Sunday. But Baltimore is going to try. The Ravens made a trade this week, acquiring safety Alohi Gilman. They also signed safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the practice squad.

Baltimore (1-4) will be without star quarterback Lamar Jackson for a second straight game. The Ravens are expected to have safety Kyle Hamilton back after he missed last weekend with a groin injury. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf) returns as well. Linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) is still out, and defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) has been lost for the season.

Of course, even a healthy defense would have its hands full against Los Angeles. Stafford leads the NFL with 1,503 yards passing. Nacua leads in both catches (52) and yards receiving (588). Nacua is the first player to reach 50 catches in the first five games of a season.

“They do a lot of motions and shifts,” Baltimore defensive coordinator Zach Orr said. “They probably motion more than any team in the National Football League. So, we have to make sure that we are aligned right, that we’re aligned quickly and we’re communicating and on the same page so we can give ourselves a chance.”

The Rams (3-2) are coming off an overtime loss to San Francisco. Their other defeat was at Philadelphia on a blocked field goal in the final seconds.

“You want to talk about two gut punches in terms of how we’ve lost the two games that we have,” coach Sean McVay said. “We’re a couple execution plays away from being a 5-0 team, but the reality is we’re 3-2.”

The first six games of Baltimore's schedule includes five matchups with division winners from last season. Now the Ravens face the prospect of losing all five of them — which would have sounded absurd just a month ago for a team that was considered a Super Bowl contender.

Baltimore will have a much-needed open date after facing the Rams, but the injuries that have wreaked havoc with the lineup have led to the Ravens being underdogs by about a touchdown this week — even though they're playing at home.

Even as Baltimore gradually becomes healthier, a 1-5 start would be quite a hole to dig out of.

Although Baltimore’s run defense has been porous, Los Angeles’ rushing offense is a pedestrian 21st in the league with 112.2 yards per game. Kyren Williams has 368 yards while getting roughly 80% of the Rams’ running back carries, but his two fumbles — most notably his goal-line blunder against San Francisco last week — and a handful of key dropped passes have badly compromised the Rams’ effectiveness. Blake Corum has been inconsistent as Williams’ backup, and rookie fourth-round pick Jarquez Hunter has yet to get an offensive snap, likely because he’s not trusted to be an NFL-level blocker.

The Ravens had only 40 offensive plays in a 44-10 loss to the Texans — not the type of performance that was needed to keep their struggling defense off the field. Baltimore has a league-high nine touchdowns of at least 20 yards this season, but the Ravens are 31st in the NFL in time of possession and haven't been able to sustain a consistent running attack after years of dominance in that area.

Offensive coordinator Todd Monken said the offense is in a “rut” — and he hopes that can be overcome soon.

“When I said a rut, a rut is usually small. Then maybe it’s a ditch, and then maybe it’s a canyon,” he said. “But right now, we consider that a rut.”

Whoever is behind center for the Ravens will face a challenge from Los Angeles’ impressive pass rush. The Rams are third in the NFL with 15 sacks, and Byron Young ranks second with 5 1/2, stepping up his game in his third NFL season and becoming an elite edge rusher. Jared Verse also remains very difficult to stop, generating his 100th career quarterback hurry last week against San Francisco in just his 22nd game. The Rams get to the quarterback even with one of the NFL’s lowest blitz rates — and they probably can’t afford to blitz much, given the mediocre play of their cornerbacks this season.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb (21) runs to the end zone for a touchdown against Baltimore Ravens safety Malaki Starks (24) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) celebrates after scoring against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a pass past San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Alfred Collins (95) during the second half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Voters in Kosovo cast ballots on Sunday in an early parliamentary election in hopes of breaking a political deadlock that has gripped the small Balkan nation for much of this year.

The snap vote was scheduled after Prime Minister Albin Kurti's governing Vetevendosje, or Self-Determination, party failed to form a government despite winning the most votes in a Feb. 9 election.

The deadlock marked the first time Kosovo could not form a government since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008 following a 1998-99 war that ended in a NATO intervention.

The prime minister's party is again the favorite in the race, but it is unclear whether it will manage to muster a majority this time in the 120-member parliament, after other mainstream parties refused an alliance.

After voting Sunday, Kurti urged Kosovo's 1.9 million voters to turn out in large numbers to grant “more legitimacy for our institutions.”

“Once the election result is known, we will do our best to constitute a new parliament as soon as possible and to proceed with the election of the new government,” he said.

According to Kosovo’s election laws, 20 parliamentary seats are automatically assigned to ethnic Serb representatives and other minority parties.

Another inconclusive vote would further deepen the crisis. Kosovo has not approved a budget for next year, sparking concern over the already poor economy in the country of 2 million people.

Lawmakers also are set to elect a new president in March as current President Vjosa Osmani’s mandate expires in early April. If this fails too, another snap election must be held.

The main opposition parties are the Democratic League of Kosovo and the Democratic Party of Kosovo. They have accused Kurti of authoritarianism and of alienating Kosovo’s U.S. and European Union allies since he came to power in 2021.

Lumir Abdixhiku from the Democratic League of Kosovo urged voters to "move away from the gloom, the deadlock and the division that has accompanied us for these years.”

A former political prisoner during Serbia’s rule in Kosovo, the 50-year-old Kurti has taken a tough stand in talks mediated by the European Union on normalizing relations with Belgrade. In response, the EU and the United States imposed punitive measures.

Kurti has promised to buy military equipment to boost security.

No reliable preelection polls have been published. Kurti's party at the previous election won around 42% of the votes while the two main rival parties had together around 40%. Analysts say that even the slightest changes in numbers on Sunday could prove decisive for the future distribution of power.

Ilmi Deliu, a 71-year-old pensioner from the capital, Pristina, said he hoped the election will bring a change or “we will end up in an abyss.”

"Young people no longer want to live here,” he said.

Tensions with restive ethnic Serbs in the north exploded in clashes in 2023 when scores of NATO-led peacekeepers were injured. In a positive step, ethnic Serb mayors this month took power peacefully there after a municipal vote.

Kurti has also agreed to accept third-country migrants deported from the United States as part of tough anti-immigration measures by the administration of President Donald Trump. One migrant has arrived so far, authorities have told The Associated Press.

Kosovo has one of the poorest economies in Europe. It is one of the six Western Balkan countries striving to eventually join the EU, but both Kosovo and Serbia have been told they must first normalize relations.

Supporters of Belgrade-backed Srpska Lista prepare to go at a polling station and cast their ballots in an early parliamentary election in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)

A voter arrives at a polling station in an early parliamentary election in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)

A voter prepares her ballot at a polling station in an early parliamentary election in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)

People walk past a giant banner of the leader of VV (Selfdetermination) political party Albin Kurti, in the capital Pristina on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

People waiting in the iluminated bus station with banners of LDK (Democratic League of Kosovo) leader Lumir Abdixhiku in capital Pristina on Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)