Ravens still waiting for their defense to improve after a rough day in Cleveland

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Of all the low points for Baltimore's defense last weekend, one stood out as an example of a group struggling to stay on the same page.

Before a key third-down snap near the end of the third quarter, linebacker Odafe Oweh was late getting into position. He was actually running alongside the line of scrimmage in front of several teammates when the ball was snapped. There was also a huge amount of open space in the middle of the secondary, which Cleveland's Cedric Tillman exploited for a 22-yard touchdown catch.

“You get deeper in the season, you want to cut down on those errors like that,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said. "I think the ball was in the middle of the field, and the D-Line was having trouble getting lined up. The offense went quick, and we weren’t aligned, and obviously, bad stuff happens when that happens. We can learn from that, and we can say it won’t happen again, but we have to prove it at the same time.”

It's fair to view Baltimore's defensive woes with a new sense of urgency after a 29-24 loss to Cleveland snapped the team's five-game winning streak. Maybe there was always going to be a transition period following several key departures in the offseason, but as the 2024 season reaches the midway point, the Ravens still have a lot of room for improvement on that side of the ball. Baltimore ranks in the bottom quarter of the league in yards (361.3) and points (26.1) allowed per game.

The Ravens had their work cut out for them after losing linebacker Patrick Queen and pass-rushing standout Jadeveon Clowney to free agency. The coaching staff also experienced some turnover. Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald departed to become Seattle's new coach, and two other defensive assistants — Anthony Weaver and Dennard Wilson — left to become coordinators for Miami and Tennessee.

Baltimore still has talent at all three levels on defense — Nnamdi Madubuike on the line, Roquan Smith at linebacker and Kyle Hamilton in the secondary are players you can build around. This season has been odd statistically, with the Ravens ranking No. 1 in the league against the run and dead last against the pass. Some of that is because an explosive offense has given Baltimore plenty of leads to protect, and opponents have had to throw.

The Ravens could never pull away last weekend, squandering advantages of 10-6, 17-13 and 24-23 in the second half. Jameis Winston threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns for Cleveland. Baltimore missed multiple chances to secure interceptions, including a drop by Hamilton that came just before the Browns scored the winning touchdown.

Holding onto interceptions has been an issue this year for the Ravens, although they've also forced some timely turnovers — which may actually have masked bigger problems on defense.

“Picks are cool, but picks don’t tell the whole story of the game, and we’re close to the bottom of the league right now in pass yards per game as a defense, and that’s something that picks aren’t just going to solve,” Hamilton said. "You’re not just going to go out and get a pick every possession.”

This weekend the Ravens host Denver, a team that's been led by its defense so far. The Broncos have a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix. But Nix has looked better of late, and after Winston's big day, Baltimore certainly shouldn't be taking any passer lightly.

This is also the last game for the Ravens before next week's trade deadline. It's possible Baltimore will acquire more help before then.

“I honestly, truly believe that with the coaches and the players that we have, it’s going (to) come together, and it’s going (to) come together at the right time,” Orr said. "And it’s going (to) be big for us down this last half of the season.”

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Noah Trister, The Associated Press