The Ravens' defense struggled in Week 1, but sometimes the hardest lessons provide the most insight.
For the first time in franchise history, the Ravens lost a game in which they scored 40 points or more, dropping a 41-40 decision to the Buffalo Bills. Failing to contain Bills quarterback Josh Allen when it counted most, Baltimore lost despite leading 40-25 midway through the fourth quarter.
That's a difficult way to start the regular season, and it's something the Ravens don't want to carry over into Sunday's home opener against the Cleveland Browns. Baltimore started 0-2 in 2024 and didn't hit its stride defensively until the second half of the season.
"We're going to have to take a look at [the film] and really figure it out and figure it out fast," outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy said. "We don't want to start how we did last year."
Pass rush and pass coverage work hand in hand, and the Ravens had breakdowns in both phases. Allen passed for 394 yards, including 251 in the fourth quarter, and had his way down the stretch against a secondary that includes five former first-round picks.
Nnamdi Madubuike had the only sack for Baltimore, and whenever Allen felt pressure, he escaped the pocket too easily for the Ravens' taste. Giving Allen extra time and open receivers is a recipe for losing. Whether he escaped outside or evaded Baltimore's rush by stepping up inside, Allen kept finding ways to make plays.
"We couldn't keep him in the pocket," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "That's probably the No. 1 disappointment for me. I think when you let him extend plays like that, he'll run for yards, but he'll also find receivers downfield, and they do a good job of getting open.
"I would say pass rush lanes – that's something that we've got to go to work on. It's not just four lanes. There's different patterns that we use, and we just weren't as good as we need to be at that."
Browns 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco will present a different challenge for the Ravens than Allen did. Flacco doesn't move like Allen, but the former Ravens' quarterback still has a big arm and plenty of experience.
Flacco threw for almost 300 yards (31-45, 290 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions) in Cleveland's 17-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. He'll watch what the Ravens put on tape in Week 1 and look for ways to exploit it.
The Ravens added important pieces to their defense including cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jaire Alexander, rookie safety Malaki Starks, and rookie linebackers Mike Green and Teddye Buchanan. The Ravens have plenty of talent, but the challenge is putting the pieces together in a way that best leads to success. It was clear from Week 1 that the Ravens' defense is still a work in progress, especially in the fourth quarter on Sunday night when they had no answers for Allen.
"We tried everything," Harbaugh said. "We were playing man, we were playing zone, we were blitzing, we were coming off the edge, we were showing and dropping out of there. We just didn't really get them stopped in the last two drives at all.
"Early in the season, you do find some things out. Especially when you're playing a really good offense, you get exposed a little bit. We learned where we have to get better."
There are still 16 games left, yet the Ravens are feeling a sense of urgency. They don't want to start 0-2 again or lose any more fourth quarter leads.
But as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words.
"I don't want the Ravens to be known as the team that up gets up big and blows the lead," safety Kyle Hamilton said. "It's not who we are, and we have to prove that to everybody else."
