The Ravens knew they had a daunting schedule to open the season.
But sitting at 1-4 and coming off a third straight loss that was tied for the most lopsided defeat in Ravens history is surprising to say the least.
The Ravens are searching for answers following their 44-10 defeat at the hands of a Houston Texans team that was also looking to get off the mat.
"Just a complete disappointment," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "We're going to have to find a way to turn it around and figure out who we are this next week and then into the bye."
Harbaugh acknowledged that the Ravens have been through tough times before, but "none more challenging than this right now."
"I told the guys, this becomes a measuring stick for all of us," Harbaugh said. "I'm looking for people to come out fighting and give their best in those kinds of situations."
Harbaugh and players were asked some big-picture questions after a second straight blowout loss.
Harbaugh said he does not think considering changes to the defensive staff was the answer. A week after criticizing some of the offensive play-calling, Harbaugh also didn't feel like that was the problem Sunday. He doesn't feel like there's a lack of effort from players.
"I think fundamental football is the most quickly fixable thing," he said. "And I expect to see us play fundamentally-sound football. I don't think we did that, all the time, today."
A major part of the equation will be getting healthier. The Ravens' starting lineup Sunday was a shell of what it was in Week 1.
Baltimore had seven Pro Bowlers missing due to injuries, most importantly including two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. Defensively, leaders Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey, and Kyle Hamilton were all ruled out for this game, and Nnamdi Madubuike is done for the season. The Ravens had 43% of their salary cap on the sideline, per OvertheCap.com.
It's impossible to attribute how much of Sunday's loss is due to the injuries, but it's obviously a large factor. It's not the only problem, however. The Ravens felt they still had enough talent to win Sunday.
"No excuses. I just watched the 'Niners' have injuries, go out there and play football [and win]," veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy said. "We have to get our [stuff] together. Just being brutally honest. Coaches can give us the plays, but we have to execute, and it doesn't matter who you are in there, do your job."
The Texans offense entered the game averaging 16 points per game. It had a get-right game against Baltimore's struggling and injury-ravaged defense.
Houston scored on its first eight possessions. The Texans didn't punt until midway through the fourth quarter when their backup quarterback entered the game. Texans starting quarterback C.J. Stroud threw four touchdowns and completed 23 of 27 attempts.
Arguably, the best news of the day for the defense was when cornerback Nate Wiggins passed the concussion protocol. Baltimore didn't suffer any more (noticeable) injuries.
Offensively, the Ravens ground to a halt without Jackson under center. A rushing attack that was needed to buoy the unit never got going. Derrick Henry had six carries for eight yards on the Ravens' first two drives and finished with just 33 yards on 15 rushes.
That put Cooper Rush, who made his first start as a Raven, in tougher situations, which were exacerbated by penalties. Rush started hot, but threw three interceptions in the second half to short-circuit any hope of a comeback.
Getting the rushing attack on track, especially with Jackson out, is at the top of the priority list, but it's not the only item.
"It's just not clicking right now," Henry said. "We just need to play better. It's easy to finger-point when everything is going bad. We haven't been playing good [and] have not been a good football team, but you just have to go back to work."
Last year, the Ravens flew down to Houston and ruined the Texans' Christmas with a 31-2 victory. On Sunday, with the Texans holding a 24-point lead in the fourth quarter, they kept attacking on fourth down and taking deep shots down the field. And the Ravens could do nothing to stop it. The Texans wanted the Ravens to feel this loss.
"I think that was one of the biggest things, having that chip on our shoulder, like we've got to get some get back," Texans pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. said. "We wanted to be the first Texans to win in Baltimore."
Now the Ravens must turn things around – and quickly. They have the Los Angeles Rams visiting M&T Bank Stadium in a week, followed by the bye, which should allow them to get healthier. But with each loss, the Ravens' margin for error shrinks.
"It's just not good right now, and we need to fix it quick. We still have time," Henry said. "We have some guys banged up [and] nicked up, but it's definitely not what we wanted to display today. [There were] things to learn from the last two games. We have to learn from all of them."
