Ravens lay huge egg in London

Sep 26, 2017 - 12:52 AM OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The Baltimore Ravens are already at a critical point of their season.

They had one of the worst performances in franchise history in a 44-7 loss in Week 3 against Jacksonville, which tied for the most lopsided loss in franchise history. Now, Baltimore faces a critical stretch against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday and then a road game against Oakland the following week.

The biggest challenge, though, is fixing the litany of weaknesses that surfaced against the Jaguars in London. All three units -- offense, defense and special teams -- were culpable. Baltimore is trying to avoid missing the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons.

"We have to look at it and we have to learn from it," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said at his weekly Monday press conference. "The things we did in that game are things we can improve on in all three phases. Players have already seen the tape. We'll work on the things we need to correct, but you always have to do it with a forward mindset. So, we can't correct a mistake and replay the game from last week. We have to apply the correction and improvement to the next game. That's what you have to do. We have to be ready for the Steelers."

Baltimore had another key injury with defensive end Brent Urban, who is out for the "long term" with a Lisfranc foot injury, according to Harbaugh. Urban will need surgery and could become the 16th player this season on reserve/injured.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is looking to bounce back from the worst game of his career statistically. He was 4 of 12 for just 8 yards, which tied a career low for a half, with an interception. Flacco was also sacked twice and didn't complete a pass until the second quarter.

The challenge won't get any easier this week against Pittsburgh.

"We're all going to get back in there together and make this thing happen," Flacco said. "These losses can be lonely, but at the same time, we have a good team and we're all going to go back in there and work on it together. That's going to help us big-time."

Flacco, however, had to perform behind an offensive line that struggled without Pro Bowl right guard Marshal Yanda, who is out for the season. The line had trouble picking up blitzes and opening holes for the running backs. The Steelers will be equally aggressive attacking Flacco.

Defensively, the Ravens were not much better. Over the first two games, the Ravens had eight interceptions, two fumble recoveries and eight sacks. That unit did not have a takeaway against the Jaguars.

Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles, who was trying to hold onto his starting job in the preseason, was 20 of 31 for 244 yards with four touchdowns. Baltimore's vaunted run defense also allowed 166 yards on the ground and was never in the game.

That Ravens defense now will have to regroup before dealing with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le'Veon Bell and the rest of the Steelers, who are also looking to regroup after a disappointing loss to the Chicago Bears.

"We got our butts kicked in all three phases," safety Eric Weddle said. "That might be one of the worst losses, if not the worst loss I've ever been a part of. But I do know one thing about this team is we won't point fingers. We win and lose as a team. All three phases didn't get it done, and that's the bottom line."

Finally, special teams will have a long week in the film room. That unit allowed a fake punt when Corey Grant took a direct snap and ran 58 yards to the 3. That set up another Jacksonville touchdown.

It was the type of play the Ravens are known for making. Instead, they were victimized.

Harbaugh acknowledged the team will need to turn its fortunes around quickly.

"As a team we didn't get the job done, coaches, players, anybody," Harbaugh said. "We got outplayed. We have to move on and find a way to play better next week."

--Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has repeatedly said the injured back that kept him out of training camp is not hampering his performance.

However, he will likely face more questions about his health this week.

Flacco is coming off the worst performance of his career against Jacksonville. He completed eight of 18 pass attempts for a career-worst 28 yards with two interceptions, finishing with a passer rating of 12.0.

Flacco was under pressure because the offensive line struggled for most of the game. He spent most of the game checking down and did not complete a pass of more than five yards.

With the Ravens trailing 44-0, he was pulled in the fourth quarter for backup Ryan Mallett, who threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Benjamin Watson with 3:34 left in the game. Flacco said a myriad of problems led to the overall poor performance.

"You can't put your finger on one specific thing, but when you go back and watch the tape, there were a bunch of things that weren't good on our front," Flacco said.

Flacco and the Ravens will have to bounce back quickly with a big game looming against the Steelers, who are also 2-1. His timing still appears to be off with many of his receivers when he does attempt to throw the ball downfield.

However, Flacco attributed the latest struggles to the prowess of the Jaguars defense.

"We couldn't complete a pass," Flacco said. "We couldn't get any chunks and we couldn't complete first downs. We left our defense on the field, and they were scoring touchdowns."

--Entering the season, the Ravens were confident they had put together one of the best secondaries in the NFL.

They added cornerback Brandon Carr and safety Tony Jefferson via free agency. Baltimore also used its first-round pick to select cornerback Marlon Humphrey from Alabama.

While this unit was solid over the first two games, the secondary got exposed against the Jaguars.

Blake Bortles completed 20 of 31 passes for 244 yards with four touchdowns and did not commit any turnovers. Jefferson and fellow safety Eric Weddle struggled to support the corners in coverage. Humphrey also had a costly penalty that extended a Jacksonville drive.

Weddle was at a loss as to why the team played so poorly. However, he acknowledged a similar performance against the Steelers could mean an even more lopsided loss.

"It's the Steelers," Weddle said. "It's going to be a division game. Everything's on the line. So, this game is already behind us. We're going to look at the mistakes, correct the mistakes and already start game-planning for Pittsburgh. Because the more we lament, the more we worry about this game, and the more we're "woe is me," we'll get our butts kicked next week."

NOTES: DE Brent Urban injured his foot in the second quarter Sunday against Jacksonville. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh confirmed Monday that Urban is out for the long term with a Lisfranc foot injury and will need surgery. He could become the 16th player this season on injured reserve. ... DT Brandon Williams (foot) was not able to play against the Jaguars in London. Williams left the Week 2 game against Cleveland and could not practice all week. While Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said the injury is not "long-term," Williams' status for Week 4 against Pittsburgh is uncertain. ... WR Jeremy Maclin passed the concussion protocol Sunday against Jacksonville and was cleared to return. Maclin finished with one catch for eight yards. He also injured his shoulder last week against the Browns, but was also able to return. ... QB Joe Flacco was removed from the game Sunday against Jacksonville at the start of the fourth quarter. Flacco was 8 of 18 for 28 yards with two interceptions and endured a pair of sacks. Ryan Mallett replaced him and threw a touchdown pass.



REPORT CARD VS. BROWNS

--PASSING OFFENSE: F - Quarterback Joe Flacco had the worst game of his career, going eight of 18 passes for 28 yards with two interceptions, He had a QB rating of 12.0 and did not complete a pass over five yards. However, Flacco didn't get much help from his offensive line. Running back Javorius "Buck" Allen was leading receiver with five catches for 13 yards.

--RUSHING OFFENSE: C - Alex Collins, who was signed off the practice squad last week, continues to push for more playing time and finished with 82 yards rushing on nine carries. Starter Terrance West had 26 yards on six carries had a costly fumble. That might cost him playing time next week against Pittsburgh. "When you play well, you get more opportunities," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said.

--PASS DEFENSE: D - Baltimore allowed Blake Bortles to complete 20 of 31 for 244 yards with four touchdowns. Safeties Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson struggled in coverage and with tackling. Baltimore had no effective matchups for Jacksonville tight end Marcedes Lewis, who caught four passes for 62 yards with three touchdowns. Cornerbacks Lardarius Webb and rookie Marlon Humphrey had costly penalties that extended Jacksonville drives.

--RUSH DEFENSE: D - The Ravens sorely missed DT Brandon Williams, who was out with a foot injury. Fellow tackle Michael Pierce failed to fill the void alone. The Ravens allowed five runners to combine for 166 yards on 35 carries.

--SPECIAL TEAMS: D - This unit is usually a model of consistency, but it even played a role in this debacle. The Ravens were caught on their heals on a fake punt, allowing Corey Grant to take a direct snap and run 58 yards to the 3. That set up another Jacksonville touchdown.

--COACHING: D - Whether it was the long-distance travel or the quality of the opponent, the Ravens simply were not ready to play this game and were dominated from the opening whistle. None of the coaches could make the necessary adjustments to stop the onslaught. The challenge is making sure such a devastating loss doesn't derail the season or jobs could be at stake. The Ravens have missed the playoffs in three of the past four years. Head coach John Harbaugh admitted the logistics of playing in London were a challenge.