Baltimore’s pass defense is far from fixed.
Ja’Marr Chase (11 catches, 264 yards, three touchdowns) and Burrow (34-of-56, 428 yards, four touchdown) put on an aerial display that almost sank the Ravens. To preserve the victory, the Ravens denied the Bengals on a two-point conversion attempt in the final minute, when Burrow’s pass intended for Tanner Hudson fell incomplete.
Chase is a great player, but some of his catches were simply too easy. On his second touchdown, the Ravens let him run freely in the middle of the field, and it was almost like pitch and catch between him and Burrow for a 70-yard touchdown.
The Ravens realize they’re winning in spite of their pass defense, not because of it. Neither Humphrey nor Head Coach John Harbaugh sugar-coated Baltimore’s defensive problems after the game. The Ravens aren’t playing defense up to their standards, but they are winning because their offense is carrying them. Humphrey said the Ravens are executing properly in practice, but it’s not carrying over into the games.
That needs to change for Baltimore to go as far as they hope.
The good news is that the Ravens’ pass rush improved. They hit Burrow like a piñata all night, landing 13 quarterback hits to the Bengals’ one. Part of that was attributable to Orlando Brown Jr. not playing for Cincinnati, but Baltimore took advantage.
Nnamdi Madubuike had three sacks for the first time in his career, upping his season total to five. But he still wasn’t pleased with the overall results
“That’s just not our standard of defense and we know that,” Madubuike said. “We’re going to find ways in practice to improve and get better, and I know that guys in that locker room feel the same way as me and we’re going to get that done. We just got to take it one day at a time and just focus on the right things [and] build the right habits and translate it to the game.”