BALTIMORE – John Harbaugh sought to commend Ja’Marr Chase for his outstanding performance on Thursday night.

“I tried to find him after the game, but he was nowhere to be seen,” the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens remarked just after his team secured a 35-34 victory over Chase’s Cincinnati Bengals.

Harbaugh then experienced a brief moment of humorous self-reflection before adding: “I think that makes sense.”

This comment elicited laughter among the reporters in the M&T Bank Stadium press area following a fiercely contested game. Nevertheless, Harbaugh is acutely aware that his team’s significant weakness is no laughing matter.

With this victory, the Ravens became the third team in the AFC to reach seven wins this season. Their offense has been impressive, entering the game with an average of 7.13 yards per play—making it the second-best in NFL history for the first nine games—and showcasing another strong performance with 28 points in the second half and four touchdown passes from quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is building his case for MVP.

However, the game—highlighted with a “Purple Rising” theme celebrating their new alternate helmets—also highlighted vulnerabilities in a defense that was bruised, beaten, and perhaps exposed by the Bengals.

Chase was undoubtedly Cincinnati’s main offensive force, especially on a night when fellow receiver Tee Higgins was sidelined with a quadriceps injury. He repeatedly maneuvered through and beyond Ravens defenders, amassing 11 receptions for 264 yards and three touchdowns, including impressive 67- and 70-yard catches. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 428 yards and added a fourth touchdown to tight end Tanner Hudson.

“This isn’t up to our defensive standards, and we recognize that,” commented Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike.

“We’ll seek ways to improve in practice, and I know the guys in the locker room share my sentiments—we’re going to make it happen.”

However, this wasn’t just an off-night for the defense; it’s part of a worrying trend. Coming into Thursday’s game, the Ravens ranked last in the league for pass defense, and the Bengals threw for 421 yards—50 more than Baltimore’s previous worst performance of the 2024 season.

Cincinnati fearlessly targeted the Ravens’ weaknesses, with Burrow frequently connecting with Chase on big plays. The Bengals scored touchdowns on all three of their red-zone attempts, chose to go for it on fourth down four times, and ended the game with an impressive 470 yards of total offense.

The Ravens also self-sabotaged their efforts, committing crucial penalties that allowed Cincinnati to extend drives; one key penalty was a defensive holding call on cornerback Brandon Stephens during fourth-and-goal on the game’s opening drive, leading to Chase Brown scoring a touchdown on the next play.

Stephens faced his own struggles, narrowly missing an end-zone interception when he stepped out of bounds. He also tried to cover Chase on a 70-yard reception but apparently didn’t receive the inside safety help he expected. Nonetheless, he addressed the media after the game without hesitation.

“We need to review the film to identify what went wrong; it was simply a coverage breakdown,” Stephens explained regarding Chase’s major play.

“Honestly, we can’t afford such mistakes. We cannot have coverage lapses or communication errors as they lead to significant plays. They are taking advantage of our mistakes.”

Adding to the issues was an ankle injury suffered by All-Pro defensive back Kyle Hamilton near the end of the second quarter; he was seen in street clothes in the second half, but Harbaugh didn’t express deep concern after the game.

However, he should have concerns about the downward trend of the defense.

The Ravens can score almost whenever they want, with an average of 31.8 points per game, the highest in the AFC. Yet this game marked their fourth victory by a narrow margin.

As Baltimore faces stronger defensive teams than Cincinnati in upcoming games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers, they might find that their offense won’t be able to rescue them every time, similar to their struggle against the defensively solid Kansas City Chiefs in last season’s AFC championship game.

“We need to scrutinize every aspect as a defensive staff and devise a strategy to prevent such plays from occurring,” Harbaugh stated. “Because they shouldn’t happen.”

It’s worth noting that this defensive unit has a rookie coordinator in Zach Orr and has lost several key players to free agency, in addition to Orr’s predecessor, Mike Macdonald, now serving as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. It may have been unrealistic to expect the Ravens to replicate their achievement of being the league’s least-allowing team in points as they did in 2023.

Nevertheless, there were some encouraging signs during the game.

Madubuike consistently pressured Burrow, sacking him three times, which is significant considering he had only two sacks prior to this game. After trailing 21-7 in the third quarter, cornerback Marlon Humphrey forced a critical fumble from Brown, leading to a touchdown that ignited Baltimore’s comeback. When it was critical in the last minute, the Ravens stood firm—though there could have been some leniency from the referees—denying Cincinnati a go-ahead two-point conversion.

Yet even if these actions are steps toward improvement, Harbaugh understands there is a lot of work ahead if Baltimore hopes to surpass the Steelers for the top spot in the division and, in time, snatch the Lombardi Trophy from the Chiefs.

“That is not our standard,” Harbaugh stated, echoing sentiments similar to those of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

“We need to perform significantly better. We also have to relieve some pressure off our offense. It is our duty to do that defensively. But for them to keep battling like they did and finding a way to win the game—at the end of

“`

Ultimately, that is what really matters.

This is especially true for Harbaugh and the Ravens if they hope to celebrate with confetti after the last game of the season.

***