Photo: The Canadian Press

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Of all the weak spots on Baltimore’s defense last weekend, one stood out as an example of a group struggling to keep up wave.

Before a key third down late in the third quarter, linebacker Odafe Oweh took some time to get into position. He was actually running along the line of scrimmage past several teammates when the ball was snapped. There was also a huge amount of open space in the middle of the secondary, which Cleveland’s Cedric Tillman exploited for a 22-yard touchdown.

“You get deeper into the season, you want to cut down on those mistakes like that,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said. “I think the ball was in the middle of the field and the D line was having trouble getting aligned. The offense was fast and we were out of alignment, and obviously bad things happen when that happens We can learn from this, and we can say it won’t happen again, but at the same time we have to prove it.

It’s fair to view Baltimore’s defensive woes with a new sense of urgency after a 29-24 loss to Cleveland ended the team’s five-game winning streak. Perhaps there would still be a transition period after several key departures during the offseason, but as the 2024 season hits the halfway mark, the Ravens still have plenty of room for improvement on that side of the ball. Baltimore ranks in the bottom quarter of the league in yards (361.3) and points (26.1) allowed per game.

The Ravens had their work cut out for them after losing linebacker Patrick Queen and star Jadeveon Clowney to free agency. The coaching staff has also seen some turnover. Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald left to become Seattle’s new coach, and two other defensive assistants — Anthony Weaver and Dennard Wilson — left to become coordinators at Miami and Tennessee.

Baltimore still has talent at all three levels on defense – Nnamdi Madubuike on the line, Roquan Smith at linebacker and Kyle Hamilton in the secondary are players you can build around. This season has been statistically strange, with the Ravens ranking first in the league against the run and dead last against the pass. Part of that is because an explosive offense gave Baltimore plenty of leads to protect and opponents to throw to.

The Ravens were never able to come out on top last weekend, losing second-half advantages of 10-6, 17-13 and 24-23. Jameis Winston threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns for Cleveland. Baltimore missed several opportunities to get interceptions, including a Hamilton drop just before the Browns scored the game-winning touchdown.

Maintaining interceptions has been a problem this year for the Ravens, although they have also forced timely turnovers – which might actually have hidden from bigger problems in defense.

“The picks are nice, but the picks don’t tell the whole story of the game, and we’re currently near the bottom of the league in passing yards per game on defense, and that’s something that the picks “You’re not just going to go out and get every possession.”

This weekend the Ravens welcome Denvera team that has been led so far by its defense. The Broncos have a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix. But Nix it looked better latelyand after Winston’s big day, Baltimore certainly shouldn’t take passers lightly.

This is also the Ravens’ final game before next week’s trade deadline. It’s possible Baltimore could get more help before then.

“Honestly, I truly believe that with the coaches and players that we have, everything is going to come together, and it’s going to come together at the right time,” Orr said. “And that’s going to be important for us this last half of the season.”

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