NFL News: Ravens Head Coach Identifies Main Reason For Loss To Bengals

The Baltimore Ravens failed to secure the top of the AFC North division after losing to the Cincinnati Bengals, and head coach John Harbaugh gave his assessment on what went wrong.

A day after absorbing a 41-point output from the Bengals, Harbaugh spoke with the media and dissected their failures, mainly on the defensive end.

“Whether it's been underneath slant routes or screen routes, or in one case, we got the screen and go – that's the first time we've had one thrown over our head, really, I believe this year. Most of them have been catch-and-run plays. That's been [an] on and off problem all year,” remarked the coach citing their previous difficulties against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Harbaugh also disclosed to them that they will be specifically working on that aspect of their defense during the Bye Week.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow carved up the Ravens secondary repeatedly to the tune of 409 yards and three touchdowns as Marlon Humphrey, Anthony Averett, Chuck Clark and Deshon Elliott were powerless to stop the Bengals' receiving group.

Running backs Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine added 111 yards and one touchdown apiece for an offensive showcase in favor of the visitors.

It was an uncharacteristic outing for a usually-outstanding defense, especially after shutting down Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers offense in Week 6.

Penalties have not been much of a problem for the Ravens this season, but they had five against the Bengals for a total of 46 penalty yards.

The offense did not hold up all that well either as quarterback Lamar Jackson had one of his worst outings so far with only one touchdown over 257 yards and a passer rating of 87.7.

No one on the Baltimore receiving corps tallied more than 80 yards as the Bengals' defense covered the passing game quite spectacularly well in the first half, preventing them from gaining any momentum.

The two teams had a grind-it-out showcase on defense in the first half before the Bengals finally scored the first touchdown of the game, with Burrow connecting with tight end C.J. Uzomah for a 55-yard bomb midway through the second quarter.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor recognized their difficulties in dealing with the blitz packages that the Ravens were throwing at them but credited both Mixon and Perine for their efforts on the ground.

The Ravens will have a lot to figure out heading into their Bye Week before welcoming the Minnesota Vikings to M&T Bank Stadium for Week 9 on November 7.

As for Burrow and the Bengals, they are expected to have another field day when they visit the 1-5 New York Jets on Sunday, October 31 for Week 8.