Ravens Slow Starts Becoming Issue

The Baltimore Ravens didn't score in the first quarter for the second consecutive game.

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris (93) closes in on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens' offense looked nearly unstoppable over their five-game winning streak, but that was definitely not the case in Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Suddenly, everything that looked so effortless over the past month and change became a major challenge. Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson still played decently well, but didn't take over the game like they have previously. Add in the numerous self-inflicted wounds, including drops, penalties and an abysmal success rate on third downs, and it was the perfect recipe for a let-down game.

There's also one problem that's far more recent: slow starts. For the second game in a row, the Ravens failed to score even a single point in the first quarter. They overcame that slow start last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and actually trailed 10-0 instead of 3-0 like they did on Sunday, but against a better defense, it proved far more costly.

It's not as if the Ravens are struggling to move the ball. They marched 68 yards on a 10-play opening drive, but failed to convert a 4th-and-1 on a direct snap to Henry. However, yards don't mean much if they don't lead to points.

"We just have to put points on the board," Jackson said postgame. "We're doing a good job of moving the ball, and then we just get stopped as soon as we change fields. We just have to do a good job of making downs count. [On] first and second down – [we have to] stay out of third-and-long, stuff like that, second-and-long."

That slow start definitely set the tone for the rest of the game. The Ravens may have eventually put some points on the board, but were simply sloppy in execution. It's hard to win games that way, especially against a solid defense led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.

Hopefully for the Ravens, this game serves as a wake-up call going forward, because they can't afford to start slow in the playoffs.

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