The Baltimore Ravens defense leaves room for improvement

For most of Monday night's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Baltimore Ravens performed at their best en route to a 41-31 win, their fifth straight. From the start of the second quarter to the start of the fourth quarter, the offense scored six straight possessions, while the defense also kept the Bucs off the scoreboard six straight times, including two interceptions.

Despite this dominant performance, the Ravens felt like they could have done better. That's especially true for the defense, which allowed 481 total yards in the game and 21 points in the fourth quarter, as the Bucs made the final score seem much closer than it actually was.

Dropping games has been a problem for the Ravens for a while now, and while this doesn't even compare to some of their worst losses, they still want to try and eliminate their opponents.

“We had maybe five (interceptions) out there,” safety Kyle Hamilton told reporters after the game. “I mean, we won, but we want to finish the game better. Of course we want to catch picks. I don't know, I think we've got some bad juju right now, but we'll get it off our backs.

To be fair, Baltimore's defense also struggled with an injury to star cornerback Marlon Humphrey, which knocked him out of the game after two interceptions in the second quarter. Luckily, the secondary was able to adjust and play well without their top corner.

“I think we have such deep roots as a unit and as a team that it was a seamless transition,” Hamilton said. “I really don’t think not knowing the personnel wouldn’t have changed the game at all. The guys showed up, came in and know what to do and are prepared, and credit to the coaches for getting everyone ready.

Hamilton's comments continue the trend of the Ravens being all business this year, in stark contrast to other teams and even themselves in the past. It shows how seriously Baltimore is taking this season after repeatedly coming up short.

Looking to learn from this game and continue their winning streak, the Ravens now prepare for an away game against the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland may be 1-6 in what has been a miserable season for the team, but Baltimore knows better than to take an opponent lightly.

“I've said it before, but anyone can beat anyone in this league, so we will prepare accordingly for this game. I think the Browns are a very physical team. They don't have the best record at the moment, but I think when you look at them they have talent and they can cause some problems if you don't take them seriously (I have) a lot of respect for them I have to go in there and do, what we do.

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