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Baltimore Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell wasn’t happy with his defense’s performance in today’s 41-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, but he’s not ringing the alarm bells just yet.
“This stuff is very fixable. It’s nothing that we can’t fix,” insisted the three-time All-Pro, who recorded five total tackles and 0.5 sacks against the Bengals.
Campbell’s optimism comes after Baltimore surrendered more than 500 total yards for the second time in three games, as well as a season-high 41 points.
When asked for his evaluation of the Ravens’ defense thus far this season, Campbell responded, “Up and down, hot and cold,” adding, “Not very consistent yet. We’re trying to find ourselves still.”
This season has indeed been a rollercoaster for Baltimore’s defense. They’ve held three opponents to under 300 yards of total offense, but allowed more than 400 yards in their other three games.
But Campbell is confident that the Ravens will rebound after their Week 8 bye.
“I believe in everybody we have in the room. I believe in my guys. Mistakes we made, I know we’ll get them fixed,” he said before promising, “In the second half of the season, we’re going to be a force to be revoked with.”
Ravens Fall to 2nd in AFC North
But Campbell’s comments can’t erase the fact that the Bengals now sit in first place in the AFC North after today’s game. Both teams are 5-2 this year, but the Bengals’ victory today gives them the advantage in the head-to-head tiebreaker.
“That one hurts,” Campbell admitted, “This one’s gonna burn a little bit, as it should.”
But he doesn’t plan to dwell on the loss, and he won’t let his teammates, either.
“Can’t let this game beat us twice,” said the 13-year veteran, who has emerged as a leader in the Ravens’ locker room despite his relatively short time in Baltimore.
After a down year in his first season as a Raven, Campbell has rediscovered his All-Pro form, with 18 quarterback pressures and 13 run stops, per Pro Football Focus. He is Baltimore’s highest-graded defender this season, with a 87.9 overall grade from PFF, fourth among all interior defenders.
He’ll look to inspire a second-half defensive turnaround in Baltimore, who have maintained their Super Bowl hopes despite a devastating stretch of injuries this year.
Jackson, Brown Want More From Offense
The Ravens have gotten used to beating the Bengals in recent years. Today’s game was the team’s first loss to Cincinnati since Lamar Jackson took over at quarterback.
After a red-hot start to the season, Jackson didn’t look as sharp against the Bengals, with more missed throws than fans have come to expect from the 2019 MVP.
“We left some points out there on the board, for sure,” he said after the game.
Jackson did connect with wideout Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown for a 39-yard touchdown to take a 17-13 lead in the third quarter, but the Ravens’ offense sputtered from there, failing to reach the red zone for the rest of the game.
But Brown struck a similar chord as his quarterback regarding the team’s overall performance, telling media, “We improve on it, we build upon it and try not to let it happen again.”
The Ravens will have plenty of time to refine their offense, with a full two weeks before their next game, a home matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
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