3 Takeaways from Ravens' Week 10 Loss

Many people probably did not expect Week 10 of the NFL season to begin like this. And that's because the Baltimore Ravens did not look anywhere near their best on Thursday night.

They got off to a slow start against the Miami Dolphins and never really picked up the pace, as they took a 22-10 loss at Hard Rock Stadium. It was Baltimore's second loss in three games, as it fell to 6-3. It still has a half-game lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North, but it may no longer be alone in first place come Sunday.

Neither the Ravens nor the Dolphins scored a touchdown through the first three quarters, as Miami took a 6-3 lead into the fourth quarter. However, it scored 16 points in the final 12 minutes, 34 seconds to put away Baltimore.

Here are three takeaways from the Ravens' Week 10 loss.

Another Slow Start Put Offense on Wrong Track

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The Ravens received the opening kickoff, drove 47 yards in nine plays and took a 3-0 lead on a 46-yard field goal by Justin Tucker. After that, they didn't score any points until late in the fourth quarter, as their next 11 possessions resulted in a missed field goal, eight punts, the end of the first half and a fumble.

It was nothing new for Baltimore's offense to start slow. As Clifton Brown of the team's official site pointed out, the Ravens are averaging only 3.0 points in the first quarter per game, tied for 22nd in the NFL. The previous two seasons, they led the league in first-quarter scoring.

Baltimore's only touchdown came when Lamar Jackson connected with Mark Andrews on a five-yard pass with 4:12 to go in the fourth quarter. However, Miami responded with a touchdown on its next drive. And the Ravens' final possession ended with an interception by Jackson.

"There were some plays we left on the field, some drives we left on the field, some mishaps," the quarterback said, per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.

The Ravens' success heavily depends on their offense, as their biggest strengths are typically their running game and Jackson's playmaking ability. Moving forward, they need to find a way to correct the slow starts that are causing them to fall into sustained ruts.

Defense Hurt by Giving Up Big Plays, Especially Late

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For the most part, Baltimore's defense had a solid night. It held Miami to 350 total yards and 17 first downs, and it had given up only six points (a pair of second-quarter field goals) through the first three quarters. The unit would have had to play near-perfectly to give the Ravens a chance to win on Thursday night.

But the defense wasn't perfect, because it gave up a few timely big plays that resulted in points for Miami. The one that made the largest impact came in the fourth quarter. With the Dolphins leading 15-10, Tua Tagovailoa completed a 64-yard pass to Albert Wilson to get them into the red zone. Six plays later, the quarterback scored on a one-yard touchdown run that sealed the game.

"I guess you are what you put on film in the game. And that [big-play pattern] has kind of been our Achilles’ heel," Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said, per Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun.

If Baltimore can limit those big plays that other teams are making against it, the defense could produce better results. So, that's another issue the Ravens will need to try to fix down the stretch.

Ravens Must Prepare for Challenges Down the Stretch

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The Dolphins had only two wins entering Thursday night. Every team  the Ravens will play over the final eight weeks of the season will have more than that, and quite a few are likely going to be challenging opponents.

In Week 11, Baltimore will go on the road to take on the Chicago Bears. After that, five of its last seven games will be against AFC North rivals. The other two games will be against the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams, two of the best teams in the NFC.

The Ravens are still 6-3, and they're still in a good position to make the playoffs and win the AFC North title, especially if they can win their handful of games against division opponents. But they're also going to have to play much better than they did against the lowly Dolphins.

There's too much talent on Baltimore's roster for the team to continually play the way it did on Thursday. So it would be surprising if the Ravens don't get better and start putting everything together over the next two months.