The Ravens’ struggles against the pass continued after they entered Week 8 ranked last in the NFL in pass defense.

Baltimore’s secondary was shorthanded without Marlon Humphrey (knee) and Nate Wiggins (shoulder/illness), and the Browns took advantage, scoring more than 20 points for the first time all season.

The Ravens went with a different rotation at safety, with Marcus Williams watching the entire game from the sideline, while Eddie Jackson and Ar’Darius Washington handled the snaps at safety next to Hamilton.

“It was a personnel decision,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said of Williams not playing. “We’re working through some things there. I’m confident Marcus will play great football the rest of the season.”

Still, Baltimore’s problems defending the pass remained. The Ravens have played some top quarterbacks this season, but Cleveland’s Jameis Winston made his first start since 2022. Still, he outgained the Ravens for 334 yards, and Jackson and the secondary had several plays he would like back. Cedric Tillman (seven catches, 99 yards, two touchdowns) and Elijah Moore (eight catches, 85 yards) consistently found holes in Baltimore’s defense.

Tillman’s first touchdown created confusion on the Ravens defense before the snap and left him wide open in a slant pattern over the middle. That’s an area of ​​the field that Baltimore has struggled with all season and the problem hasn’t been resolved yet.

Hamilton was the Ravens’ best player on the field in this game, so it was a cruel twist of fate that he dropped what could have been a game-winning interception. However, dropping the ball was nothing new for Baltimore’s defense. Letting potential interceptions get away has been a problem for Baltimore’s defense all season. The Ravens aren’t playing well enough defensively to waste the missed opportunities and pay for them in this game.