For the Baltimore Ravens, the 34-12 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was more than just a blemish on their record; it was a breakdown that sparked questions from within their own locker room about the game plan itself. Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh could not hold onto the five-game winning streak as his struggling offense made costly mistakes. But post-game, Baltimore’s offensive tackle, Ronnie Stanley, made some comments about the game plan that raised fresh questions.

“Not enough production,” Stanley said about Baltimore’s offense in a post-game presser. “We weren’t finishing the drives. Too many mistakes. A lot of things we have been battling. I thought the run game, you know, especially early on, we got going. Got Derrick going, rushed for a touchdown early on. I think we just gotta keep it going and keep the momentum going. We make sure that’s our identity, and we have to make it work.” 

So, Stanley pointed out that the Ravens kept failing to finish drives. He admitted the mistakes were mounting again in the offense. But he also emphasized something that many fans might have wondered: Why didn’t John Harbaugh stick to the run game?

As Stanley mentioned, the run game looked strong early for the Ravens. Running back Derrick Henry ripped off a 28-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the game. That moment gave Baltimore its first first-possession touchdown since Week 4. The momentum was there.  

But after that touchdown early in the game, the Ravens went six straight drives without scoring. And they did it against a Bengals defense ranked near the bottom of the league. The Ravens drifted away from their early rhythm, and the offense never recovered. Things only got worse. 

Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson fumbled deep in his own territory. Tight end Isaiah Likely fumbled just before scoring a touchdown. But then Jackson also missed open receivers. The offense looked out of sync in moments when they needed stability. So why did John Harbaugh abandon a game plan that worked? Post-game, Jackson took accountability. 

“I just got to play consistently,” said Lamar Jackson in a presser after Baltimore’s loss. “Can’t have turnovers. We’re putting the defense on the field too much.”

The QB insisted that his accuracy wasn’t tied to mechanical issues. But Jackson agreed that the turnovers hurt his team badly. He knew the defense spent too much time on the field, and that’s tough to argue against.

Still, it makes you wonder: Is John Harbaugh’s game plan helping Baltimore’s offense? Or is Harbaugh asking this offense to play away from its strengths? Stanley’s comments hinted at frustration with that very issue. 

The Ravens have struggled to run the ball consistently behind an offensive line that has battled problems all season. Even so, abandoning the run in back-to-back matchups against the New York Jets and the Bengals doesn’t seem like issues are getting fixed. It suggests confusion rather than adjustment, which resulted in the Ravens’ loss.

John Harbaugh makes his disappointment clear after the Ravens’ Week 13 loss

The Ravens’ offense unraveled in the Week 13 matchup. Five turnovers will sink any team, no matter how good the defense is. And Baltimore’s defense, which has bailed the offense out multiple times this season, couldn’t carry them through this meltdown. So post-game, John Harbaugh expressed his disappointment as he admitted that his team did not play well.

“Obviously, congratulations to the Bengals,” said John Harbaugh. “They played a winning football game and deserved the victory. We did not play a winning football game, and that’s what happens when you don’t play winning football. So, disappointed in that.” 

The Bengals entered the Week 13 matchup with the odds stacked against them. Their QB Joe Burrow was returning from a two-month absence after he suffered a turf toe injury. Yet they played cleaner football and capitalized on Baltimore’s mistakes. So, Harbaugh was only being fair in congratulating the Bengals for playing well. But he also tried to reset the message at the end of his presser. 

“We’ll pull ourselves together and get ready for Pittsburgh coming in here,” John Harbaugh concluded post-game. “Everything we want to accomplish is still in front of us, and we’ll go to work on the next game. Every game stands alone. This one we’ll put behind us, and we look forward to what we can accomplish going forward.”

As John Harbaugh said, everything Baltimore wants to accomplish is still possible. Despite multiple injuries in the Week 13 loss, the team would need to regroup and focus on facing the Pittsburgh Steelers next. The 1-5 start left the Ravens with no margin for error. Every divisional game now feels like a must-win, and Baltimore cannot afford more slip-ups.