OWINGS MILLS, Md. — An unexpected reality has emerged for the Baltimore Ravens: they faced defeat primarily due to weak placekicking. Justin Tucker, the renowned kicker, continues to struggle with his performance. Following his disappointing outing, which included two missed field goals in an 18-16 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, head coach John Harbaugh was asked about the possibility of bringing in competition for the 34-year-old kicker during a press conference on Monday.

While that notion seems quite drastic considering Tucker’s impressive career thus far, it prompted a serious discussion. In response, Harbaugh dismissed the idea, stating, “No, there’s no thought to that. You have to find that competition first if you’re going to be blunt about it. Where is that competition? That would be one thing. The best option right now is to get Justin back on point, because he’s fully capable of doing it.”

During the game, Tucker missed attempts from 47 and 50 yards before finally making a 54-yarder, but by then, the damage was done. In stark contrast, Pittsburgh’s kicker Chris Boswell scored all of the Steelers’ points by converting six field goals successfully. This season, Tucker has already missed six field goals, matching his highest total since the 2015 season. Although he is a five-time All-Pro and considered one of the best kickers in NFL history, his recent performance has raised concerns about his reliability.

“Part of the way we stay confident is by continuing to work and trust the process,” Tucker remarked. “I might sound like a broken record, but it’s a part of what brings us success — is just trusting the process and then taking it one kick at a time.”

Despite the setback, the Ravens (7-4) remain a formidable opponent. Even in a game filled with obstacles, they were in contention until the end, having had an opportunity to tie the score with a 2-point conversion attempt. Remarkably, they have not lost a single game in either of the last two seasons by more than one score.

However, one significant area requiring attention is the fact that Baltimore leads the league in penalties. Although the offensive unit has managed to perform well regardless, the numerous penalties caught up with them last Sunday, resulting in 12 infractions totaling 80 yards. Harbaugh acknowledged the issue: “The buck stops here. It’s my job to ensure we’re executing properly — from coaching, drills, and emphasis to technique. It’s essential that everyone is aware that this is not acceptable, and we must all be intentional about correcting it.”

On a positive note, the Ravens’ defense showed resilience after allowing 34 points in a previous game against Cincinnati. They have struggled against the passing game this season but managed to hold the Steelers out of the end zone, even when turnovers placed them in difficult situations.

Conversely, the performance of the receiving corps fell short; Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman each caught only two passes. Although Flowers did manage to score a late touchdown, Lamar Jackson and the passing offense faced significant challenges against Pittsburgh’s defense. Harbaugh commented, “They played really good defense. They’re aggressive, they’re physical, they made tackles. (We had) our guys running open sometimes that we didn’t have time to get to or whatever, or we just didn’t capitalize when we could. We had the penalties that set us behind schedule, so it’s a combination of all those things. I can’t really narrow it down to one thing.”

In injury news, standout linebacker Roquan Smith departed the game with a hamstring injury, and Harbaugh did not provide an update on his condition.

Looking at the statistics, it’s notable that in their last nine encounters, Pittsburgh has only scored over 20 points against Baltimore once. Yet surprisingly, they have emerged victorious in eight of those contests.

As for what lies ahead, the Ravens are preparing to face the Los Angeles Chargers next Monday night. This matchup will feature a coaching duel between brothers John and Jim Harbaugh. Following that, Baltimore faces another challenging game against the Philadelphia Eagles, followed by a bye week.