BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Ravens are ecstatic about being in first place in the AFC North. They're not as pleased with the current state of their offense.
The Ravens rank 26th in offensive points scored (18.2), 29th in yards per play (4.9) and last in third-down efficiency (33.3 percent).
The problems are underscored by the fact that Baltimore's defense is No. 2 in the NFL and Justin Tucker is the hottest kicker in the league. What is holding back the Ravens from being labeled a Super Bowl contender is their offense.
Baltimore (6-5) can beat the fading Cincinnati Bengals with a struggling attack. The Ravens know a sputtering offense isn't going to cut it next Sunday against the streaking Miami Dolphins (7-4) and other playoff-caliber teams.
"In order for us to take that next step and ... be a championship football team, we're not going to survive week-in and week-out doing things like this," Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said. "We've got to keep the foot on the gas and learn how to put teams away."
In Sunday's 19-14 win over the Bengals, the Ravens marched down the field 75 yards on 11 plays, finishing off the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Breshad Perriman. It had the potential to be a breakout game for Flacco and the offense.
Then, Baltimore put the foot on the brakes. The Ravens managed 236 yards on their final 11 possessions, totaling four field goals (three from beyond 50 yards), one red zone trip and no touchdowns.
What happened?
"We lost our tempo a little bit," Flacco said. "It just felt like we got a little bit conservative. I mean, you can feel it. It's like when you're sitting at home watching a game on TV, and you're like, 'Oh, man, this is starting to take a turn.'"
The Ravens thought they were solving the problem by replacing offensive coordinator Marc Trestman with Marty Mornhinweg on Oct. 11. The numbers suggest nothing has really changed.
In the five games with Trestman, Baltimore ranked 22nd in yards (338.2) and 20th in offensive points scored (18.4). In six games with Mornhinweg, the Ravens are averaging fewer yards (327.3) and points (17.0).
It's not getting any easier against Miami. During the Dolphins' six-game winning streak, their defense has allowed 20.1 points per game (sixth-best in the NFL).
"I know that we are getting better on offense," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "I think we're doing a good job, but we're striving for more than that. Our guys are going to tell you, we want to put a lot more points up than that. That's what we're working towards."
The Ravens are one of six teams that have failed to reach 30 points in any game this season, and this is far from an anomaly for Baltimore.
Since winning the Super Bowl in 2012, the Ravens have scored 30 or more points eight times. Only the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars have fewer. In comparison, the New England Patriots have a league-high 27 games where they've put up at least 30 points.
"As an offense, we're going to keep grinding and keep working," guard Marshal Yanda said. "I feel like we will get there. The good thing is you see the playmakers that we have on offense. You know, we're going to get it."
There were encouraging signs Sunday. Running backs Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon combined for 144 total yards. Wide receiver Breshad Perriman scored his second touchdown in three games. The offensive line only allowed Flacco to get hit three times.
What frustrates the Ravens is the inability to finish games. If the offense produced another field goal in the fourth quarter (instead of two three-and-outs), Baltimore wouldn't have needed a strip-sack by Elvis Dumervil and a safety by punter Sam Koch to seal the victory.
"We won, and you're excited about that. You still feel offensively that we didn't capitalize on a lot of different things," tight end Dennis Pitta said. "We feel like we didn't do a whole lot, especially in the second half. You feel like you're just holding on. That's not a good feeling. That's not a good feeling to put your defense in a position where they have to make plays down the stretch and get big stops. We have to keep the pedal to the metal."