BALTIMORE -- No one could tell the Baltimore Ravens defense produced its second five-turnover performance following a 24-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
"The thing I like about the mindset of the locker room after the game is the fact that our guys were pretty hacked off about the fact that we didn't play as error-free as we should have, and we need to," coach John Harbaugh said. "The plus side of that is that our guys really don't blink. they're confident that they'll make a play and make a stop. That's what you want from a really good defense."
This is a Ravens defense that has as many turnovers as points allowed this season (10). This is a defense that became the third team since 1970 -- and first since since the 1992 Pittsburgh Steelers -- to record four or more interceptions in each of the first two games of a season. This is a defense that has forced five turnovers in back-to-back games for the first time in the Ravens' illustrious defensive history.
But the players focused more on the mistakes made against the Browns. Baltimore gave up seven pass plays of 20 or more yards to Cleveland. That's too many mistakes, too many blown coverages and too many big plays for this defense.
"We are not happy about the performance that we had," safety Eric Weddle said. "We let those mistakes creep in, and if we don't fix them, it's going to hurt us down the road."
The Ravens defense did its share of inflicting pain on the Browns, whether the quarterback was rookie DeShone Kizer or backup Kevin Hogan.
It was timely that the Baltimore defense once again set the tone on a day when the Ravens saluted their 2000 Super Bowl-winning team, which won with a historic defense. Two of the Ravens' touchdowns Sunday came off turnovers, and the Ravens sealed their sixth consecutive home victory with two in the fourth quarter.
The turnovers are coming from unlikely places. Rookie linebacker Tyus Bowser, who had four interceptions in his four-year collegiate career, picked off a pass in his second career NFL game. Defensive back Lardarius Webb, who had one interception last season, has already doubled that number. Cornerback Brandon Carr, who had picked off one pass in his previous 52 games, now has two interceptions in his first two games with the Ravens.
As a result, the Ravens have taken the ball away 10 times on 23 drives this season. That amounts to 43 percent of the time. Baltimore forced 28 turnovers all of the previous season, and the Ravens are more than a third of the way there two games into this season.
Defense will likely have to lead the way if the Ravens' offense remains this inconsistent, unexplosive and unlucky. Pro Bowl right guard Marshal Yanda suffered a season-ending ankle injury early in the second half.
The Ravens will look to continue to pile on the turnovers next week in London, when they face Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bortles has thrown 53 interceptions in 48 career games, which will get the attention of Baltimore's opportunistic defense.
"The team gets down there [in the Ravens territory] and you're like, 'All right, they could still turn the ball over,'" quarterback Joe Flacco said. "You start to think that. It's not going to last forever, I don't think. But, man, just tip your hat to them the way they're doing things."