I sat by the Bronco’s tunnel this afternoon, in fact, just a few rows up the right side of it. And I watched a doozy of a game play out before my eyes.

And when it was all said and done, as the Broncos and Ravens were shaking hands across the field, and fans were streaming out of the stadium, Brandon Marshall showed his true colors. Ravens defensive back (and former Bronco) Domonique Foxworth saw Marshall exiting the field towards the tunnel quickly and quietly. Foxworth put a skip in his step to try and keep up with Marshall, calling out to him. Marshall clearly heard Foxworth, he motioned rudely several times over his shoulder. When Foxworth finally caught up with Marshall at the tunnel, Marshall hardly even turned his head, threw Foxworth’s hand from his shoulder, and disappeared.

Classy move, Marshall. You were shut down by a defense that was clicking on every cylinder all game long. Your former teammate played a wonderful game against you. Man up and just say it, “I got beat. Way to go, Fox.”

The Ravens might want a ‘big play’ receiver. I want no part of Brando Marshall.

He’s not getting the most blame – and he doesn’t deserve the most blame – but someone has to say it. And I will if I have to…

Steven Hauschka: 30%

Like it or not… when you need a field goal to win, a very makeable field goal, in a dome, with no wind or other issues… it needs to be made. That’s the end of it. The end. There’s nothing more to say. Clutch or not. Last minute or not. Field goals matter at all times; this one happened to determine the outcome of the game. Haushcka has to make the kick. The end. Throw blame everywhere else for our position up to that point, but Hauschka  has to make the kick.

In the words of a friend, let’s call it “poetic justice.” The minute Stover is picked up elsewhere, the makeable kick is missed. In all honesty, I love Hauschka and all that he brings to the table… but I was probably giving him better odds than most when I was thinking “this is 50-50…”

Ravens Secondary: 60%

Domonique Foxworth, Fabian Washington, Dawan Landry, Chris Carr, Lardarius Webb, Frank Walker. Frank f’n Walker. We’re looking at you. For the fourth time in six games you all looked worse than bad. You were pathetic. I’m not holding back anymore. I don’t know if you’re just confused or if you simply don’t have the ability, but you are the reason this defense is crumbling. Even the 100-yard rushers connect back to you.

Seriously, Frank, what are you doing? Is it even possible for you to be on the field and NOT have a flag thrown at you. Or not have the QB single you out? And Dawan… on yet another big play you looked absolutely lost. In fact, on one of Favre’s late TDs you almost seemed to be telling Brett to throw it to the man you were simply refusing to cover. Get it together.

Coaching: 10%

The Ravens defensive woes are not solely the fault of the players or the greatness of the opposing offense. Greg Mattison needs to find a way to get this unit to work together. Maybe it’s about getting Samari Rolle on the field. Maybe it’s about getting Paul Kruger on the field. Maybe it’s about play-calling. Whatever it is, do it.

Mattison has been unable to adjust his schemes and his plays to the needs of his players and the strengths of his opponents. Apparently the Ravens are just too easy to read.

Even offensively, Cam Cameron took long enough to find his groove. Had the Ravens started showing life just one possession earlier, perhaps that last kick is less necessary. Nice recovery, though, of course.

So far the most popular answer I’ve heard is the Ravens “weak” secondary. Just about everyone is pointing to a secondary that has allowed big numbers to big names. From Foxworth’s lack of physicality to Carr’s stumbles to Walker’s penalties.

In reality, we should be placing blame on every single Ravens player and coach that took the field on Sunday. They all failed. They all had opportunities and they all missed them. What we saw yesterday was exactly the opposite of the sharp, smart and dangerous Ravens teams we have come to know and love.

Following a nasty loss in New England last week, everyone expected the Ravens to bounce back with a vengeance and obliterate the Bengals. Instead, we got a lackluster effort. We got a team that looked too comfortable for its own good and then uncomfortable when it mattered most.

For me, it all starts with coaching. As a team, the Ravens were not ready to play yesterday. Whether it was complacency or disinterest or lack of focus, the Ravens did not walk into M&T Bank Stadium like a team that was ready to win that game. And that falls on the shoulders of John Harbaugh and his staff. No matter how good the Ravens may have looked in week’s past, it is the staff’s job to make sure they are ready to go on gameday. They weren’t.

You could tell on the first few series – the Ravens simply didn’t have their heads in the game. They looked bored.

But aside from the team’s overall lack of intensity, each unit lacked focus and discipline individually.

Offensively, the entire group looked disjointed. I am still unsure of any of Cam Cameron’s game plans. While the Ravens have been impressive at times, they don’t have an offensive identity. After criticism last week for being too pass-happy, it seemed that Cameron came down too far. The Ravens offense was predictable.

The Bengals defense is far improved from years past, but they are not spectacular. The Ravens should have been able to exploit some weaknesses, but they didn’t. That falls on Cameron.

Defensively, everyone is happy to point fingers at the Ravens secondary. And yes, the group has been a weak point this season. Unfortunately, mid-season, there is not a lot to be done about personnel. We’re stuck with who we’ve got. What bothers me more than our personnel failure has been Greg Mattison’s inability to adjust his defensive schemes to help his personnel.

The Ravens shifted their secondary personnel over the last two seasons – away from physicality and towards speed. That’s okay, actually. But you can’t expect a speedy corner to play like a physical corner. Washington, Foxworth and Carr cannot just overpower good receivers, they have to outsmart them. All three corners (four including Frank Walker) have done a fine job running with their man most games – but they have failed at making plays. Foxworth tried his best on Sunday, mauling Chris Henry to draw a pass interference call, and Henry still made the catch and ran 50 yards.

It is up to Mattison and his staff to find a scheme that works for these defensive backs. That’s going to mean teaching them how to find and play the ball, not the man. The Ravens will lose 9 times out of 10 if their DBs try to play the man. And up front, Mattison needs to find a scheme or a personnel package that is able to pressure the quarterback and assist the secondary.

On all three levels of the coaching pyramid the Ravens looked outmatched. It’s not a nice feeling, nor one I want to get used to. The Ravens have the talent – on the field and on the sidelines – to win every game they play. Both sides need to work to make that real.

Offensive Game Ball: Derrick Mason. Actually, lots of good news to go around on offense. But for 800 career receptions and one of the most fun TD receptions in recent memory – it goes to the vet and the leader. Mason made some nice catches throughout the game, a few for first downs, a few classic outs. But his 72 yard reception, turning to the ball, shaking the defender and strutting into the endzone: priceless.

Yellow Game Ball: Mike Furrey, Browns. The Browns wide out actually had a decent game when all was said and done, totaling four catches for 40 yards. And a few of those catches stung the Ravens. What wasn’t so hot, though, was his reception on the Browns first play of the game. Furrey caught the ball crossing about five yards out and promptly planted his bum on the turf. Seeing Ray Lewis out of the corner of your eye, Mike? Take the hit. [Honorable Mention to Eric Mangini opting for the field goal with the score 27-0 in the fourth quarter.]

Don’t Blink Game Ball: Domonique Foxworth. Foxworth  helped get Brady Quinn benched with his first quarter pick. I’m not sure whether he was tipped off by coaches or just did his film study, but with Braylon Edwards running straight at him, trying to sell the fly route, Foxworth didn’t move. Seriously, he didn’t flinch a muscle. And when Edwards let up and turned for the hook, Foxworth coolly stepped in front and took the pick. He also did his best Ed Reed impersonation, perilously pitching the ball to Reed for a few extra yards on the return.

Double Trouble Game Ball: Willis McGahee. McGahee is seeing fewer touches this year, but he’s making more of them. Apparently McGahee’s motto these days is “Twice as Nice,” finding the endzone two times for the third straight game. Today’s touchdowns were both on the ground and both involved McGahee prancing across the goalline untouched.

Underrated Game Ball: Dwan Edwards. The back-up defensive lineman was all over the field today. He wasn’t always making the big hit or even making the final hit, but he was a big part of getting pressure on the Browns QBs and closing holes in the run. Edwards certainly isn’t one of the Ravens bigger names on defense, but he is the classic example of a selfless player who plays his role for the team’s benefit.

Dumba** Game Ball: Eric Mangini, Browns Coach. Eric, Eric, Eric. You just weren’t made for this NFL coaching thing. Maybe quarterback controversy just follows you around. Brady Quinn wasn’t particularly good in the first half against the Ravens, but he also didn’t have much time to prove himself. The choice to switch to Derek Anderson mid-game was shortsighted and will come back to bite you in the ass.

Bite Your Tongue Game Ball: Steve Tasker, Announcer. I was actually quite pleased with the announcers today, which is an oddity. There was no sugar-coating of how bad the Browns were, no “let’s be nice” for the sake of the league. But one moment had me, and everyone, laughing a bit. Just as the Browns took the field in the fourth quarter, following their first and only scoring drive of the day, Tasker decided to praise Derek Anderson for his ability to turn the Browns around. Mid-sentence, of course, Anderson threw his second interception of the day, to Dawan Landry. Tasker quickly corrected himself, with a chuckle.

Defensive Game Ball: Brendon Ayanbadejo.  The back-up linebacker has been seeing more time recently, rotating in with Tavares Gooden, Jameel McClain and Antwan Barnes. Today he showed why. Four tackles, a sack, a pass deflection and an interception. Ayanbadejo was so good that he caught his interception of Derek Anderson with his gut. Actually, he didn’t even seem to be trying for the interception, but the ball stuck and he took it.

Teammate Game Ball: Derek Anderson, Browns. No better way to show his Ravens pride than tossing three to his old teammates when they counted most.

First Down Machine Game Ball: Kelly Washington. I’ve given Washington some trouble in recent weeks, but only because I love him. Washington caught five passes this week (proving more valuable than just about all of this year’s drafted receivers), and several for ffirst downs. In fact, I can only remember a pair of Washington catches this season that did not result in first downs. The man comes up big when it counts. Thankfully, the dancing has subsided… finally.

Scary Good Game Ball: Joe Flacco and Cam Cameron. The pair certainly know how to run an offense. Flacco set another career high with 347 passing yards today. The team continued its offensive explosion with 34 points. My only complaint is that their pass-happy, score quick approach ruined my prediction of getting both McGahee and Ray Rice to 100 yards. Not often that a team passes the ball 37 times and runs it only 28 in this kind of rout.

Silent Game Ball: Josh Cribbs and Braylon Edwards, Browns. The Browns only true offensive weapons, and the only players that had most Ravens fans worried. And both failed to show up. Their disappearance was TO-esque.

First Timer Game Ball: Ray Rice. Special congratulations to Ray Rice who found the endzone for the first time in this NFL career. Hard to believe that it took 22 games (including the post-season last year). Rice’s 9-yard scamper seemed to excite everyone on the Ravens. The little man deserved it.

In Week 1, when Brodie Croyle threw two touchdowns and manufactured back-to-back scoring drives in the air, most Ravens fans and players called it a fluke, a sign of the unit’s complacency. Now in Week 2, following Philip Rivers monster 440 yard game, some of that reassuring “it won’t happen again” mentality is fading – and many fans are wondering not if it will happen, but when it will start to affect the Ravens record.

The Ravens secondary play this season should be a big concern for the Ravens and their fans. With the exception of two interceptions against Rivers on Sunday, there has been little to get excited about. The unit has been bounced in every possible way – confused by play action, outrun on deep balls, and out of position on screens and crosses.

Here are four reasons the Ravens secondary has looked so bad – things we all should have seen coming – and how to fix it.

1. Coaching. This is not a lamentation for the days of old and the return of Rex Ryan. Ryan’s secondaries were rarely perfect and often flawed, especially against good receivers and quarterbacks. But Greg Mattison certainly has plenty to work on. Luckily, Mattison has a lot to work with, as well. Mattison and John Harbaugh both noted after the game that some of the Chargers biggest and most damaging plays were the result of missed coverages and defensive confusion. This was most notable on the Darren Sproles swing pass for an 80-yard touchdown; no one accounted for Sproles. No one.

The Ravens run complex schemes, but the first rule of any defense is know your man. Mattison needs to have his entire defense in the film room all week, playbooks open and pens out. Mattison has some work cut out for him, though. Remember, most of the Ravens corners right now are cast-offs from other teams. Foxworth and Washington were both underperforming high round picks that the Ravens targeted for their speed. They are supposed to be a work in progress. The entire Ravens defense has the talent to be very good, but only if they can execute their playbook.

2. Size. Fabian Washington, Domonique Foxworth, Chris Carr, Frank Walker. All fast, all around 5′11 and 175 (some would even argue with pads on). That’s not quite Chris McAlister and  Samari Rolle. The current Ravens corners aren’t especially small, but you won’t find anyone calling them big. These corners won’t have much success chucking receivers at the line or bumping them downfield, which leads to an entirely different style of play for this secondary than most Ravens fans are used to. In their defense, Washington and Foxworth did an impressive job of staying with their coverage throughout the game on Sunday, but they simply weren’t able to make the plays when the ball game.

Is it truly good coverage if you don’t make the play, though? The Ravens corners need to learn how to run with their man and play the ball. In the Chargers later series, we saw some of this happening. Kudos to you, Frank Walker. It needs to happen more. Speed can’t be taught, but finding the ball can be.

3. The Pass Rush. Another familiar complaint from the past few years. If you hit the quarterback, he can’t throw the ball. And if he can’t throw the ball, no one can catch it. And even if you can’t stop him from throwing, maybe you can stop him from throwing it well. The Ravens front-seven needs to do more to help their secondary be effective. The Ravens actually got pretty solid pressure on Rivers on Sunday, but only when bringing the house – and eventually even that stopped working. Without the blitz, the Ravens pass rush looked handicapped against the Chargers, who were missing three (three!) starters on the offensive line. Terrell Suggs was solid throughout most of the game, but always a half-step behind, and only got through on the blitz. We haven’t seen rookie motor Paul Kruger yet because the Ravens can’t find room for him, but it may be time for that to change.

The Ravens need to find ways to get pressure even when rushing three or four. It’s that simple. Haloti Ngata takes up two men all be his lonesome, that leaves 3 or 4 on the line (depending on the alignment) to handle three Ravens rushers. That match-up should favor the defense pretty consistently. Yes, I’m looking at you Trevor Pryce and Terrell Suggs. If the current rushers cannot get it done, let’s try something new. Kruger is known for his motor, which is precisely what the Ravens defensive line needs.

4. Philip Rivers. Yup, I’m going to just plain say it. Part of the Ravens struggle was simply Philip Rivers. Where was Ed Reed? Ed Reed was all over the field. But wherever Reed went, Rivers went the other way. Rivers held this game together for the Chargers. He spotted blitzes and rushes, helping his handicapped offensive line protect him. He got rid of the ball quickly and knew when the rush was coming. And he put the ball high and out of reach of the Ravens defenders time and time again. Rivers is one of the league’s best – perhaps only Manning and Brady are better right now (maybe not even Brady right now) – and he might have the most raw talent of any quarterback out there.

So, how do the Ravens fix this? Well, don’t play good quarterbacks. That won’t work. The Ravens get Big Ben twice, Palmer twice, Manning, Brady, Favre, Cutler once each… Let’s start by just avoiding Philip Rivers. Done. We won’t have to see him until at least week 18.