The Baltimore Ravens are in shambles. They entered Week 5 with a 1-3 record and were separated from last place in the AFC North thanks to owning a tie-breaker over the Cleveland Browns. Two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson is out due to a hamstring injury, yet that might be the least of their worries. 

The Ravens' defense came into Week 5 as the 27th-ranked unit, according to Pro Football Focus. That may be generous after their first-half performance against the Houston Texans.

Suiting up without two-time Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton and stud defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, Baltimore went down 24-3 entering halftime — a 21-point deficit. It is the Ravens' third-largest home halftime deficit since 2000, according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley. 

Knowing Jackson is not healthy enough to play Superman, the hole felt insurmountable, and the score only got worse from there as the Texans surged past 40 points. 

The most egregious reason behind the big deficit is Baltimore's putrid performance against Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Houston's offense has struggled through four weeks, averaging 16 points per game, good for 29th in the NFL. Yet, Stroud completed over 82 percent of his passes for 167 total yards and three touchdowns en route to a 139.8 rating in the first half. 

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Stroud added a fourth touchdown in the second half. Unfortunately, Baltimore's run defense is not faring well either. 

Through just two quarters, Houston rushed for 99 yards on 15 attempts. That is 6.6 yards per carry, which would be good enough to rank first in football by almost half a yard. The Ravens gave up 6.9 yards per play in the first half against a Texans team that ranked 23rd in the category entering Sunday. 

While the season is far from over, John Harbaugh's team must do some soul-searching. The division is still attainable. Yet, as each week passes, the Baltimore Ravens' defense continues to be their Achilles' heel. And questions as to whether they can actually be taken seriously as a playoff contender are growing due to this disastrous defense amid Jackson's injury concerns.