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The uproar after Week 1 was how much the Baltimore Ravens missed wide receiver Anquan Boldin, and the Ravens certainly would benefit from his toughness and clutch plays. But the Ravens miss tight end Dennis Pitta much more than Boldin.

Pitta, who is on the injured reserve-designated for return list after injuring his hip in training camp, may have been the Ravens' leading receiver at this point. Now the tight end position is one of the biggest weaknesses for the defending Super Bowl champions.

The Ravens have gotten little production out of Dallas Clark, Ed Dickson and Billy Bajema. Joe Flacco has connected on a little more than half of his passes to them (20 completions on 39 targets). Compare that to last year with Pitta, who caught 65.5 percent of the passes thrown his way (61 of 93).

The Ravens' tight ends have scored no touchdowns and have produced no catches more than 20 yards. Pitta had seven touchdowns and eight receptions greater than 20 yards.

Entering the season, the Ravens looked like they were in better position to handle the loss of Pitta more than the void left by the trade of Boldin. But undrafted wide receiver Marlon Brown, who has filled Boldin's spot in the starting lineup, leads the team with three touchdowns.

The biggest disappointment for the Ravens is Dickson. He has dropped four of the nine passes thrown in his direction, according to Pro Football Focus. One pass in Buffalo went off Dickson's hands and resulted in an interception.

The Ravens are clearly losing patience with Dickson.

“Ed just needs to go catch the ball,” coach John Harbaugh said. “He needs to run fast, get open and catch the football, put it away and get up field. That’s all he needs to do. And if he’s thinking about anything besides that, he’s doing himself a disservice.”

The pressure is on Dickson, who will be a free agent after the season. Through four games, he has more drops than catches (three).

"Mentally, it seems like a bad dream," Dickson said.

The Ravens' tight ends have produced the fewest receiving yards in the AFC North. Even the Pittsburgh Steelers, who didn't have Heath Miller for two games, have gotten 230 yards out of their tight ends, which is 12 more than the Ravens. Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Cameron has more catches, yards and touchdowns than the entire tight end group in Baltimore.

The statistics would look different if the Ravens had gotten the projected production out of Dickson. A third-round draft pick in 2010, Dickson caught 54 passes and scored five touchdowns in 2011.

“The stats kind of speak for themselves that you’re alluding to,” Harbaugh said. “He’s not the same player right now that he was then, obviously.”

Here's your morning briefing on the Baltimore Ravens beat with the wake-up caw ...

• Tight end Ed Dickson told The Baltimore Sun he isn't frustrated by his slow start. He's motivated. "Things may have gotten off to a rocky start but it is a long season," Dickson said. "As a team, it is working the way we want it to go. We want to keep getting better and I want to get better. Who knows? This might be a big week for me." Dickson's inability to catch the ball consistently has hurt the Ravens, and I would think twice throwing the ball to him. But he's too athletic to write off this quickly. He'll emerge again in the game plan.

• Continuing our tight-end storyline, Dallas Clark told USA Today that his improvement comes from extra film study with quarterback Joe Flacco. "Joe has us in there and goes over where he wants us, what he expects on each play," Clark said. "That's a huge help so everyone can see the big picture of where they belong, what their responsibilities are."

• Daryl Smith's sure tackling has impressed the Ravens. “When that guy grabs you, you go down,” defensive coordinator Dean Pees said, via Comcast SportsNet. “I can’t say enough good things about the guy." Smith is one of three linebackers with at least 25 tackles, one sack and one interception this season.

• A year after injuries limited his game plans, Pees is enjoying being more creative with his personnel groupings this year. “It’s a lot of fun,” Pees said, via the team's official website. “I think it gets boring to me as a coach and I think it’s boring as a player if you go out and every week it’s the same dang-gone thing. ... You put in little tweaks here and there. I think the players like it, and I like it.”

• Matt Vensel of The Baltimore Sun broke down the snaps of the outside linebackers, which show the Ravens have been keeping their top pass-rushers fresh. Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil and Courtney Upshaw have played at least 60 percent of the defensive snaps. Suggs, the team’s starting rush linebacker, has played 161 out of a possible 191 snaps. Dumervil, who usually splits time with Upshaw at strongside linebacker, has played 125. Upshaw has been on the field for 119 plays.

• Former Ravens defensive lineman Trevor Pryce doesn't agree with Ray Lewis that the "party bus" incident means there is a leadership void in Baltimore. "Here's the thing about the Ray Lewis leadership thing, when you start telling the media that things would be fixed if you were there, that can be a little self-serving," Pryce told The Baltimore Sun.

The first-ever Baltimore Ravens chat was held Wednesday. You missed it? Well, lucky for you, just click right here for the full transcript. Or you can continue reading for the highlights ...

Chris (MD): Do the Ravens regret cutting Bobby Rainey now that Jacoby Jones is out for awhile?
Jamison Hensley (ESPN): I was surprised that the Ravens cut Rainey. I thought it did enough in the preseason to earn a job. The Ravens would be in better shape in the return game with Rainey (who is now the Browns' kickoff returner), and they wouldn't have had to sign Shaun Draughn this week to return kickoffs. But the Ravens went with the players who could contribute on the coverage teams like Brynden Trawick and Anthony Levine.

B (Parkville): Huge Ravens fan. We looked pretty lousy last week. Talk me off the cliff.
Jamison Hensley (ESPN): The Ravens were in a tough situation playing on the road against a team that wanted to exact revenge for the past eight months. Plus, the Ravens have new starters on defense and it will take time to get some chemistry. Playing Peyton Manning in warm weather was a tough draw for a secondary that clearly wasn't in sync. Hope that gets you to take a few steps backward.

Randy (Texas): How much improvement on the defense can we expect? Granted Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden is not Peyton Manning, but what does this defense need to show in this game to quiet some questions about that unit?
Jamison Hensley (ESPN): The two keys for the Ravens defense is: Stop running back Trent Richardson and make sure tight end Jordan Cameron isn't running free. The Browns don't have the playmakers at wide receiver like the Broncos. If the Ravens secondary struggles against Cleveland, it's going to be time to worry about whether Baltimore can stop any passing attack.

Tony (Richmond, CA): Have you ever seen Dallas Clark look so pathetic on a football field? He looked like a deer-in-headlights rookie and not a veteran tight end in the league.
Jamison Hensley (ESPN): Clark has been a disappointment so far, but it's still early, Yes, he didn't show much in the preseason or Week 1. Last year with Tampa Bay, it took time for Clark to find his footing. He put up good numbers in his final six games there. The Ravens are going to give him a little time. Plus, because Clark is a vested veteran, the Ravens are going to have to pay him for the entire year whether he's on the team or cut.

DENVER -- Observed in the locker room after the Baltimore Ravens' 49-27 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Sobering loss: The atmosphere in the Ravens' locker room was more disappointment than anger. "Any time you lose like this in front of the whole world, it's definitely humbling," safety Michael Huff said.

Not much reflection: Tight end Dallas Clark had a rough debut for the Ravens, dropping multiple passes, including one near the goal line. He didn't give much of an explanation other than to say: "It's disappointing, and you got to get the next one." He described the defeat as a "team loss."

Oher limping: Right tackle Michael Oher has never missed a game, so you know it's serious when he didn't return after injuring his ankle in the second quarter. When approached in the locker room, Oher declined comment, saying, "I've got to get treatment." As he walked across the locker room, Oher was noticeably limping.

Flacco in awe: Joe Flacco was certainly impressed with Peyton Manning's seven-touchdown performance, which tied an NFL record. "It's a sweet way to start a season and get ahead," he said. "He's almost halfway to 20 already. There's not too much to say. It's kind of self-explanatory."

DENVER -- My thoughts on the Baltimore Ravens' 49-27 loss to the Denver Broncos:

What it means: The Ravens' title defense -- as well as life without Ray Lewis and Ed Reed -- opened with a dud. This is the first season-opening loss for coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco in their six years together, and it wasn't even close. An interception by Flacco in his own territory, a blocked punt and a drop near the goal line all led to the worst loss by a defending Super Bowl champion in a season opener, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The 49 points are the most allowed by the Ravens in their history.

Stock watch: Falling -- Ravens secondary. The Ravens gave up an NFL-record-tying seven touchdown passes, and everyone took turns getting roughed up. Safety Michael Huff couldn't keep up with tight end Julius Thomas (two touchdowns), cornerback Corey Graham struggled covering Wes Welker (two touchdowns) and cornerback Jimmy Smith watched a good game turn bad when he was beaten by Andre Caldwell (one touchdown). The Ravens allowed Peyton Manning to throw three touchdowns in a disastrous third quarter, which turned Baltimore's 17-14 lead into a 35-17 deficit.

Why not challenge?: With the Ravens ahead 17-14 early in the third quarter, Welker trapped a ball that was ruled a completion, which converted a third down. If Harbaugh had challenged, the drive would've ended. Instead, Manning rushed to the line to snap the ball, and three plays later, Caldwell scored a 28-yard touchdown. The Broncos took a lead they would never relinquish.

Too many drops: The loss of tight end Dennis Pitta (hip injury) was felt right away. Dallas Clark and Ed Dickson dropped at least five passes. The devastating one was Clark failing to hold onto a third-down pass inside the 5-yard line. The Ravens had to settle for a field goal and a 17-14 lead at halftime.

Self-inflicted: Two Ravens starters were hurt in the second quarter by their own teammates. On a punt return, Jacoby Jones was leveled by rookie Brynden Trawick and suffered a sprained knee. Then, on Ray Rice's one-yard touchdown run, right tackle Michael Oher sprained his ankle when guard Marshal Yanda rolled into him. Two rookies, wide receiver Marlon Brown and offensive tackle Rick Wagner, replaced the veterans in the starting lineup.

What's next: The Ravens (0-1) get nine days before playing the Cleveland Browns at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium on Sept. 15. Baltimore has a 10-game winning streak over Cleveland.

DENVER -- I'll be heading to the Baltimore Ravens' season opener a little later, and the strange part is Ray Lewis and Ed Reed won't be. Life without the two future Hall of Fame players officially begins Thursday night in the season opener against the Broncos.

The Ravens have had either Lewis or Reed on the field for 117 straight games, or a span of nearly seven and a half seasons. That streak obviously ends with Lewis retired and Reed playing for Houston. Since 2002, when Reed entered the NFL, the Ravens have been without Lewis and Reed for only five games (all in 2005). Baltimore went 1-4 with both Lewis and Reed sidelined, giving up an average of 25.2 points.

We'll see if the Ravens fare better in their new era Thursday night. Here's your wake-up caw ...

• The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec tackled the big issue facing the Ravens this season: Replacing the leadership void left by Lewis and Reed. While many wonder whether the team can handle this loss, former Ravens defensive lineman Trevor Pryce gave another viewpoint, saying the leadership questions are "completely overblown." Said Pryce: "The leader of the team is John Harbaugh, and he has no problem telling you that. He's the guy in charge. Fans are going to miss their leadership. The players are just going to miss them as people. That's how it is. They'll be fine. Trust me." The answer is no one will really know how much the Ravens will miss them until they're put in a difficult situation. That's when the new leaders will have to step up.

• Wide receiver Brandon Stokley and tight end Dallas Clark, two of Peyton Manning's former targets, don't have to stop the Denver Broncos quarterback. But they do know what it's going to take to beat him. “We’re going to have to play a really good game and score a lot of points, because he’s going to get his points," Stokley told the team's website. Added Clark: “I love the defense we have, but Peyton is special."

• The Ravens' unofficial theme for this season is stay hungry, The Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston writes. "Last year's champions are last year's champions and this year's champions will be this year's champions, and that's a fact," coach John Harbaugh said. "The one and only thing I have said about repeating is that this is a great opportunity and that this year's Ravens team is the only one with that opportunity. Thirty-one others won't, and that's unique."

• Even though he was limited to one preseason game, guard Marshal Yanda is set to start in the season opener. "Ready to go," Yanda told Comcast SportsNet Baltimore. "I feel good." Everyone knows Yanda is one of the best guards in the NFL. But, after seeing how the offensive line struggled without him, there's a new appreciation for Yanda.

• Get your stopwatches ready. According to Football Outsiders (via The Baltimore Sun), the Ravens and Broncos are among the three fastest-paced offenses in the NFL. At an average of 27.54 seconds of game clock per offensive play, the Ravens had the third-fastest offensive pace in the NFL last season. The Broncos were second at 27.45 seconds. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, who ran more offensive plays than any other team, led the NFL at 24.53 seconds.

• Following the same schedule as last year, the Ravens arrived in Denver roughly 24 hours before kickoff to minimize the negative effects of altitude on the players, The Baltimore Sun reported. Most the Ravens are experts when it comes to handling the Mile High altitude after playing two overtimes eight months ago.

• Matt Birk, the Ravens' former center, is not suiting up Thursday night. But that didn't stop him from delivering another shot at the Broncos. Birk posted on Twitter: "Why are Broncos upset about Flacco banner hanging from their stadium. Not like its a picture of Jacoby Jones. #stillstings #sorry #SNF"