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After being blamed for so many losses early this year, the Ravens’ defense took no solace in its performance against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.

It probably should have been good enough.

It definitely was not the reason the Ravens lost resoundingly, 32-14, at home to a division rival, snapping a five-game win streak that had restored hope.

The offense turned the ball over five times. Lamar Jackson was the worst version of himself. That’s not a winning recipe.

And now a remade defense must deal with the reality that it needs to prop up a slumping offense while potentially missing a key contributor. Second-year cornerback Nate Wiggins left the game with a foot injury and could miss time.

Wiggins played the first 30 minutes, when the Ravens exemplified resiliency.

They held the Bengals to a field goal on what appeared to be a promising opening drive but then trotted out to their own 2-yard line thanks to Jackson’s fumble. The Bengals did not score.

Then, at the end of the half, the Ravens fumbled again, leaving the Bengals just 20 yards from the end zone.

They settled for a field goal again.

The defense was taxed, too, because the offense had two three-and-outs and two one-play drives in the half.

“Just tough situations, sudden change, bowing up in the red zone,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. “The game could have gotten out of hand early if we weren’t doing that, and we set ourselves up to be in position in the second half.”

But, as Hamilton pointed out, “It is 60 minutes of sustained success in this league,” and things started to crumble in the second half.

In Wiggins, they lost the team leader in interceptions and the rare player with speed to keep up with Bengals star receiver JaMarr Chase.

The second-year player has become a leader of sorts, too.

“Nate’s one of the guys that just brings the energy,” cornerback Chidobe Awuzie said. “We all kind of rallied around him, especially when he gets it going. He can definitely turn up the whole team.”

Outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones said his loss was felt up front, as well, with the pass rush.

“That’s another guy who can make the quarterback pump the ball or wait for a second, who can cover,” Jones said. The Ravens sacked quarterback Joe Burrow once in the first quarter and did not get to him again.

Lacking pressure and down a key corner, the defense struggled situationally. It allowed Cincinnati to convert five of eight third downs, compared to the three of 11 allowed in the first half.

The Ravens also let the Bengals into the end zone. Hamilton took responsibility for allowing one touchdown, and linebacker Roquan Smith shouldered the other.

“I know I gave up one, as well, and, yes, as a defense, they don’t score, they don’t win, regardless of the circumstances,” Smith said. “That’s just how it is.”

Both also declined to lay any of the blame on the Ravens’ offense despite the five turnovers and huge deficit (17 minutes) in time of possession.

“It’s one of those days that you have, and the defense had a lot of those days early in the year,” Hamilton said. “We aren’t pointing the finger at anybody, not pointing the finger at Lamar, not pointing the finger at whoever it may be — skill guys, O-line, whatever it may be. We’re all one family. We have to roll with the punches and get through the lows and the highs at the same time.”

Having come back from serious lows, defensive players know what it takes.

Rookie safety Malaki Starks said the key is staying true to themselves and believing.

“I think as we continue to grow on defense, we continue to grow as a team, things start clicking,” Starks said. “At some point they will, and we just got to keep rolling when that happens.”

Starks may be a rookie, but nine-year veteran Awuzie agreed with his message.

“We’re definitely not perfect, but on both sides, I feel like, as long as we’re improving, staying the course, that momentum will turn,” Awuzie said.