The NFL is a league built on adjustments, and defenses appear to be game-planning to account for tight end Dennis Pitta following his fast start this season. Pitta caught 18 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns in the first two games and has 30 receptions for 276 yards overall, emerging as one of quarterback Joe Flacco's most frequent targets.
Over the past four games, though, Pitta has generated only a dozen catches for 88 yards and no scores and was shut out against the Browns on Sept. 27. HC John Harbaugh acknowledged that teams may have shifted their schemes to try to slow down Pitta, but emphasized there's more nuance to what's happening on the field.
"It’s probably some of that," Harbaugh said. "To me, it’s a product of everything across the board. Typically, you say, ‘OK, this guy’s not involved. That guy’s not involved.’ It’s something you can take a look at, but when you start breaking it down and you start studying it, what you really find out is it’s more a product of us executing."
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