Mike Preston: Ravens are due for a run. If not now, when?

BALTIMORE — The Ravens are due for a winning streak against the Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans, who have a combined record of 6-18.

If not now, when?

Los Angeles hasn’t won a game, and Carolina (3-5) has lost three straight. Houston (3-5) has won three of its past four, but two of those wins were against the Tennessee Titans (1-7) and, of course, you guessed it, the Chargers (0-8).

So, the Ravens should be able to go on a roll and climb back into the AFC North title picture … right?

I know what you are thinking. This is a team that can’t even protect its kicker after Atlanta signed Jake Moody from the practice squad because the Ravens’ front office was too arrogant to sign him to the 53-man roster. And there is this new savior, 33-year-old quarterback Jacoby Brissett, with a 23-50 overall record, now playing on his seventh team since being selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft by the New England Patriots.

But what else did you expect?

Did you think the Ravens were going to curl up in the fetal position, cry “uncle” and surrender? That’s not the nature of owner Steve Bisciotti, first-year coach Jesse Minter or football. No one waves the white flag at the halfway mark of the season, not when a team is 4-5 and the division leaders, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, are 6-2.

Come on, now.

The next three games are winnable. It’s not guaranteed, but at least the Ravens have a decent opportunity. It does bring back memories of the Ravens losing 22-16 to the winless Miami Dolphins on Dec. 16, 2007, as quarterback Cleo Lemon threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Greg Camarillo with 8:14 left in overtime.

Oh, so painful.

But these Chargers are pitiful, though not quite as bad as the Cam Cameron-led Dolphins in 2007. Quarterback Justin Herbert was cleared Tuesday after a scan showed no fracture in his left nonthrowing hand, and he should be able to play against the Ravens.

Herbert left Sunday’s loss to Houston in the fourth quarter after being sacked eight times. The Chargers are so bad that they went 37 straight drives without a touchdown before Herbert threw a 58-yard pass to Quentin Johnston in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers are ranked No. 32 in scoring offense (15 points per game), No. 28 in passing offense (177.1 yards) and 26th in total offense (291.6 yards). Defensively, they are more sound, ranked 21st in total offense (343.4 yards), 20th in rushing defense (122 yards) and 15th in passing defense (221.3 yards). Possibly the toughest assignment will be the “Monday Night Football” crew trying to keep people awake for the entire game.

The Panthers aren’t that much better.

Quarterback Bryce Young has completed 60.4% of his passes for 2,197 yards and 16 touchdowns but has thrown six interceptions. He has been sacked 26 times because the Panthers have a struggling offensive line, plus a makeshift secondary on defense.

Does that sound familiar?

Like the Ravens, they do have a strong running back in Chuba Hubbard, who has 134 carries for 619 yards. At age 27, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Hubbard is entering the peak of his career and could be a problem for the Ravens. The Panthers have some good receivers in Tetairoa McMillan (46 catches for 625 yards, 3 TDs), Jalen Coker (31 for 393 yards, 3 TDs) and Darren Waller (23 for 299 yards, 4 TDs), the former Ravens tight end.

Defensively, Carolina can cause some problems with linebackers Devin Lloyd and Bobby Okereke. They also have safety Nick Scott, but the Panthers are ranked No. 22 in total defense and No. 28 in rushing defense. This might be a good game for veteran running back Derrick Henry.

With Houston, there might be a problem. The Texans have 29 sacks, which is tied for first in the league with Minnesota. They have a strong defensive cast, ranked No. 19 in total defense and No. 13 in rushing defense, led by linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (67 tackles) and defensive end Will Anderson Jr., who leads the team with 9 1/2 sacks and 13 1/2 tackles for loss. Cornerback Kamari Lassiter is second with 47 tackles.

Offensively, the Texans are starting to wake up. They have the No. 31 rushing offense in the league, averaging 68.2 yards, but are No. 11 in scoring offense with 26.1 points. Unfortunately, the Ravens face them on the road, and the Texans still have playoff ambitions.

They also have quarterback C.J. Stroud, who has thrown for 2,251 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. He has capable receivers in Kayshon Boutte, Tank Dell, Nico Collins and possibly Marvin Harrison Jr., if he steps up and plays well.

But this isn’t like the past three weeks, when the Ravens lost to Cincinnati, Buffalo and Jacksonville and were outscored 84-10 after halftime. This will be the Super Bowl for Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh. His former defensive coordinator is now the Ravens’ coach. Baltimore is the place where his older brother, John, called home for 18 years before becoming coach of the New York Giants.

It adds some spice to an already lackluster game, but at least the Ravens can snap a four-game losing streak. Also, they might be able to make up some ground on the AFC North-leading Steelers and Bengals.

If they can’t do it now, it probably won’t happen.

If not now, when?