ExtremeRavens Posted February 1 Posted February 1 The Ravens lost the AFC championship, lost their director of player personnel and now lost their defensive coordinator. Bouncing back from a difficult defeat on the field is one thing. Replacing the people who helped construct one of the best rosters in the NFL and a historically great defense is another. Of course, having the staff of a successful team plundered is business as usual in the NFL. But what does losing Joe Hortiz, who was named general manager of the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this week, and Mike Macdonald, who takes over as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, mean for Baltimore? Consider: Hortiz had been with the Ravens since 1998, steadfastly working his way up through the organization, and Macdonald since 2014, save for the one season he spent in 2021 as Michigan’s defensive coordinator. Continuity is a hallmark of success in the NFL, and the Ravens, who were not caught off-guard by the departures, took a hit losing both, especially since it’s likely just the beginning. Never mind having a roster that is rife with unrestricted free agents, most of whom were key contributors to a team that had the league’s best regular-season record. Under Macdonald, Baltimore also had a dominant defense this season, becoming the first team in the modern era of the NFL to lead the league in sacks (60), takeaways (31) and points allowed per game (16.1). That just scratches the surface, too. The Ravens were also first in passing yards allowed per play, first in rushing touchdowns allowed per game and second in overall yards allowed per play. Over the past two seasons under Macdonald, Baltimore’s defense ranked in the top five in scoring, total yards, rushing yards, red zone touchdown rate and third-down conversion rate. It wasn’t just the gaudy numbers the Ravens put up, it was how they achieved them. Baltimore generated 143 quarterback pressures this season. That was just the 16th highest total in the league, but the Ravens also blitzed just 21.9% of the time, the eighth-lowest rate in the NFL. Only four teams — the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and Houston Texans — generated more pressures with a lower blitz rate, and three of them made the playoffs, including the 49ers, who are in the Super Bowl. Macdonald achieved that success by disguising his rushes, sometimes rushing linebackers and dropping defensive linemen into coverage and rushing a cornerback off the edge, among other things, as a way to create chaos and confusion without using more than four rushers. Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore SunRavens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, left, and coach John Harbaugh look on during a game in 2022. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Even in Sunday’s AFC title game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Macdonald’s brilliance eventually shined. After the Chiefs moved the ball at will in the first half, the Ravens mostly stonewalled them over the final 30 minutes, holding them scoreless and allowing just 98 yards on 30 plays. Then there’s the way that Macdonald relates to and empowers players, which presumably went a long way to him becoming the NFL’s youngest coach at age 36 in Seattle, an organization that Ravens outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney said was run similarly to Baltimore’s. “I’ve been saying it since I got here, Mike Macdonald is the smartest defensive coordinator I’ve ever had,” Clowney said. “He puts the guys in the right position. … He leaves nothing that we haven’t seen going into a game that we haven’t seen during the week.” It’s just one of many reasons his loss could be stinging for the organization. “I think he’s the best candidate out there right now,” Ravens inside linebacker Patrick Queen said Monday of Macdonald. “I don’t think anybody does it like him. Nobody cares like him. Nobody will do what he does. He will not rest until he has everything right. … The guy is all around just the best person I’ve ever been around, coach-wise, person-wise. He really cares and truly cares about the players, the people around the organization and the fans.” Added safety Kyle Hamilton on why he is fond of Macdonald’s scheme: “I like the duality of it. We have guys up front who allow us to do a bunch of stuff on the back end, in terms of doing their job correctly. Moving around, everybody doing different things, it doesn’t make us one-dimensional.” Who might the Ravens replace him with? Anthony Weaver was passed over in favor of Mike Macdonald in 2022, but he has experience in the role, having served as the Texans’ defensive coordinator in 2020. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) There are some internal possibilities, starting with associate head coach/defensive line coach Anthony Weaver. The 43-year-old was passed over in favor of Macdonald in 2022, but he has experience in the role, having served as the Texans’ defensive coordinator in 2020. He also brings familiarity, having spent four seasons in Baltimore as a player and three as a coach. Passing game coordinator Chris Hewitt could also be a possibility. He also brings a level of continuity, having worked his way up in the organization from assistant special teams coach to assistant secondary coach to defensive backs coach to pass defense coordinator to his current role. There’s also inside linebackers coach Zach Orr, who, like Macdonald once was, is on the fast track. Unlike Macdonald, he played in the NFL for three seasons with Baltimore before a spinal condition ended his career in 2016. The 31-year-old then spent four seasons with the Ravens as a coaching analyst, was the Jacksonville Jaguars’ outside linebackers coach for a year, then returned to Baltimore in 2022. Of course, he (or other staff members) also could follow Macdonald to Seattle to be the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator. The Ravens could also turn to someone outside the organization for the job. Former Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell recently interviewed for the Buffalo Bills opening, but he also has connections to Baltimore, having played for the Ravens for a year in 1996 and been in the mix for the defensive coordinator job when the Ravens hired Macdonald. There’s also Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen, who was previously the Ravens’ defensive line coach and is close to Harbaugh. Other names potentially in the mix include former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and Dallas Cowboys secondary coach and passing game coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., all of whom have some level of history with the Ravens. Whoever the Ravens hire, though, one thing seems certain: He’ll have a tough act to follow. View the full article Quote
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