Ravens Insider: With Zach Orr’s Ravens defense setting a physical tone, training camp has turned into feisty fun

ExtremeRavens · July 30

Lamar Jackson infiltrated enemy airspace, in this case the Ravens’ defensive huddle midway through a recent training camp practice.

“I was telling them to slow down a bit,” the franchise quarterback recalled with a sly grin.

It was a moment of light repartee to break up the intramural combat but also an acknowledgment that the Ravens’ defense, which allowed the fewest points of any in the league last season, has set a punishing tone early in camp under new coordinator Zach Orr.

On Monday, for instance, No. 1 running back Derrick Henry surged toward a crevice in the middle of the defense only to be pulled abruptly to the ground by second-year linebacker Trenton Simpson. Henry popped right up without seeming aggrieved, but such flashes of aggression have caught Jackson’s eye, and he likes what they portend for the season.

“I believe iron sharpens iron,” he said, borrowing one of coach John Harbaugh’s go-to phrases. “We’ve got one of the best defenses in this league. We’re talking trash to those guys, [and] those guys are talking trash to us. We [are] just going after each other, [and] I believe that’s what builds a great team.”

He predicted vintage Baltimore defense once the real games commence.

“Man, those guys look like the throwback Ravens defense,” Jackson said. “[It’s] bloodshed, a lot of smack talk and a lot of big hits. We’re seeing it all from our defense. Guys are actually tackling out there — I don’t think we should be — but we’re looking good. I’m loving it.”

Camp physicality is a gray area for players and coaches, who covet healthy competition but don’t want anyone getting hurt by friendly fire.

Orr and offensive coordinator Todd Monken said the feisty back-and-forth has been productive without verging into ugliness.

“I mean, man, we’ve got a lot of competitive guys on both sides of the ball,” Orr said. “I do kind of have to tell them to tone it down a little bit, but I like those guys being real competitive. We’re taking care of each other. Lamar and the offense, they get those guys going by competing at a high level and talking trash. So it’s good. Our offense is one of the best in the league. We’ve got the reigning MVP at quarterback. So it’s good work, and it’s a challenge every single day. I think both sides look forward to it.”

Zach Orr, Ravens defensive coordinator, speaks to the media after practice at Ravens training camp. (Amy Davis/Staff) — “I mean, man, we’ve got a lot of competitive guys on both sides of the ball,” Ravens first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr said. (Amy Davis/Staff)

Simpson, as pleasant a guy as you’d ever want to meet off the field, transforms into a Tasmanian devil between the lines and has been responsible for some of the saltiest camp collisions. He’s giving no quarter in his quest to fill departed Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Queen’s shoes.

Orr laughed when asked about the young linebacker’s affinity for padded warfare. “Trent’s an intense guy, which we love,” he said. “I think [tight end] Isaiah Likely told me the other day, ‘Tell Trent to smile out there on the field.’ I was like, ‘Hey man, that’s how he rolls.’ But that’s why we loved him when he came out of Clemson. He’s a real physical player.”

Monken, for one, is fine with the heat coming across the line of scrimmage.

“It was great last year and it is this year,” he said. “One, they do a great job schematically. Two is they do a great job of challenging all of your rules. And then they do it with tremendous personnel. That makes it very, very difficult, but good for us in terms of development, especially up front, where you’re trying to see who’s going to emerge in certain spots for us. So it’s been great. At times difficult and frustrating, but it’s been great. It’s something you want to be able to go against every day.”

Quarterbacks coach Tee Martin agreed, noting that when he played the position back in the day, he was a lot like Jackson, relishing friendly verbal combat with his defensive teammates.

“You have the ball in your hands, so you can do something about it,” he said. “Sometimes, you don’t know if they’re serious or not, but they’re all teammates, and they love each other in the end. So I like that, kind of getting the juices flowing a little bit in practice.”

Harbaugh wants to see his players fighting for leverage and for the ball at this point of the summer, even if he doesn’t want to see them actually fighting.

“To protect each other in those situations like that where you might put the other player in danger; we really try to do a good job with our guys, and I think our guys do a great job of respecting one another in those situations,” he said. “Yet, when both players have a chance to protect themselves, you’re going. You have to be going, trying to win the battle. And now you have a physical contest. Remember when we said before, ‘There were no physical contests to win.’ Now there are physical contests to win, and the guys want to win them.”

That goes for the most important player on the team as well, though he has the luxury of knowing he’s off-limits for tackling.

Jackson did take a slight bump Tuesday from outside linebacker Odafe Oweh after the team’s top edge rusher crashed into the backfield. He responded by wrapping Oweh in a hug from behind as he walked back to the huddle.