Ravens bring back Dean Pees as advisor

[deeshopper]

Quote

 

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr is getting some help from one of his former coaches.

Longtime defensive coordinator Dean Pees, 75, was hired as a senior advisor for the Ravens' struggling defense, according to a source.

Pees was the Ravens' defensive coordinator from 2012 to 2017, when he coached Orr as a player for three seasons.

Under Orr, who previously had never been a defensive playcaller, Baltimore ranks 26th in points allowed (25.2) and 31st in pass defense (280.2). This is the second-most points the Ravens have ever allowed in the first five weeks of a season. Only the 2015 team, which gave up 27.4 points in the first five weeks, allowed more.

Last year, the Ravens became the first NFL team to record the fewest points allowed (16.5), most sacks (60) and most takeaways (31) in a single season. Mike Macdonald, the defensive coordinator for Baltimore last year, was hired as the Seattle Seahawks' head coach last offseason.

Pees, who has been a defensive coordinator for four teams, announced his retirement in 2017, his final season in Baltimore. But Pees went on to become defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans (2018-19) and Atlanta Falcons (2021-22).

The addition of Pees comes before the Ravens (3-2) play host to the Washington Commanders (4-1), who lead the NFL in scoring at 31 points per game.

The Athletic first reported the hiring of Pees.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/41701304/source-ravens-bring-back-dean-pees-advisor-dc-zach-orr

[oldno82]

NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

[GrubberRaven]

Well, he's not calling the game and we won a SB with him, right?  Or was that Rex?  

[GrubberRaven]

This is a good thing
 

 

[papasmurfbell]

This is a good hire.  He can help Orr see things a little faster.

[oldno82]

The thing I didn't like about Pees was his 'bend don't break' philosophy. I like the 'controlled chaos' defenses espoused by Rex, Pagano, and MacDonald where you are disguising what your're doing, who is or isn't blitzing, and maximum pressure. Pees' defenses were too passive in my opinion.

I don't doubt that Orr could use some help right about now but I don't think Pees is the influence we should be looking for.

[papasmurfbell]

I don’t see Rex leaving the tv money.  Chuck seems to be busy too.  Leslie Frazier was available but McDonald grabbed him as a mature voice in the coaches room.

[tsylvester]

It is a good idea, but will this have a negative affect on Orr? Clearly they feel that Orr is not quite ready, at least that is what it appears to me....

[papasmurfbell]

It’s not just Orr.  The brain drain in many positions.  It is hard to run the whole show when some position coaches might be teaching some stuff wrong.

[tsylvester]

Na, clearly they were wrong in thinking Orr was the right coach. If it were a case of other coaches teaching wrong, Orr's job is to correct them as much as anything.

This is a last ditch effort to save a championship caliber team. No way, with the defense as it pertains to the first five games was going to be viable for a playoff run.

 

[papasmurfbell]

So whom on the staff who are left was ready?

[tsylvester]

I don't know. All that I do know is that these are basically the players as years past. They are in position to make plays, but don't. Sure, they can stop the run, but they have given up almost the most points in the league at this point. Contrary to the past year and years.

Red zone is terrible, coverage is atrocious. It is not the d line, they are getting pressure with four, with FOUR!

Yet time and again someone, who last year for example, was in position to make a play and made, is not this year.

Last week the slant was killing this team. It took almost the entire for Humph to adjust and jump the route. Why? Did he finally have coverage over the top? Did he just say screw it, I'm taking the chance that it is not a slant & go?

Did these guys just stop learning and forget their keys?

 

[papasmurfbell]

New db coach giving the wrong instruction?  Almost the whole defensive coaches room left.  Between 2 being dc elsewhere and them taking position guys with them.  It would have been a shock had Orr hit the ground running.   
 

it took McDonald about a yr and he had experience calling a game at Michigan.

[tsylvester]

Look, we talked about this when Orr was hired, even as the games went along. Especially after the defensive melt down in Dallas. We agreed, contrary to many fans, that Orr just needed time. Then Buffalo happened. Even the first game with Kc the defense played well, the pass defense.

They shined against Buffalo but we are seeing that maybe, Buffalo is not the team we thought, yet.

Even so, it appeared that Orr, the defense was starting to gell.

Granted, Cinci has one of the best passing attacks in the league. However, when coupled with the melt down in Dallas in the 2nd half, and even the ones the last few years under McDonald, something says troubled.

If we are to believe Harbs, that Orr came to him and said:" I need help, I'm in over my head", that my friend is alarming to me.

I have no issue with him calling Pees every week seeking advice, a sounding board. Listen to Bill Bellicheck's pod cast, a great one, even he had a confidante, believes in team coaching.

I applaud Orr for realizing he is over matched. But as I said, that means that he is the wrong person for the job. Why?

As you said, his positional coaches, he chose, have a defense that gave up 16 pts per game last year, now giving up twice that this year. Why?

Are they teaching the wrong keys? Even if they are, these are mostly experienced players who know how to read an offense's keys, especially one they play twice per year.

How does a guy like Hamilton forget how to tackle? To cover?

Maybe this is one way the players are showing, subconsciously, that Orr is not the guy?

Is Pees really going to help? If Orr has been talking to him for weeks, is Pees really the problem?

Frankly, I would rather have brought in someone like Salah, a fresh set of eyes, let Orr keep talking to Pees, unpaid, as he has done.

Bill B seems to think the issues on defense, when asked about the Ravens defense, are fixable. Now maybe that was a politically correct answer, but I believe him.

Why? Because aside from one or two players, these are the same guys who shut down offenses last year.

[tsylvester]

Overall, not much to complain about. The biggest was going 0 blitz on 4th and 12, leaving Wigfins, who has been called for pi/holding in every game on an island.

This, when the defensive line was not only getting pressure, but getting proper pressure, squeezing the pocket, keeping their rush lanes. Bad, bad choice.

Held the highest scoring offense in the league to 23 pts, most of the key plays were just incredible throws and catch. They also kept a running qb in the pocket, did not let his running beat them.

They were clearly focussed and well trained, knowing what play was coming before the snap, leading to numerous no gains or tackles for a loss.

I'll give Orr and his staff credit, what a gauntlet of passing attacks they went through in the 4 game winning streak.

Now Tampa, a complete team, does everything well... let us see how he adjusts...

[oldno82]

Kudos for Orr from me too (and maybe Pees too?). Quarterback was contained completely on the ground and he's just damn good on throwing into tight windows. Washington's defense couldn't handle the Ravens balanced attack.

All in all, a good game that I enjoyed watching.

Tampa Bay away will be tougher.

 

[papasmurfbell]

Apparently the first day he was hired pees spent the whole day with the dbs.  They looked much better.

[tsylvester]

One in particular who had been struggling. Great coverage today, it took an incredible throw and an even better catch to beat him. Maybe he is ready to turn his season around, he being Stephens