ExtremeRavens Posted 22 hours ago Posted 22 hours ago A week ago, the Ravens’ defense was licking its wounds. Buffalo hung 41 points on Baltimore, which collapsed in the final stages. The defense was defeated. The secondary appeared in disarray. Then came Marlon Humphrey’s public warning: “The guys that are doing it right are going to play. … We can’t protect this guy or protect that guy.” By kickoff Sunday, the Ravens backed his words with action. Cornerback Jaire Alexander, the high-profile newcomer and close friend of Lamar Jackson’s who was tormented in Buffalo, was a healthy scratch. The Ravens didn’t wait for another crisis. Instead, Baltimore’s defense delivered a signature performance in a 41-17 victory over Cleveland that evened the Ravens’ record to 1-1. This represented a different Ravens defense than the one that took the field a year ago. Back then, patience blurred into stubbornness. Baltimore rode struggling veteran defensive backs Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson deep into the fall before turning to safety Ar’Darius Washington after the bye. Similarly, struggling linebacker Trenton Simpson stayed in the lineup until late November despite coverage lapses that screamed for change. Those moves eventually paid off, but only after valuable games had already been squandered. This time, the lesson landed quickly in Baltimore. With Alexander in street clothes, the defense looked like a group that took Buffalo’s embarrassment personally. Alexander, a 2018 first-round draft pick who signed a one-year deal worth $6 million after being cut by the Packers, wasn’t the only change to the lineup, either. Rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan earned his first career start over third-year player Simpson. Additionally, defensive back T.J. Tampa Jr. saw an uptick in snaps. The tweaks turned into a defensive stomping. The Ravens registered nine quarterback hits on Joe Flacco — after just three on Josh Allen in Week 1 — and recorded their first two takeaways of the season. Cornerback Nate Wiggins jumped his assignment to rob an errant Flacco pass, while defensive captain Roquan Smith scooped a strip-sack from Tavius Robinson and returned it 63 yards to the house. As Smith high-stepped into the end zone, the sold-out crowd at M&T Bank Stadium roared in approval. The home sideline went into a frenzy. This was the defense many expected from second-year coordinator Zach Orr. “The emphasis this week was getting takeaways,” said rookie outside linebacker Mike Green, who registered his first career quarterback hit, helping force one of Flacco’s 20 incompletions. “We knew we had to come through with more adjustments and make sure we took care of him correctly. This week, we knew Joe was a great thrower. We had to keep him in the pocket and disrupt his throwing lanes, just keep disrupting the quarterback.” Ravens vs. Browns, September 14, 2025 | PHOTOS The unit’s lone blemish was another fluke. For the second straight week, a tipped pass became a touchdown, this one off Humphrey’s hands, bouncing backward into Cedric Tillman’s lap in the end zone. Veteran coach John Harbaugh and Orr didn’t wait for the bye in Week 7 to display accountability. Rather, the coaching staff drew a strict line after the Buffalo loss and enforced it during the home opener. Smith led the Week 2 AFC North showdown with 15 tackles, including three for loss, and two quarterback hits. Wiggins added three tackles and a career-high three passes defensed as Flacco struggled and looked mighty uncomfortable throughout. This was the type of defensive response and bounce-back outing that travels. Even Smith admitted that the team’s ugly defeat to Buffalo stung hard. He rewatched the loss four times before fully turning his head to Cleveland. “We all had a sour taste in our mouths,” Smith said. “It was more so about moving on and not letting last week beat us twice. … Last week is in the past for a reason. We learned from our mistakes and did a lot of great things.” Remember the part about the Ravens not waiting too long to make tough decisions? Said Smith: “It’s great to have your weaknesses revealed Week 1 than later in the season.” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith scores a touchdown after recovering a fumble by Browns quarterback Joe Flacco in the fourth quarter. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Humphrey, who exited Sunday’s game in the fourth quarter with a groin injury, threw down the challenge. Baltimore proved it could answer much earlier. The only other touchdown the Ravens allowed was a Dillon Gabriel passing touchdown with backups on the field for both teams in garbage time. If the Ravens can carry this type of edge, the implications reach far beyond an early win over a middling Browns offense. The next month will pit the Ravens against MVP quarterbacks, creative offensive play-callers and four consecutive 2024 playoff opponents. Additional doses of necessary accountability and adjustments could be the only way to survive the incoming gantlet. Sunday showed the Ravens are willing to make tough calls before the standings and public outcry demand them. There was no wound licking in the home locker room, where Harbaugh embraced each player, including Alexander, with a celebratory handshake. “We want everybody to be able to respond that way,” Harbaugh said. “I wanted to see a good defense. I wanted to see the defense that we’ve been working to be. I wanted to see that. We saw that — and we can still get better. “We need to get better. We will chase that, too.” Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins reacts after catching a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article Quote
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