ExtremeRavens Posted Thursday at 10:30 AM Posted Thursday at 10:30 AM For the better part of six weeks, the Ravens’ defense couldn’t pinpoint why it was happening. Why — at full health or not — the spirited practices during the week didn’t translate to dominant performances on game day. “It’s not one thing in particular,” All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton said. Then he caught himself. “Actually, maybe one thing in particular.” When Baltimore toiled through the first third of its season, ranked last in the NFL in points allowed and third-to-last in yards allowed per game, they weren’t having fun. Even Hamilton felt guilty putting such damning figures in plain English. “I don’t want it to sound like it’s Little League football,” Hamilton said, but they believe the issues snowball from a fear of making mistakes. The Ravens have been ravaged by injuries. At one point, their defense took the field without four All-Pro players, thus propelling inexperienced guys into high-leverage spots. Couple that with the immense pressure of needing to turn the season around and outspits a defense that isn’t having any fun. “I think everybody on our defense has that in them,” Hamilton said, “it’s just a matter of letting it loose.” He’s vocalized the need to let loose before games. Running back Derrick Henry delivered the same message to his teammates days before seeing the Rams in Week 6. Hamilton admitted the fun in a full-throttle style of play “gets lost when you’re losing games.” It’s impossible to recover when they can’t make the necessary spark-plug plays. The Ravens are tied for the fewest team sacks and second-to-last in interceptions in the NFL. It has crippled the defense for the better part of this season. That is, until their respectable performance against the Rams, holding one of the league’s top offenses to 17 points and 241 total yards with a forced fumble. Los Angeles scored 20-plus points in the four games before flying into Baltimore. A week later, the Rams hung 35 on the Jaguars, who haven’t allowed that much offense all year. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr thought that loss was the “most intensity” he’d seen from them all year. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy acknowledged it was a step in the right direction, but called it “an OK game,” that they need to “step up another notch.” Now, the challenge becomes maintaining that level of “fun” when Sunday’s game versus Chicago has all the makings of a playoff game. No team in the modern NFL era has made the postseason after a 1-6 start. This weekend feels like win or go home for a team a stone’s throw from mathematical elimination. “You can’t ignore the past,” Hamilton said. “But we’re forward-thinking at this point. Kinda have to be. Everything for us is a playoff game. That’s how it feels.” There’s still belief in the locker room. Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, shown playing against the Chiefs, says the defense needs to stop being afraid of mistakes. He hopes "letting loose" will help the unit perform well against the Bears on Sunday. (Reed Hoffmann/AP) Hamilton doesn’t think morale has gotten any lower. “We’re just eager to turn things around,” he said. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey said that if there’s one positive to glean from their torrid start, it’s that the locker room hasn’t splintered. He also said if there’s anyone on that roster thinking about anything other than beating the Bears, they should “meet with our mental health person.” All told, the Rams loss being the slightest sign of hope was more than just a downtrodden defense having fun again. Newly acquired safety Alohi Gilman tightened up the back end of the defense while allowing Hamilton to play closer to the line of scrimmage, a well-documented quick-fix in Baltimore. They forced a turnover for the first time in a month, which Van Noy said can inject some juice. And the defense as a whole was healthier, having Hamilton and Humphrey back from injury. They should have linebacker Roquan Smith and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie back for Sunday, too. However, outside linebacker Tavius Robinson was put on injured reserve Wednesday with a broken foot. If the Ravens are going to keep this season afloat, it’ll be a credit to “guys just not caring if you mess up,” Hamilton said. “It sounds kind of crazy saying that,” he continued. “It’s just a matter of letting it loose. Who cares if they catch a ball on me, get it down, tackle it and play another play. … Never seen a boxer get out of the corner by not punching.” Sunday’s prized fight kicks off at 1 p.m. By late afternoon, the Ravens season will either stand back up on two feet or the Bears will have left them face down on the canvas. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. View the full article Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.