ExtremeRavens Posted 22 hours ago Posted 22 hours ago Ryan Poles firmly clasped his hands when Roquan Smith’s name echoed through M&T Bank Stadium during pregame introductions. The Chicago Bears general manager sat still in the press box as Smith, the player he traded away nearly three years ago, jogged out of the tunnel as the Ravens’ final defensive starter. Chicago’s top football executive who moved on from Smith witnessed the opening act. What soon came after belonged to the five-time All-Pro linebacker he dealt to Baltimore. Smith’s fingerprints were all over the Ravens’ first win in more than a month. Smith, 28, returned from his two-game absence because of a hamstring injury and finished with a game-high 12 tackles in Baltimore’s 30-16 victory, serving as physical and emotional anchors to a defensive performance that finally looked like Ravens football again. In the team’s two wins this season, Smith has piled up 26 tackles. “It’s like new energy,” Smith said. “I feel like the team got a fresh start and we’re just going to show who we are.” The start wasn’t necessarily smooth sailing. Chicago’s second-year quarterback Caleb Williams diced through Baltimore’s defense on its first two possessions. But both drives stalled inside the red zone, each ending with a field goal. A few weeks ago, those drives probably would’ve resulted in touchdowns. But on Sunday, they were survival stands that helped the Ravens find their footing — and dare to say, reclaim their identity — against a surging Bears team that saw their four-game win streak come to an abrupt halt. In addition to Smith’s presence, fellow defensive leader and safety Kyle Hamilton added eight tackles, while rookie outside linebacker Mike Green registered his first career sack. The defense also forced Williams into committing a pair of intentional grounding penalties. “Let’s give credit to those guys over there,” Williams said. “They came out and played a hell of a game. It’s a hell of a team over there. I know their record doesn’t necessarily show it, but that’s a team that’s been in multiple championship games and playoff games. That game today was one of those games where they had to come out and try to win the game.” When the Bears mounted a late-game push, the Ravens responded emphatically. Cornerback Nate Wiggins jumped an in-breaking route by wide receiver Rome Odunze and picked off quarterback Williams in the fourth quarter, setting Baltimore up inside Chicago’s red zone. Just two plays later, Tyler Huntley hit tight end Charlie Kolar for a decisive 10-yard touchdown reception. The Bears had one final gasp after the defense gave up a long completion on the ensuing drive to wide receiver DJ Moore. Chicago ran four offensive plays inside Baltimore’s 3-yard line with under two minutes left that resulted in four big-time stops by Baltimore. As part of the sequence, Smith and fellow linebacker Teddye Buchanan crashed the interior to stonewall Williams’ quarterback sneak. Moments after the Ravens stuffed the Bears one last time, John Harbaugh sought out Smith for a long embrace, the coach-player duo knowing what this moment meant. Following a month-plus of spiraling through disappointment, Baltimore came out of the bye feeling rejuvenated. “We embraced each other, knowing the last month has been very tough,” Smith said. “I consider myself an eternal optimist, so it’s always like, we’ve got a shot to do whatever we want.” As Tyler Huntley sparked life into the offense, the Ravens’ defense slammed the door shut. Bears running back D’Andre Swift entered the Week 8 matchup with a whopping 232 rushing yards over his past two games (7 yards per carry average), but managed just 45 rushing yards across 11 carries (4.1 average) versus Baltimore. The Ravens also held the Bears to 6 of 13 on third down, 0-for-1 on fourth down, and 1-for-3 in the red zone. Wiggins’ interception marked the defense’s second straight game with a takeaway. The Ravens (2-5) improved to 15-3 after their bye week under Harbaugh, tied with Pittsburgh for the best overall record after the bye. Sunday represented a gritty and urgent performance from the Ravens, a team on the brink that needed to claw back into the win column. Over their past two games, the Ravens have held the Rams and Bears to their second-lowest and lowest point totals of the season, respectively. Baltimore faces a steep climb, but the team’s second victory felt like a reset. For the Ravens to make anything of this season, Smith and company will need to continue setting the tone. “I know what I bring to the table,” Smith said. “So it’s just more so about me echoing that each and every snap through my play.” Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. Inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan catches up to Bears running back Kyle Monangai, stopping him behind the line of scrimmage. The Ravens clamped down on the Bears in the red zone in Sunday's 30-16 win. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article Quote
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