ExtremeRavens Posted 8 hours ago Posted 8 hours ago As far as Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr is concerned, sixth-year Minnesota Vikings wide receiver and two-time All-Pro Justin Jefferson has “seen every type of coverage you can run at him.” He’s also perhaps the best at his position in the sport in Orr’s view. “So we just gotta mix it up, not let him get a bead on what we’re doing, not let him wreck the game, make sure we always have awareness where he’s at,” Orr said Thursday. Statistically, Jefferson is not having a historic or even dominant year. His 649 receiving yards rank fifth in the NFL. His 47 receptions are 12th most. He has just two touchdowns, which is tied for 61st. Still, he has the ability to be prolific. He is not the only weapon, either, with third-year receiver Jordan Addison and veteran tight end T.J. Hockenson often benefitting from the attention Jefferson draws. Baltimore’s defense has also had its problems this season. The Ravens have allowed just two 100-yard receivers this season — Keon Coleman (8 catches, 112 yards) in a Week 1 collapse against the Buffalo Bills and Rome Odunze (7 catches, 114 yards) in a Week 8 win over the Chicago Bears. But opposing offenses have often had their way, with Baltimore ranking 24th in points allowed per game (27), 27th in yards per game (373.6) and 28th in passing yards per game (250). Yet, in their past three games — two of them wins over the Miami Dolphins and Bears with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams before that — the defense has stiffened, allowing just 13 points per game. What has been the key to that turnaround? “I think that it’s the mindset approach that no matter what is going on, it’s to move on to the next play,” Orr said. “I love the mindset that our guys have right now. They took ownership of that. They’re going out there playing the play. They’re moving on to the next play.” Last week was perhaps the best example yet. Five times, the Dolphins got down to at least the Ravens’ 31-yard line, with three of those drives reaching inside the 20. Baltimore held them to two field goals and forced one of two turnovers on the night in a 28-6 victory at Hard Rock Stadium. When it comes to stopping Jefferson, that assignment will likely mostly fall to Nate Wiggins. The second-year cornerback has covered opponents’ top receiver just over 30% of the time this season and he has racked up two interceptions to go with five pass breakups. Of course, Minnesota (4-4) is not Miami, which has been one of the worst teams in the league this season. The Vikings have been inconsistent with ugly losses to the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers. But they’re also coming off an impressive 27-24 win over the Lions in Detroit, in which they pressured and pestered quarterback Jared Goff throughout. A pass rush is something Baltimore will also need to slow down Jefferson and mobile quarterback J.J. McCarthy. So far, that’s been a struggle. The Ravens rank just 23rd in pass rush win rate and their 11 sacks are tied for the second-fewest in the league ahead of only the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 10. But reinforcements have been added. Ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, the Ravens traded with the Tennessee Titans for outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones. They also late last month signed veteran defensive end Carl Lawson, who could be elevated from the practice squad for Sunday’s game, and traded for safety Alohi Gilman, which has freed up versatile safety Kyle Hamilton to move around the field. Jones, meanwhile, has been on a heater, with 4 1/2 sacks in his past four games. He also spent 2023 and 2024 with the Seattle Seahawks and last season worked in a similar defensive system under former Ravens defensive coordinator and current Seattle coach Mike Macdonald. Orr likes Jones’ versatility to play on the interior defensive line, too, which is something he did earlier in his career. “I think for us, the good thing about versatility is we could hunt matchups; the best matchup that suits him,” Orr said. “I anticipate he’ll line up more in the interior for us than he did in Tennessee.” That could be a boost to a defensive line that has been without tackle Nnamdi Madubuike since he suffered a season-ending neck injury in Week 2. Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson makes a reception for a touchdown over Lions cornerback Amik Robertson during Sunday's win in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski) “I definitely believe that interior pressure is everything when it comes to pressuring the quarterback,” Orr said. “Because you can win cleanly on the edge, but if the quarterback is able just to step up, then your rush on the edge means nothing in reality. So, [with] interior push, you can ask probably any quarterback in the league, they don’t like when the pocket’s getting pushed in their face, and they can’t step up and move around.” It should help, too, that Baltimore is healthy, with all 53 players on the roster fully practicing this week amid a blank injury report. Now the only question after two straight wins over the Bears and Dolphins — two teams going in the wrong direction — is whether Baltimore keep it going against a more-talented Minnesota team that has one of the game’s best receivers. “Every game in the league is a tall task,” linebacker Roquan Smith said. “But at the end of the day, it’s about what you do, and that’s our focus — going out and doing what we do. Yes, [we have] respect for them, but at the end of the day, you have to be yourself.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
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