ExtremeRavens Posted 15 hours ago Posted 15 hours ago Dre’Mont Jones was lost. Not on the field, of course. The newest Raven tallied 1 1/2 sacks, a batted pass and four tackles in Sunday’s 23-10 win over the New York Jets. But he needed help finding his family afterward. “How do I get out of here?” Jones asked a locker room attendant, who pointed the defensive end in the right direction of the exit. Minutes earlier, on a phone call with a family member, he struggled to describe where they should meet after he finished talking with reporters. Jones is still learning Baltimore but hasn’t required nearly as much time to assimilate with the Ravens (6-5). The defense around him is similarly figuring things out as it goes, traversing setbacks and personnel changes flawlessly to lead a five-game winning streak that’s launched Baltimore to the top of the AFC North ladder. “When I got here, it seemed weird that they lost or how they had any slip-ups,” said Jones, acquired in a trade with the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 3. “To do what we’re doing, that’s a playoff caliber, Super Bowl caliber defense.” Baltimore held the Jets to 10 points on Sunday, their sixth consecutive game limiting an opponent to fewer than 20. The Ravens sacked Tyrod Taylor three times, forced a fumble and an interception and limited Jets ball carriers to 3 yards per attempt. Four of New York’s first five offensive drives ended in punts, and its last three resulted in turnovers. The unit was especially stingy at the most critical moments. With the Jets nearing the end zone on a drive that would have cut the Ravens’ lead to three in the fourth quarter, cornerback Marlon Humphrey ripped the ball out of running back Breece Hall’s grasp for his second forced fumble of the season. It maintained Baltimore’s two-possession lead and New York never got close to scoring again. Later, seated at his locker assessing the win in shorts and a T-shirt, Humphrey paused during his response to a question about that play. He looked and pointed to a gash on his leg to prove what the critical turnover cost. Humphrey isn’t at full health. Neither are most of his defensive teammates. The veteran cornerback missed last week’s win over the Cleveland Browns as he recovered from surgery on his finger. Humphrey acknowledged earlier this season that he’d need to learn how to play with the injury that he suspected would linger all season long. It wasn’t a problem Sunday. “Earlier in the season, the defense was — we were the worst in the league,” Humphrey said. “Offense wasn’t finger pointing at us. I think this team is really starting to come together.” Kyle Hamilton, whose versatility teammates often praise, has similarly been at the forefront of this midseason defensive turnaround while dealing with injuries. The safety exited Sunday’s game twice, first in the second quarter with an apparent shoulder injury after a hard collision with Hall and again in the final quarter after he appeared to twist his ankle or foot. He limped to the locker room shortly after and didn’t return, although there was less than two minutes remaining and the score was out of reach. Shoulder issues have popped up for Hamilton this season. He hurt the same one last week against the Browns but stayed in the game, as he always seems to do. Coach John Harbaugh said after the game it’s “not a serious injury.” Defensive tackle Taven Bryan, who added a sack Sunday and was seen leaving the locker room with a brace on his right knee, will be evaluated Monday, Harbaugh said. “It just seems like we’re all working toward something,” Humphrey said. “Even when special teams isn’t right, defense isn’t right, offense isn’t right, we’re still building with one another. It’s really encouraging.” Still, there’s a resounding sentiment of needing to be better that echoes throughout the Ravens’ locker room. It might be focused on the offense right now after another lackluster showing, but defenders are also looking to what needs to improve rather than letting this win streak make them complacent. “Tighten up our tackling. Some things to clean up,” Humphrey said. “We got a lot of work to do,” added safety Alohi Gilman, who was acquired in a trade Oct. 7. That starts in four days against Cincinnati on Thanksgiving. The Bengals could have Joe Burrow back by then. If not, it’ll be Joe Flacco for Baltimore’s second consecutive game against a former Ravens quarterback. This defense that every week is maneuvering a different challenge, whether it be a new player still figuring out how to get around M&T Bank Stadium or an injury setback, is ready for whoever — and for the holiday. “I want to have the best Thanksgiving of my life,” Humphrey said. “And it would be great if Joe Burrow just waited another week. But even if he is out there, it’ll be great to get the best of the Bengals.” Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons. Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey strips the football from Jets running back Breece Hall. Baltimore forced two turnovers in Sunday's 23-10 win. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article Quote
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