ExtremeRavens Posted 13 hours ago Posted 13 hours ago Six weeks ago, the notion of Baltimore’s defensive front issues being a “quick fix,” as players and coaches insisted it was, sounded like a farce. The Ravens’ sack rate ranked 31st in the NFL seven weeks into the season. Their pressure rate was 30th. Six total sacks were tied for 29th. Their nearly four-year streak of at least one sack in 57 consecutive games, once the league’s longest active run, ended in Week 3. By Baltimore’s fifth loss, veteran Kyle Van Noy urgently pounded his fist into the lectern, “We have to get our [stuff] together.” The same team that finished top five in sacks the past three seasons plummeted — not only in sacks, but in the better part of its pass rush operation. “It has to be better,” coach John Harbaugh said in mid-October. “It has to be better on all three downs.” Oh, how the discourse has shifted. Here was a spirited Harbaugh on Sunday: “And then the pass rush; how about the pass rush!?” That came in response to a question about cornerback Marlon Humphrey’s goal-line punch in a 23-10 win over the Jets, insinuating the coach wanted to make sure he snuck in a well-deserved compliment — no matter how off course — for a group that sacked Tyrod Taylor three times, twice on third-down. This isn’t a worst-to-first turnaround like some facets of Baltimore’s defensive metrics these past two seasons. But what is clear is that the Ravens of earlier this season had trouble ever getting into the backfield. And now, they’re causing enough disruption to feed a greater defensive turnaround. They’ve turned a corner. The confidence in the pass rush room is “through the roof,” according to trade deadline acquisition Dre’Mont Jones. Jones said, “When I got here, it seemed weird that they lost or had any slip-ups, because they were just so good.” He was a significant part of the schematic rewiring. Jones is to the pass rush what Alohi Gilman was to the secondary: a quicker fixer-upper. He’s registered 1 1/2 sacks, batted a pass out of the air and logged two quarterback hits in each of his three games as a Raven. According to NextGenStats, the Ravens’ pressure rate has jumped from 26.1% to 38.6% since adding Jones. Still, Kyle Hamilton is perhaps the most glaring bonus. Gilman’s addition allowed the do-it-all safety to play in the box and give offensive lines another athlete to plan for (go back and watch Hamilton’s highlight-reel sack on Shedeur Sanders). Since Week 8, Baltimore sits second in the NFL in quarterback hits (35). Twenty-two combined at Minnesota and Cleveland marked the most by a Ravens defense in a two-game span since 2020. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr credited schematic adjustments made at the bye week, presenting offenses with new challenges. That and “guys were just relentless with their rushes.” Give plenty of kudos to the duo informally known as “Draymond Green.” Mike Green prefers they go by “Mike Jones.” Jones would rather keep it simple: “Dre’ and Mike.” Whether they’re the early 2000s rapper or a four-time NBA champ from the Golden State Warriors, the rookie and vet have become some of Baltimore’s most productive disruptors on the defensive line. “Any wisdom that I have, I give to him,” Jones said. “We can be lethal if we do it the right way.” Green brought down an NFL quarterback for the first time in Week 8. He’s done it 1 1/2 more times since, a byproduct of the game slowing down, allowing his savviness to win the “in-game ‘Tom and Jerry’ fight,” as he called it. Injuries early in the year forced major responsibility onto his plate. He’s since overcome the “beginner stage.” Now, Green has five quarterback hits in the past three games, more than his total over the first eight of his career. Harbaugh called him “one of the more advanced young all-around players, probably, that we’ve had in a while.” The Ravens aren’t fielding a menacing pass rush that has risen to the elite of the league. They’re still a bottom-third squad in pass rush win rate (34%), according to ESPN metrics. Injured Tavius Robinson should provide reinforcement when he returns, either getting his hands on the quarterback or by standing out in the way he has the past two seasons by opening rush lanes for his teammates. Harbaugh expects to have Robinson, who broke his foot against the Rams, back off injured reserve soon. Whether this corner turned is enough to be a difference-maker in a playoff game remains to be seen. Yet, for a team on a five-game winning streak with holes that justify reasons for pessimism, there have been tangible steps forward from Baltimore’s pass rush. Orr called it a “building block.” “Definitely was good to affect the quarterback,” he said, “and you see what that does for the defense when you’re able to actually get pressure and hit him.” Quick fix might’ve been a stretch. But they’re starting to click just in time. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is sacked by Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton. The Ravens have generated more pressure on quarterbacks in recent weeks. (David Richard/AP) View the full article Quote
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