ExtremeRavens Posted 5 hours ago Posted 5 hours ago It wasn’t until after Sunday’s game in Cincinnati that Ravens outside linebacker Tavius Robinson even knew that Kyle Van Noy was the one who intercepted a Joe Burrow pass that safety Alohi Gilman returned for a backbreaking touchdown midway through the fourth quarter of the 24-0 victory. There was a good reason. Robinson was too busy taking Burrow to the Paycor Stadium turf. By the time the third-year fourth-round pick who’d missed the previous eight games because of a broken foot suffered in Week 6 started to pick himself up to one knee, he saw Gilman already with the ball racing down the sideline for the 84-yard score. Robinson’s stats from the contest — two pressures, per Pro Football Focus, one sack, one tackle — hardly jump off the page. But there were myriad ways in which he contributed in notable if only occasionally impactful ways. He is not a game-wrecker the way defensive tackle Travis Jones can be, or even the same kind of pass-rush threat that Dre’Mont Jones has been at times. However, the “glass eater” moniker supplied by pass rush coach Chuck Smith is apt. There were a few examples Sunday. On Van Noy’s interception, the outcome was as much about the play call from defensive coordinator Zach Orr as Robinson’s role in it. Facing a third-and-goal from the Ravens’ 7-yard line and already trailing 17-0 with just 7:55 remaining, linebacker Trenton Simpson blitzed from the edge to draw the attention of left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. That caused left guard Dylan Fairchild to have to decide between blocking Robinson or the seemingly blitzing Van Noy. He chose the latter. Except Van Noy wasn’t blitzing and after taking a step toward the line instead dropped into coverage. By the time Robinson turned back to Robinson, it was too late and the 6-foot-6 linebacker closed in on Burrow, who threw desperately over the middle for tight end Mike Gesicki on a crossing route. Van Noy was waiting, caught it, then handed it to the much faster Gilman. “He had two or three pressures out there, I think, and was just running around making plays,” coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “He was very physical, and to come back like that, his first game getting back and to make a difference … I do believe that the pressure is what causes the opportunity for turnovers.” Robinson was also notable for what he didn’t do. The Ravens surrendered just 3.4 yards per carry on the ground against the Bengals. Chase Brown’s longest run of the day was a 10-yard carry in the second quarter, a play Robinson wasn’t even on the field for. When he was, he held the edge and the Bengals’ lackluster ground game never got a chance to get untracked. Of course, whether he’s able to do the same against the AFC East leading 11-3 New England Patriots and their much-improved offensive line as well as explosive rookie back TreVeyon Henderson on Sunday night remains to be seen, but his first step back was a solid one. There were other ways, too, that Robinson impacted the game that were less tangible. Several times, the Ravens deployed him on the interior, alongside Travis Jones and with usually Dre’Mont Jones lined up outside him on the edge, a move that helped Dre’Mont Jones wrack up a half-dozen pressures on the day, per PFF. Travis Jones benefitted sometimes, too. On a second-and-9 with 1:29 left in the third quarter, he was left one-on-one with his man and the defensive tackle powered by on the inside to get in Burrow’s face, forcing a hurried throw to Ja’Marr Chase that fell incomplete. Never seen a hand-off on a pick-6 this smooth BALvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/DfxhsQXjAV — NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025 Earlier, and near the end of the first half, Robinson occupied two Bengals offensive lineman, clearing a path for Van Noy to charge through the middle to disrupt another pass attempt. Robinson also got his first sack since Week 4. With just under 4 minutes left in the opening quarter of a scoreless game and the Bengals facing a third-and-4 from the Ravens’ 25-yard line, safety Kyle Hamilton lined up near the line of scrimmage, a move that drew the attention of Brown. With the tackle and guard seemingly focused elsewhere, Robinson raced through practically untouched and knocked Cincinnati out of field goal range. “After I got the sack, I ran out the field, hugged all the trainers that were with me from Day 1 when I said, ‘Look, I’m going to be annoying. I’m going to be in here as many hours as possible to get this foot right.’ So, I went over there, hugged all those guys,” he said after the game. “It felt great to be out there. I lost my voice yelling so much. I was trying to juice up the guys and all that.” He also showed some juice. On a third-and-4 from Baltimore’s 25 with 4:10 remaining in the first quarter, he tirelessly worked his way across the line, chased down Burrow and held him to a 1-yard gain. The play was wiped out by offsetting penalties but it was emblematic of Robinson’s hustle much of the day. Add it all up and Hamilton had an interesting comparison. “If I had to give him an NBA comp, probably like a Jalen Duren or Dennis Rodman,” he said. “Guys who just eat glass and do the dirty work, and at the end of the game you look up and they’ve got good numbers. Team guy, super physical.” In other words, something the defense will need over the next few weeks if the Ravens hope to get into the playoffs. 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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