One of the biggest issues for the Baltimore Ravens’ defense last weekend highlighted their struggles to work together effectively.
During an important third-down play near the end of the third quarter, linebacker Odafe Oweh was late to get into his position. He was running along the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped, leaving a large gap in the secondary that Cleveland’s Cedric Tillman took advantage of for a 22-yard touchdown catch.
“You want to reduce those kinds of mistakes as the season goes on,” said defensive coordinator Zach Orr. “The ball was in the middle of the field, and the defensive line had trouble getting set.
The offense moved quickly, and we weren’t aligned, which led to a bad outcome. We can learn from this and say it won’t happen again, but we need to show that we can do better.”
After a 29-24 loss to Cleveland, which ended their five-game winning streak, there is a new urgency to address Baltimore’s defensive issues.
With several key players gone after the offseason, the Ravens have had to adjust, and as the 2024 season reaches its midpoint, there’s still a lot of work to do on defense. They are currently among the worst in the league, allowing an average of 361.3 yards and 26.1 points per game.
The Ravens faced challenges after losing linebacker Patrick Queen and pass-rushing star Jadeveon Clowney to free agency. There were also changes in the coaching staff, including the departure of defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who took a head coach position in Seattle, along with two other defensive assistants who went on to become coordinators elsewhere.
Baltimore still has strong players at all three positions on defense — Nnamdi Madubuike on the line, Roquan Smith at linebacker, and Kyle Hamilton in the secondary are key figures to build around. This season has been strange in terms of stats, as the Ravens are ranked No. 1 in the league against the run but last against the pass. Part of this is due to their high-scoring offense giving them leads, forcing opponents to pass more.
Last weekend, the Ravens struggled to maintain their leads of 10-6, 17-13, and 24-23 in the second half. Jameis Winston threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns for Cleveland. Baltimore missed several chances for interceptions, including one dropped by Hamilton right before the Browns scored the winning touchdown.
Holding onto interceptions has been a problem for the Ravens this year, even though they have forced some key turnovers, which may be hiding larger issues on defense.
“Picks are cool, but picks don’t tell the whole story of the game, and we’re close to the bottom of the league right now in pass yards per game as a defense, and that’s something that picks aren’t just going to solve,” Hamilton said. “You’re not just going to go out and get a pick every possession.”
This weekend, the Ravens will face Denver, a team that has been strong defensively. The Broncos have a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix, who has been improving lately. After Winston’s performance, Baltimore needs to be careful and not underestimate any quarterback.
This game is also important because it’s the last one for the Ravens before the trade deadline next week. Baltimore might be looking to make some changes before then.
“I honestly, truly believe that with the coaches and the players that we have, it’s going (to) come together, and it’s going (to) come together at the right time,” Orr said. “And it’s going (to) be big for us down this last half of the season.”
