Before Baltimore’s game at Houston on Christmas Day turned into a blowout, the Ravens’ defense faced a real challenge.
It was fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line when a swing pass to Joe Mixon was intercepted by safety Ar’Darius Washington. He stopped Mixon along the sideline, and then Tre’Davious White finished the job, pushing Mixon out of bounds at the 1-yard line.
Defensive coordinator Zach Orr was so happy with the play that he jumped up to congratulate Washington, but ended up falling to the ground.
“I’m not going to lie — I fell pretty hard — so I was a little worried at first,” Orr said. “Couple of days later I thought, ‘I hope I didn’t hurt anything too serious,’ but I’m good.”
The Ravens’ defense had a lot to celebrate after their 31-2 victory against the Texans last week. For Washington, this season has been a breakthrough year. He joined the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2021. Now, he’s made nine starts this season and helped stabilize a secondary that had been struggling.
“Not being drafted, it kind of just sent me in a dark place. So, when I got here, all I wanted to do was prove myself and go out there and play football,” Washington said.
“I was kind of down for about two months or so, I’ll say, but then, when I got here, I just wanted to play ball and prove myself and go out there and ultimately become a starter, as I am now. Some injuries had come along the way and kind of stumped that, but now I’m here.”
Since Week 11 of this season, when Washington started playing almost every defensive snap, the Ravens have allowed the fewest points (16.3) and the fewest net yards (267) per game in the league. They’ve also given up the lowest passer rating of 75.5.
This is a big turnaround for a defense that struggled with big passing plays earlier in the season against teams like Dallas, Cincinnati, Tampa Bay, and Cleveland.
A few days before the game in Houston, Washington made another key play in a big win over Pittsburgh, forcing a fumble by Russell Wilson near the goal line, which turned out to be a critical moment in the game.
“He’s always played well,” coach John Harbaugh said. “He had the injuries a couple of years, but he’s always played well when he’s gotten his chances. He practices well. I don’t think anybody’s surprised by it. I’m happy to see it happen, though. He’s playing great football.”
Washington said he didn’t remember Orr jumping toward him after his big play against Houston.
“We both kind of blacked out,” Washington said. “A reporter asked me after the game, ‘Did you see Zach or anything?’ I was like, ‘No, I didn’t even see him.’ So, I got back to my phone, and I checked. I said, ‘Oh, this is what she was talking about.’”
Luckily for the Ravens, Washington doesn’t miss much on the field. He says good communication with fellow safety Kyle Hamilton is a key to their success together. After their strong performance last week, Baltimore now has a chance to clinch the AFC North title with a win over Cleveland in Saturday’s regular-season finale.
As his role has grown, Washington’s confidence seems to have grown with it — benefiting the team.
“It makes you feel good,” Washington said. “Showing that I’m playing a part in the big turnaround that we’ve had this season — for sure.”
