Ravens Defense Could Be Difference Between Super Bowl or Bust

The Baltimore Ravens are heading to the playoffs as the NFL’s best team, earning the AFC’s number one seed and bye. This means that the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC conference will run through Baltimore. The Lamar Jackson-led Ravens had an NFL-best six-game win streak (before their Week 18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers), beating teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, and Miami Dolphins (dominating the latter two teams).

In perhaps their most impressive win of the season, the Ravens traveled to Santa Clara to face the 49ers, who, at the time, were the best team in football. They came out of Levi’s Stadium with a 33-19 victory, completely shutting down the San Francisco offense. The defense, which has been arguably the best in the league, forced five turnovers including four interceptions thrown by Brock Purdy, with All-Pro to-be Safety Kyle Hamilton picking off two of the four. Jackson made a statement in the MVP race, throwing for 252 yards and two touchdowns. The following week, however, was all about Lamar. 

The Ravens headed back to Charm City to face the explosive Dolphins with the AFC North and number one seed both on the line. The Baltimore offense came out on fire, scoring eight touchdowns out of their 13 drives, on the way to a dominating 56-19 win, throttling Miami. Lamar further cemented his case for becoming this season’s MVP by throwing for 321 yards and five touchdowns. Rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers also had an outstanding game, having a 75-yard catch-and-run score. The defense once again shut down one of the top offenses in the league, forcing Tua Tagovailoa to two interceptions and three turnovers overall. 

The hero of the season has been Lamar Jackson, and deservedly so, but the team’s defense has been the most dominant and could be the difference between a Super Bowl or bust. The defense led the league in sacks (60), points allowed per game (16.5), and takeaways (31, tied with the New York Giants), becoming the first team in modern NFL history to lead all three of those categories. The defense was anchored by the likes of defensive tackle Justin Madubuike (who led the team in sacks with 13), linebacker Roquan Smith, and Hamilton. All three are most likely first-team All-Pro selections. Hamilton, one of the league’s best safeties in only his second season, also had 10 tackles for loss, showcasing his incredible versatility all over the field.

Other notable players on the defense include safety Geno Stone, who at one point led the league in interceptions, linebacker Patrick Queen, and Jadeveon Clowney, who tied his career high in sacks with 9.5. Along with Madubuike and Clowney, two others on the line have at least five sacks (Kyle Van Noy with nine and Odafeh Oweh with five) making everyone on the line a threat to get to the quarterback. They also have one of the best linebacking duos in Smith and Queen who both led the team in tackles with 158 and 133 respectively. Together, Hamilton, Stone, safety Marcus Williams, and cornerbacks Brandon Stephens and Marlon Humphrey form a versatile secondary. They can get to the quarterback and take the ball away at any moment, making this a nice recipe for success heading into the playoffs. 

Next, the Ravens host the Houston Texans, who dominated the Cleveland Browns 45-14. Quarterback C.J. Stroud was perfect in his playoff debut and has led his team as a rookie into one of the most promising teams in the NFL. The Ravens played Houston in week one, but will now be proper competition for the Texans due to their improvement. Kickoff is this Saturday at 4:30 PM on ESPN/ABC, and it should be a great game as the league’s best defense hosts one of the league’s best up-and-coming offenses.