The Baltimore Ravens have made significant strides in their defensive performance, culminating in a bold trade and a remarkable turnaround on the field. On October 7, the team went all-in by trading away former first-round pick Odafe Oweh. They traded him to the Los Angeles Chargers for safety Alohi Gilman. This release has been the catalyst for the Ravens’ reawakening. They’ve turned things around on the defensive side of the ball and clawed their way back into the playoff picture.
The Ravens had a putrid 44-10 defeat at the hands of the Houston Texans in Week 4. After that loss, head coach John Harbaugh was under fire for failing to fire his defensive coaching staff. Instead of rehiring and reshuffling his personnel, the Ravens went all-in on getting their defense back to top form with precision player transactions. Since Gilman entered the rotation, standout rookie Kyle Hamilton has excelled in various roles. His contributions have had everything to do with Baltimore’s overall defensive success.
In their last four games, the Ravens have opportunistically seized eight turnovers. This is no small feat given that it’s an enormous improvement over their two takeaways in the first five games combined. This change has created a radical transformation in points allowed. Further, the now-stifling team has only given up an average of 14.5 points per game to their opponents over this stretch. That performance would rank them third in the league in points allowed during that timeframe.
In last Saturday’s playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings, the Ravens showed off their defensive domination. Most notably, they picked off 13 passes and batted down four more at the line of scrimmage. On top of that, they harassed Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy 12 times. This fast and furious style of play was a key part in their emergence as one of the league’s best teams at creating turnovers.
Hamilton’s adaptability has been key to this change. So far he’s only played 115 snaps as an outside linebacker. On top of that, he’s provided 78 slot CB snaps and 198 snaps at safety this year. His capacity to create pressure, 23 times since Week 8, now paces all NFL defensive backs in that department. This preemptive formation maneuvering has enabled him to majorly shift the disruption window for opposing offenses.
“I think we’re starting to hit our stride,” – Kyle Hamilton
The Ravens would actually have an excellent opportunity to continue defensively trending positively over the next two weeks. Among their future foes, quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Justin Fields are in the bottom five for Total QBR. Both potential matchups would be winnable for Baltimore, letting the Ravens ride their recent wave of elite defensive performances and inching them closer to a playoff berth.
From a dismal start of 1-5, the Ravens have now won three consecutive games, closing the gap on the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers. Their much better defense has played a huge part in this turnaround. This would entail a massive increase in their playoff odds to 64.1%, per ESPN Analytics.
Marlon Humphrey, one of the anchors of the Ravens secondary, knows what they’re capable of. He thinks they can maintain this year’s performance, at the least.
“We’ve been planning these celebrations, which means we’re planning to make the plays,” – Marlon Humphrey
Even after speculation over his own coaching staff after the sacking of Texans, Harbaugh is a strong believer about what his team could achieve.
“I do not think that that’s the answer,” – John Harbaugh
That’s why he made extra sure to preach versatility and flexibility to players. That’s better – overcome this humanizing quality. Almost every player we focus on has this talent.
So while the Ravens have high expectations for the rest of their season, they should tread carefully on any feeling of “arrival.” Hamilton acknowledged that although they are doing good now, consistency is key to long-term success.
“It’s not a surprise to us. I think we’re playing to our potential now, and that has to be sustained.” – Kyle Hamilton
The Ravens’ recent defensive makeover is about more than just counting stats. It’s a statement of fostering a culture of greatness, versatility and evolution. Baltimore is looking ahead to some key matchups. On the field, they are hoping and praying that their newly revamped defense continues to produce world-beating results.
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