Where will the defense rank at the end of the season?

[YoCo757]

We only face two of the top 10 scoring offenses in the league in the remaining schedule (Bengals and Browns, who could probably drop out of the top 10).

The Browns will have Watson as their starter, and Burrow will have Chase back when we face both those teams again. Watson-to-Cooper has me plenty concerned, especially with Chubb and likely Njoku on the field as well. That has the potential to be one hell of a headache. Plus, we know all to painfully well how Burrow & Chase annihilated this team last year. And I can't overlook the Falcons, who are a fringe top-10 offense (scoring).
As far as the other opponents- PIT, DEN, and JAX shouldn't be too much trouble for this defense to hold down. (Let's hope the offense does their part)

Go Ravens!

[NgataAtFullback]

Top 5 in points allowed. We're currently #10.

Maybe #1 or 2 overall in takeaways and point differential. currently #2 in differential and #3 in total takeaways.

I think total yards is a bit misleading for this team, who has had at least a 10-point lead in every game so far. we've been forcing other teams to throw the ball, and sometimes letting them complete underneath stuff when we're up a couple of scores late. if we can finally get Dobbins and Edwards back and run the ball more effectively I think yards will go down a bit, but I don't think it's a problem if we're in the middle of the pack, as long as turnover stay high, and scoring is low

[JimZipCode]

Think it’s unlikely we get there because of how bad the early season stuff was but I would say that I think going into the playoffs we will all feel this is the best defense in the league, regardless of our official ranking.

That's how I see it.

In 1983 the Raiders acquired corner Mike Haynes from the Patriots in a trade-deadline deal for multiple draft picks, including their 1984 first-rounder. Haynes was the missing piece for a Raiders defense that already had Howie Long & Lyle Alzado & Greg Townsend & Lester Hayes & Vann McElroy & Rod Martin. With Haynes & Lester Hayes, the Raiders now had TWO shutdown corners. Suddenly they were the best defense in football. They shut everybody down en route to a win in SB XVIII. They stomped a Redskins team 38-9 that had set a scoring record on the season, and that had beaten them once in the reg season 37-35.

Adding one guy – not just any guy, but a second-team All-Pro at a position of weakness – can suddenly solidify a whole defense and turn it into a dominant unit.

That's what I'm thinking of for Roquan Smith on the Ravens defense for the rest of the year. Their early-season numbers might drag down their overall ranking too much for them to be rated tops on the year. But they can be the most dominant defense in the playoffs, and that's good enough.

Defense wins championships.

---

Football Outsiders has us as the #11 overall defense: 8th v pass, 14th v rush. I think we've been climbing, but haven't really tracked it closely.

By the way, their list of top-ten pass defenses includes a bunch of Ravens opponents:

1. Pats
5. Jets
6. Tampa
7. Buffalo
10. Cincy

Maybe in some of these games Greg Roman hasn't been all that bad: maybe the opposing defenses have been that good. ��

Our game 12 (after Jax) opponent Denver checks in at #4. Something to keep in mind.

[Jfoh]

On average we will be about tenth for the season. If you just look at the last eight games a top three defense. This defense is starting to play dominate defense right now against lower level competition and will be hitting on all cylinders. It is starting to look like this team will go as far in post season as the defense can carry them. The offense is no going to be the driving force from what I have seen in the last six games. Game managers not game dominators.

[StalkRavenMad]

The Browns will have Watson as their starter, and Burrow will have Chase back when we face both those teams again. Watson-to-Cooper has me plenty concerned, especially with Chubb and likely Njoku on the field as well. That has the potential to be one hell of a headache. Plus, we know all to painfully well how Burrow & Chase annihilated this team last year. And I can't overlook the Falcons, who are a fringe top-10 offense (scoring).
As far as the other opponents- PIT, DEN, and JAX shouldn't be too much trouble for this defense to hold down. (Let's hope the offense does their part)

Go Ravens!

EDC got Roquan Smith specifically for those offenses. I can't wait to play them to see how this defense fares. I'm really confident that we will be able hold the top offenses to 14-17 pts. If we're healthy we're good. Marlon is the shut down corner. Marcus is still a good CB. We will have MW over the top and Kyle has been playing great in the slot. Woth RoQuan we can carry TE down the seam and cover RBs. Roquan has seemed to unlock PQ as I though he would and we have been getting good pressure. Lastly you can't underestimate the pride these guys have. They know last year and the beginning of this year they didn't play well at all. They are back to playing Ravens defense. I say they will get high as 5 but everybody will be RAVEN (pun intended) about how great this defense is.

[PGCountyRaven85]

That's how I see it.

In 1983 the Raiders acquired corner Mike Haynes from the Patriots in a trade-deadline deal for multiple draft picks, including their 1984 first-rounder. Haynes was the missing piece for a Raiders defense that already had Howie Long & Lyle Alzado & Greg Townsend & Lester Hayes & Vann McElroy & Rod Martin. With Haynes & Lester Hayes, the Raiders now had TWO shutdown corners. Suddenly they were the best defense in football. They shut everybody down en route to a win in SB XVIII. They stomped a Redskins team 38-9 that had set a scoring record on the season, and that had beaten them once in the reg season 37-35.

Adding one guy – not just any guy, but a second-team All-Pro at a position of weakness – can suddenly solidify a whole defense and turn it into a dominant unit.

That's what I'm thinking of for Roquan Smith on the Ravens defense for the rest of the year. Their early-season numbers might drag down their overall ranking too much for them to be rated tops on the year. But they can be the most dominant defense in the playoffs, and that's good enough.

Defense wins championships.

---

Football Outsiders has us as the #11 overall defense: 8th v pass, 14th v rush. I think we've been climbing, but haven't really tracked it closely.

By the way, their list of top-ten pass defenses includes a bunch of Ravens opponents:

1. Pats
5. Jets
6. Tampa
7. Buffalo
10. Cincy

Maybe in some of these games Greg Roman hasn't been all that bad: maybe the opposing defenses have been that good. ��

Our game 12 (after Jax) opponent Denver checks in at #4. Something to keep in mind.

Will be able to run the football all over Denver.


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[PGCountyRaven85]

EDC got Roquan Smith specifically for those offenses. I can't wait to play them to see how this defense fares. I'm really confident that we will be able hold the top offenses to 14-17 pts. If we're healthy we're good. Marlon is the shut down corner. Marcus is still a good CB. We will have MW over the top and Kyle has been playing great in the slot. Woth RoQuan we can carry TE down the seam and cover RBs. Roquan has seemed to unlock PQ as I though he would and we have been getting good pressure. Lastly you can't underestimate the pride these guys have. They know last year and the beginning of this year they didn't play well at all. They are back to playing Ravens defense. I say they will get high as 5 but everybody will be RAVEN (pun intended) about how great this defense is.

Yep, they got Roquan specifically for Cincy, KC and Buffalo. They had to have a man underneath in the middle to limit opposing running games and TEs so they can keep the two man shell over the top. The ROI so far has been great.


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[rhapsody]

In early January, the green-eye shade crowd poring over the numbers will be misled. We will be highly regarded but still underrated because of the misleading 4th quarter against Miami in game 2. There was no "hiccup" then by anyone you would count on, no growing pains except perhaps for Hamilton, and no blunder by McDonald. There was a weird perfect storm: No Humphrey, no Peters, no Stephens. We had guys hardly ready to play in J A-D, P Williams and Daryl Worley having to face Tua, Tyreek Hill and Waddle. A pure Asa and Chykie Show for 28 points.

If Marcus Williams returns we will have a/the top D.

We have assembled now what promises to be great, perhaps the best sextet of players covering short to intermediate passing - Roquan, Queen, Bowser, Hamilton, Humphrey, Peters - that a Baltimore pro football team has ever had.

(We don't have to match the 2000 D to be excited. Even Huntley > Dilfer.)

[simplesimon]

The Ravens defense is much different than earlier in the season. With Buffalo's defense declining, the Ravens are no doubt the best in the league now. With Marcus Robinson and Ojabo eventually joining, I can't see any team scoring more than 13 points against them, as long as Brandon Stephens isn't out their a lot in the secondary.