Ravens Focused on Crucial Area of Improvement

The Baltimore Ravens' strong secondary has shown some holes so far.

Sep 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks (3) is tackled after a reception by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens (21) during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

For how talented the Baltimore Ravens' secondary is, the unit's performance thus far leaves something to be desired.

Granted, the defense as a whole is a work in progress with a new defensive coordiantor in Zach Orr and several new pieces all over the field. Still, few could've predicted that the Ravens would be dead last in passing defense with 291.7 yards allowed per game, a whopping 36 yards more than the 31st-ranked Washington Commanders.

One of the chief causes of that poor pass defense is a struggle to defend over the middle, as all three quarterbacks Baltimore has faced so far did a ton of damage between the numbers. According to the Ravens' website, Patrick Mahomes completed 14 of 17 passes for 201 yards over the middle in Week 1, Gardner Minshew completed 15 of 17 for 119 yards, a touchdown and an interception in Week 2, and Dak Prescott completed 17 of 26 for 263 yards and a touchdown.

No way around it, the Ravens have to tighten up the middle of the field to reach their goals, and Orr knows it.

"Some of it I would say is [about a] good call on the offense versus what we're in as a defense," Orr told reporters. "Sometimes that happens; you make a call, and they're in a good play for that coverage or that pressure, and then sometimes we just have to play some techniques better, and we have to coach some techniques better.

"Obviously, we talk about the middle of the field is the easiest part for the quarterback to complete a pass, so we want to pack the paint, and we haven't done a good enough job of doing that this year. It goes into the same deal as finishing games. I think that goes hand in hand. We have to protect the middle of the field, make the quarterbacks throw the ball outside and take our chances with that."

Orr emphasizes that the struggles over the middle don't solely fall on any one position group, but it will take a group effort to patch up that hole.

"Like I said, it's a collective effort," Orr said. "It's not just the linebackers; it's not just the DBs. A lot of times, it's the call as well, so we're all trying to collaborate and work together to make this thing right."

The Ravens host Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, who lead the league in scoring with 37.3 points per game, in what should be a great test for a defense still finding its footing.

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