Raven Country

Ravens DC Addresses Communication Issues

The Baltimore Ravens' defense has looked out of sorts at multiple points this season.

Jon Alfano

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) celebrates after a catch against Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) during the first half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) celebrates after a catch against Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) during the first half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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To call the Baltimore Ravens' defensive performance last week against the Cleveland Browns one to forget would be putting it lightly.

Against a Browns team breaking in a new quarterback and offensive play-caller, the Ravens allowed 401 total yards and 29 points, both by far the best marks of the season for Cleveland. Once again, the secondary struggled tremendously, allowing Jameis Winston to tear them up to the tune of 334 yards and three touchdowns. Cedric Tillman also had himself a day, catching seven passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns including the game-winner.

However, it was Tillman's other touchdown potentially that's more concerning. On that play, the Ravens' defense wasn't set before the snap as Tillman took a short slant route 22 yards to the house.

Many understandably saw the Ravens not being set as an indictment of first-year coordinator Zach Orr. When asked about the communication issues Thursday, Orr showed confidence that he and his unit will iron them out in time.

"It's unfortunate; it's unfortunate," Orr said. "Obviously, we want to make sure that we get lined up. I got to make sure I get the call in fast enough for those guys, so it's a combination of those things. I think that we have a good resolution to those problems – getting the call in fast; keeping things simple and then going out there and executing.

"Obviously, it's costing us at critical points of the game, so I've got to do a better job, and we've got to do a better job of executing and with the communication, and I think that we got a great plan going forward to make sure that we take care of that, because you want to be able to be lined up to give yourself a chance. If you're not lined up, you're giving the offense the easy way off the hook."

Orr's already taken a lot of heat for his defense's performance this season, as it went from one of the best last season to now one of the worst. Once again, though, Orr stressed patience when asked about his unit's overall performance.

"My answer would be, 'Even though you're putting in the work, everything doesn't come together as fast as you may want it to,'" Orr said. "All you can do is continue to grind [and] continue to chase perfection and continue to work at it – and that's what we're doing. We know that the work that we're putting in [and] the attention to detail that we're doing is going to pay off.

"Obviously I sound like a broken record – I've been saying that for a couple of weeks – but I honestly, truly believe that with the coaches and the players that we have, it's going [to] come together, and it's going [to] come together at the right time, and it's going [to] be big for us down this last half of the season."

Now halfway through the season, time is not on Orr's side. This defense could make or break the Ravens' championship ambitions, and with everything the unit has shown thus far, the latter looks a lot more likely.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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