Ravens DC Ready for First (Massive) Challenge

New Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr will have a trial by fire against the back-to-back champs.

Sep 11, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Zach Orr (54) reacts after Buffalo Bills kicker Dan Carpenter (not pictured) missed a field goal during the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens won 13-7. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout the offseason, Zach Orr has acclimated himself to life as the Baltimore Ravens' new defensive coordinator. Now, he faces his first big test, and it's definitely a doozy.

In a trial by fire, Orr's first game as defensive coordiantor will come on the road against the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City's offense, which features both the league's best quarterback in Patrick Mahomes and best tight end in Travis Kelce, needs no introduction, and Orr will have his hands full trying to contain them and other stars.

Orr, though, has been preparing for this moment for months now, and his players know he'll be up to the challenge.

"[He's going to] step up to the plate, and whatever comes, he's going to throw everything he's got," linebacker Roquan Smith said, per ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "He's going to be prepared for them like no other. I've got the utmost respect for him and the utmost confidence that he's going to do the job with flying colors. I don't think there's any other questions to be asked about that."

Orr, a former second-team All-Pro linebacker, is one of the youngest coordinators in the league at just 32 years old. Despite being younger than some of the players he's coaching, he's made a strong first impression and already cultivated relationships with them.

"He has a relationship, I would say, with everybody on defense," veteran linebacker Kyle Van Noy said. "You don't see that everywhere you go. 'Z.O.' prides himself on communication. He's done a really good job of communicating what he wants done, and you better do it."

Orr will probably keep things pretty familiar to his predecssor Mike Macdonald, who became head coach of the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, but with his own twist. The biggest change will likely be the frequency of blitzes, as the Ravens blitzed just 21.9 percent of the time last season.

"He was an aggressive player, so I think that's what you're going to want to see him [be] as a [defensive] coordinator, is be aggressive," Van Noy said.

In addition to a revamped coaching staff, Baltimore's defense has seen a good deal of turnover in terms of players too. That said, the defense's confidence may be at an all-time high ahead of Orr's first season.

"Zach is a defensive mastermind," defensive tackle Justin Madubuike said. "He knows where to put us in positions to be successful. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our strengths. He knows how he can utilize us to play great on defense. I feel like our defense is going to be even better than last year."

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