Ravens DC Sets New Turnover Goal

The Baltimore Ravens want to take the ball out of their opponents' hands more often.

Oct 21, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) reacts after a interception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens' offense has been nothing short of outstanding this season, but the defense? Not quite.

Everyone knows about the Ravens' struggles in pass defense, as they've allowed 287.1 yards per game to rank dead last in the league. Another problem, and a somewhat related one, is their lack of takeaways. They've forced just seven turnovers (five interceptions, two fumble recoveries) in as many games, putting them on pace to finish the season with 17. For context, the Green Bay Packers already have 17 takeaways to lead the league.

It goes without saying, but the Ravens want to take the ball out of their opponents' hands far more often. After two interceptions in Monday night's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both by Marlon Humphrey, they feel they're on the right track in the turnover department.

"It's like, at the end of the day, if you want to play good defense, yes, you can stop people and get people off the field, but the best way to play good defense is [to] get the ball," defensive coordinator Zach Orr told reporters Thursday. "The most important thing in football is the football, and our job is to take the ball away and give the ball back to the offense. So, two takeaways like that just shows our guys that [if] you take the ball away, you can change the game."

The Ravens had 31 takeaways (18 interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries) last season, tied for the most in the league with the New York Giants. The defense has undergone a lot of turnover since then, but it's still a drastic drop-off.

Still, there are other, potentially even bigger, problems to address on defense. Not only against the pass, but closing out games as well. Baltimore allowed 21 fourth-quarter points to Tampa Bay, and that simply can't happen going forward.

"So, we've definitely got to finish better," Orr said. "It's something that we have to do if we want to be the team that we want to be. We have to finish and close out games on defense. But we'll look at it now – this is, what, Week 8 – and just kind of like I said, it's not how you start; it's how you finish. We're looking [at] finishing strong the rest of the season, especially in the fourth quarter."

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