Raven Country

Former QB Slams Ravens Defense

The Baltimore Ravens' defense has been an unexpected weakness this season.

Jon Alfano

Oct 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) drops an interception during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Oct 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) drops an interception during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
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It's hard to think of a bigger year-to-year drop off than what the Baltimore Ravens' defense is currently experiencing.

Last season, the Ravens' defense was one of the best in franchise history as they led the league in points allowed (16.5 per game) and takeaways (31) while finishing near the top in many other key stats.

This season, the story couldn't be any more different. Through Week 8, Baltimore has allowed the most passing yards in the league (291.4 per game) and ranks near the bottom in most key stats. The run defense has been rock-solid, but the pass defense has been nothing short of atrocious.

After allowing 29 points and 401 yards to the Cleveland Browns, who were breaking in a new quarterback and offensive play-caller, Baltimore's defense has garnered even more criticism. Much of that criticism has been directed at defensive coordinator Zach Orr, who's in his first year on the job.

On ESPN's "First Take," former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky slammed Orr's defense for being "predictable," specifically noting how he brought pressure on six straight plays late in the game.

“I think you gotta pin part of that loss late on their defensive coordinator Zach Orr,” Orlovsky said. “I think their defense got predictable … I just think as an offensive perspective, you run an all-out pressure six times in a row, at some point, you become very predictable and I bank on you doing that, and I think that puts your defense at a disadvantage.”

Orr, 32, has not been able to maintain the same level of success as his predecessor Mike Macdonald, who became the Seattle Seahawks' head coach this offseason. On one hand, his shortcomings have been apparent, and not even just the play-calling. For example, the Ravens weren't lined up properly for one of Cleveland's touchdowns on Sunday, and it's hard to blame that on anything other than coaching.

On the other hand, the players aren't free of blame either. Just in Sunday's game alone, there were quite a few blown coverages and several dropped interceptions.

There's a lot of problems for the Ravens' defense to address, and while Orr's first season hasn't been great, it seems unlikely they'll pull the plug on him mid-season.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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