Samuel Njoku: Ravens Can Lean on Defense to Pave Way to Playoffs

Ravens defense playing at a high level.

BALTIMORE — Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson suffered a minor knee injury in the victory against the Denver Broncos that will likely sideline him for at least Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh. 

That is bad news considering the Cincinnati Bengals are beginning to gain momentum. If the Ravens want to fend off the Bengals and reclaim a division title, they’ll have to rely heavily on a defense that has held opposing offenses without a touchdown in two of the past three games.

"It feels good as a unit when you keep another offensive unit out of the end zone,” Chuck Clark told a group of reporters on Wednesday. “You know, those guys get paid over there too to score, so when you keep them from scoring – which is the objective of the game – it feels good for us. We feel like we did something, but at the end of the day, we know we have to keep stacking those, too."

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Stacking performances like that will be paramount, especially considering the team will be without their All-Pro QB for the foreseeable future. Earlier in the year, relying on this unit would have appeared foolish considering how they were performing. But as the season progressed, they’ve evolved into a formidable defense. Just ask defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald.

“You have to be able to evolve and adapt – it's the NFL,” stated defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald on Thursday. “We've had a little bit more consistency throughout from week to week, and guys understand how we're going to play different things. When you know what the guy is going to do next to you, and you know who that's going to be, that helps. That makes a difference."

Up next will be the Pittsburgh Steelers who have run the ball considerably well. They’ve averaged over 156 yards over the past 5 weeks and will look to continue that success against a Ravens defense that ranks 2nd in the NFL against the rush. Gone are the days of Big Ben and Terrell Suggs so the game lacks the intensity of years past. But the Steelers have beaten the Ravens 4 straight times. This Ravens defense wants to make sure that streak dies on Sunday.

"It definitely has been brought up, for sure, said Ravens safety Chuck Clark. “That's the truth; you can't hide from the truth and what the record has been. We have to go out there and change that."