The Baltimore Ravens are top of the AFC North and flying high. After winning four games in a row, the Ravens are slowly turning into serious Super Bowl contenders, and their star quarterback thinks Baltimore’s defense has a lot to do with it, despite not getting the recognition it deserves.
Lamar Jackson described the Raven’s defense as one with no real weakness. Much has been said about the Ravens, but the 2019 NFL MVP said that they wouldn’t be where they are if it wasn’t for the team’s defense.
Playing Against the Best NFL Defense Every Day
When Jackson was asked how the defense made them better, he replied that everyone in the defensive line, from the linebackers to the secondary “were flying around” during practice. They were also frequently “disguising defenses,”so, what seemed like one coverage, was, in fact, something else.
Jackson also praised his teammates for the way they timed up their blitzes, adding that playing against their defense in practice was almost identical to playing against the most motivated defenses during games. So, they got to see “one of the best defenses every day.”
Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has been praised for the way he disguises defensive plays and disrupts the opposition and, for many, is the reason why Baltimore is so good in defense.
The Ravens are first in fewest points per game allowed and have the most sacks per game, while they are second in total and passing yards allowed.
Linebacker Thinks Ravens Can Earn Respect by Winning Things
Linebacker Patrick Queen shared Jackson’s sentiments about teams not realizing how good their defense is. He said that if they played the way they could and as hard as they could every day, there would be no one to stop them but themselves.
Unlike Jackson, Queen thought that the Ravens’ defense was getting more respect, but that it still wasn’t the respect they wanted. And the only way to do that according to Queen was to accomplish more things.
The Ultimate Defensive Match-Up
The Ravens’ match-up with the Cleveland Browns on Sunday will be the ultimate test for Baltimore, as the Browns have one of the best defensive units in the NFL and are the only team in the league that is better than the Ravens in total and passing yards allowed per game. In many ways, it will allow Jackson and his teammates from the offense to feel just as if they do every day in practice.
Queen, for one, is quite fired up to take on the Browns but would leave his pads do the talking. The Ravens linebacker said they wanted to “go out there and dominate one play at a time,” trash-talking not excluded.
The two teams already faced each other this season in Week 3 when the Ravens destroyed the Browns, who were without their quarterback, Deshaun Watson, and cruised to a 28-3 victory.
Jackson, Queen, and the rest of the Ravens would sure enjoy a repeat but probably know they will get their fair share of bruises and black eyes in the process.
