The Baltimore Ravens have allowed the most points in the league (32.3 PPG) amid a 1-5 start, and that’s a major reason why the two-time defending AFC North champion’s season is on the brink in mid-October.
One league insider provided a potential solution to the problem in a conversation with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
“Baltimore needs to bring back Dean Pees,” the insider said.
The 76-year-old Pees was the team’s defensive coordinator from 2012-2017 (winning a Super Bowl in 2012) as well as a senior advisor last season.
Pees was hired on Oct. 9, 2024 after a rough start for the defense then, with Baltimore allowing 25.2 points per game over a 3-2 start. Baltimore’s defense fared far better over its final 12 games, giving up 19.2 points per game. The Ravens finished the season 12-5, won the AFC North and reached the Divisional Round.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin gave some credit to Pees for the Ravens’ defensive improvement last year during a Dec. 20 press conference.
“When I look at their more recent tape, I really see the Dean Pees influence in terms of umbrella defense minimizing big plays,” Tomlin said. “And I think the statistics since the last time we played them bear that out. Since the last time we played them, for example, they’re No. 2 in the league in pass defense. You don’t see it in totality, because it’s tracked over the course of the full season, but since the last time we played them, they’re second in the league, and what they’ve done is minimize big plays. And really, that’s quintessential Dean Pees.”
The Ravens’ defense was solid for most of Pees’ six years as DC, finishing top 12 in scoring defense five times with a high of sixth on two occasions.
This year’s team, unfortunately, has simply been devastated by injuries, with players such as Kyle Hamilton (one game), Roquan Smith (two games), Marlon Humphrey (one game) and Chidobe Awuzie (two games) all missing time. In addition, Nnamdi Madubuike is out for the season with a neck injury suffered in Week 2.
However, the Ravens simply haven’t fared well even when most or all of those players were on the field. Last week featured some improvement in a 17-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but this is also a team that’s allowed 37 or more points in four of its six games. The low point was a 44-10 defeat on Oct. 5 against a Houston Texans team that had averaged 16.0 PPG in four weeks leading to that date.
An opposing head coach spoke with Russini about what he’s seeing.
“The Ravens have built their defensive reputation on stopping the run, especially out of their signature split-safety looks,” the coach said. “But this season, that calling card has faded. Baltimore’s struggled to consistently control the ground game, forcing them to commit more bodies to the box and lean on run pressures. They haven’t been able to take anything away, and opposing offenses are staying balanced against them.”
Ultimately, second-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr has a tough task at hand to get the Ravens back on track. Perhaps the Ravens do try to call Pees out of retirement one more time to help out, but in the meantime, they have the benefit of a bye week to reassess things and try to figure out solutions.
The Ravens will host the Chicago Bears on Oct. 26 out of the bye week before going on a three-game road trip from Oct. 30-Nov. 16 against the Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns.
Discover more from 6up.net
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.