The Ravens' first defense seeks to face off in a first offensive season of the NFL



[ad_1]


The Ravens had 11 bags of Marcus Mariota eliminating the Titans last Sunday (James Kenney / AP, File)

This season the NFL is all about the offensive, all the time. Still, the Baltimore Ravens are not on board.

Few teams very effectively defend the defense during a season in which total points, touchdowns and touchdowns were the highest ever recorded in six weeks. And no one else is playing as well as the Ravens, who have the league's best defensive unit in Sunday's intriguing Baltimore showdown with the New Orleans Saints, the team with the most goals in the league. NFL.

"It's an extremely talented defense: forward, linebacker, second line," said quarterback Saints Drew Brees when he met with reporters this week. "You see, they built this defense to fit those pieces. So, our execution must be exorbitant to beat these guys …. It's really impressive, an excellent defense. "

The Ravens lead the NFL in total defense, on the basis of yards allowed, with a margin of 35.7 yards per game compared to the Jacksonville Jaguars, which rank second. They led the league in defense by scoring 4.4 points per game on the Dallas Cowboys.

This is a franchise that has already won a Super Bowl led by a defense of the time, with Trent Dilfer at quarterback. But that was 18 years ago, at a time when the offenses were not so serious.

"It's the NFL and it's kind of an offensive-driven league, a league of assists," Terrell Suggs, the veteran defenseman of the Ravens, told reporters to reporters.

Suggs laughed when a member of the media asked him if the adage about defensive championships was still valid in today's NFL.

"Last year's Super Bowl begged to postpone … a very high game, a 1,000-yard pass or something like that," Suggs said, citing the triumph of Philadelphia Eagles on 41-33 against the New England Patriots. "I do not know …. It's not very good, especially for me, being a defensive player, I hope it's still true, but I do not know the answer to that question."

The Ravens, 4-2, are looking to return to the postseason after missing the playoffs for three consecutive years. That put a lot of attention on quarterback Joe Flacco and coach John Harbaugh. Owner Steve Bisciotti said after last season that Harbaugh's dismissal had been a consideration. The Ravens then used a first-round pick against quarterback Lamar Jackson. So it's fair to say that the Harbaugh and Flacco jobs could be considered for the first time since they won a Super Bowl in which Flacco was the most valuable player to end the 2012 season.

But if the Ravens want to maintain their success, it will probably be the defense that will lead them. In most NFL cities, defensive players complain about rule changes that they believe make defense almost impossible. For most NFL teams, the best way to play defense this season may be to simply try to impose turnarounds, since in reality, ending an opposing offense seems too demanding.

This Ravens defense, however, is quite capable of completely eliminating an offense. Last Sunday in Tennessee, the Ravens ruled out the Titans and sacked quarterback Marcus Mariota 11 times. Nevertheless, such dominance will be much harder to reach against Brees and the Saints, who averaged 36 points per game.

This game may be used as a case study to determine if a first-team defense team, such as the Ravens, can be qualified as the defending champion in an offensive NFL.

"They have a lot of good forwards, a lot of good matches for them," said Brees. "It's obviously something they've done well for a very long time. They do it well with their demarcation line … and of course from the position of linebacker …. You have the impression that this is their plan for a very long time. They have always been really good at it. "

The saints are leaving their week of goodbye. Brees became the NFL leader in the Saints' final game with career assists, a home win against the Washington Redskins. He is a touchdown of almost 500 for his career.

Just following all the important steps for Brees is a tedious task. He is 0-4 in career against the Ravens, the only team in the league that he has not beaten. He could join Peyton Manning and Brett Favre as the only NFL quarterback to beat all 32 teams.

"Listen, I'd like to beat those guys, you know," said Brees. "It's always a good team when we play against them, so we always know it will be a party. You do not have the opportunity to play them so often, right? AFC has signed a contract every four years. [and] NFC. But it's a big team. They are the number one defense in the league right now. We have work to do. "

Learn more about NFL:

Adam Thielen interviewed for a job selling dental equipment. He became an NFL star instead.

Ryan Tannehill remains absent as NFL examines report on Dolphins injury

The NFL's last effort to save the shot may have worked

Is Khalil Mack the next Lawrence Taylor? Bill Belichick and Lawrence Taylor intervene.

[ad_2]
Source link