When Rex Ryan brings his New York Jets to face the Ravens in tonight's preseason game, he'll enter a familiar stadium and see old friends on the other sideline.
But the former Ravens defense coordinator might not recognize everything on the field.
The Ravens played strictly a 4-3 defense (four down linemen and three linebackers) in the preseason opener, and linebacker Ray Lewis suggested this could be the base defensive alignment this season.
This would be a surprising change for the Ravens, who went with a 3-4 defense over the past seven seasons (including four with Ryan as coordinator). The last time the Ravens used a 4-3 as their primary alignment was 2001.
"It's going to be exciting," Lewis said. "It's not like the guys don't like it. All of the guys freakin' love it. That's what's so beautiful about it."
The Ravens dominated in a 4-3 defense in 2000 and 2001, using tackles Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa to clog up the middle and ends Rob Burnett and Michael McCrary to attack the edges.
Now, the Ravens can attack the same way with Haloti Ngata and Kelly Gregg on the inside and Trevor Pryce and Terrell Suggs on the edges.
Lewis, who dropped 15 pounds from last season, seems ready to be the centerpiece of the defense again, running sideline to sideline to chase down ball carriers.
"You're talking about the ideal defense for a middle linebacker," he said. "That's why all the great ones played that. It's just so much different. It's like telling a point guard to control the floor. That's what a 4-3 does."
But some Ravens say there hasn't been a switch in the defense under new coordinator Greg Mattison. Asked about the Ravens' front four, Pryce corrected the question by saying it's still only three down linemen.
The Ravens, though, used a 4-3 defense as their base alignment in the preseason opener. Along with Pryce, Gregg and Ngata on the line, rookie Paul Kruger (who was filling in for the injured Suggs) put his hand down as the fourth lineman.
Pryce explained that it's a personal preference whether Suggs or Kruger stands up to be a linebacker or lines up as an end.
"So it just depends on whatever that guy wants to do," Pryce said. "Really, it confuses nobody except them."
However the Ravens line up, they remain committed to being one of the NFL's top defenses.
