Ever since their bye week at the end of October, the Ravens have played better defense, at least to the point where they are highly respected again.
No one took more criticism for the defense's early shortcomings than new coordinator Greg Mattison, who replaced Rex Ryan at the start of the season. But just as he was months ago, Mattison remains focused, and so are the Ravens as they prepare to face Oakland on Sunday.
"I don't think there have been any drastic changes," Mattison said. "I think it's what you do - in any course of the year, no matter what - is you see who's playing well, you see who's healthy, you see what's going to work against a certain offense, and that's your job: to plug those kinds of things in to try to take advantage of what they give you. And I think that's all we've really done."
There's a bit more to it.
Through the first six games, the Ravens were ranked 17th in the NFL in total defense and 22nd in pass defense. They struggled to mount a pass rush and they gave up numerous big plays in the secondary. They were stationary and had very little imagination.
But the confidence and the look of the defense has changed in recent weeks, and the Ravens are currently ranked third in the NFL in total defense (298.9 yards per game), second in scoring defense (16.5 points per game) and sixth in pass defense (202.8 yards per game).
It helps that the Ravens have played the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears in two of the past three weeks, but the defense has been impressive heading into possible postseason play.
"We've become more consistent, more settled," Ravens outside linebacker Jarret Johnson said. "At the beginning, we had a new coach who wanted to keep some of Rex's stuff, yet at the same time implement his own. He had to find out what worked and what didn't. He tweaked some of his blitz packages, and I think we're playing well now."
During the bye week, Mattison, coach John Harbaugh and the rest of the defensive coaches pored over game film to see how offenses were attacking the Ravens. When they reconvened on Oct. 26 to prepare for the Denver Broncos, Mattison had some new strategies.
The Ravens trounced Denver, 30-7, on Nov. 1. Since then, with the exception of the Green Bay Packers game, the Ravens' defense has played well, and Mattison has survived the criticism of Baltimore fans, who had grown accustomed to a dominating defense.
"Well, you know, I probably leaned on the players," Mattison said of his early struggles. "One thing I've always believed in [is] it's not about the coaches, it's about the guys that are going out there on that field. And if they believe, and they keep working, you've got a great opportunity to be successful as a team. And that's what we've tried to do with our guys."
What the Ravens did was to start working some of the younger defensive linemen into the rotation - such as Dwan Edwards, Kelly Talavou and Paul Kruger - a strategy that helped save the legs of starters Haloti Ngata and Kelly Gregg, both of whom missed time with ankle and knee injuries.
Both Ngata and Gregg are now playing their best football of the season, even though Gregg's knee won't be at 100 percent until next season. If it was tough to run against the Ravens before, it's even tougher now.
"In two years, my knee will be at full blast," Gregg said. "I've done all right, and have had some up and downs. It was a traumatic start, but now I'm getting more and more comfortable."
The Ravens found a sleeper in rookie linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, a free agent out of the University of Georgia, who is ninth on the team in tackles with 50. General manager Ozzie Newsome found another gem in third-round pick Lardarius Webb out of Nicholls State, who started two straight games before a knee injury suffered against Chicago sidelined him for the season.
Webb was part of a secondary that has made gradual improvement, but still has something to prove. Earlier in the season, the Ravens' cornerbacks were playing to the outside of receivers, giving them the deep and middle of the field. Now, they are playing them more straight-up, and getting plenty of help over the top, where the Ravens have safety Tom Zbikowski filling in for the injured Ed Reed (hip, groin tear).
Zbikowski doesn't have Reed's range in pass coverage, but he is more disciplined. Notice the improved play of cornerback Domonique Foxworth with Zbikowski in the lineup.
"I think he [Mattison] was trying to find a happy medium with schemes, and what players he could use in certain situations, and the communication," Gregg said. "We're all on the same page now. We all now know how we're going to handle things in certain situations. Everything is more simplified."
Not exactly.
Like Ryan, Mattison seems to be toying with more blitzes. A couple of weeks ago, he lined up outside linebacker Antwan Barnes in the center/guard gap, and then had him drop into coverage. The Ravens are bringing more pressure off the edges with safeties and cornerbacks.
"I don't know if I've even had time to think about that, to be honest with you," said Mattison, when asked what he has done differently since the start of the season. "And I'm not avoiding the question. This season has been - as I said the first day - it's all about trying to do the best job you can do so these players have success. And that's all it's ever been, and you just keep going from day to day. Something they find out in this league right here is, when Sunday is over, Monday is on you right now, and you go right to the next deal, and the next team. So, that's all we've tried to do."
