Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata proves a little weight gain doesn't have to slow him down

Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata had mapped out an ambitious plan, albeit one not readily apparent when he lumbered onto the practice field for a June minicamp.

Considerably heftier than usual after spending his offseason intentionally bulking up, Ngata didn't display his trademark explosiveness.

The extra bulk around Ngata's midsection and torso raised eyebrows about whether the three-time Pro Bowl selection had gone too far in his quest to become stronger and more durable and maintain his speed after wearing down toward the end of last season due to a deep thigh bruise.

"Armor of fat?" Ngata said with a laugh. "Yeah, people were definitely surprised at how big I looked. It's a totally different workout that I did. I definitely felt good last year, but I think I wasn't that strong because I didn't have as much weight.

"So, I decided to put the weight back on and I feel much better. They can say whatever they want. When the time comes, the film talks the loudest."

Four months later, the 6-foot-4, 350-pounder has delivered a powerful rebuttal to those wondering how his game would be affected by gaining roughly 20 pounds since last season.

Anchoring a defense bereft of injured NFL Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs, Ngata has terrorized offensive linemen with his rare blend of girth and mobility.

"Haloti is a dominant force in this game," linebacker Jameel McClain said. "One person blocking him is a mismatch. He's so freakishly strong and athletic. How do you account for it? I see an even more dominant player than last year and the year before."

Ngata has been unblockable at times, manhandling accomplished linemen like Cleveland Browns center Alex Mack.

During a victory over the Browns last week, Ngata grabbed the back of Mack's shoulder pads and pulled him forward with such a crisp swim move that the Pro Bowl lineman barely grazed him.

Overpowering Mack, Ngata penetrated the backfield so quickly that it allowed outside linebacker Paul Kruger to sack rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden.

Ngata dished out similarly rough treatment to Cincinnati Bengals center Jeff Faine, beating him for a couple of sacks in the season-opener.

"Haloti is the best defensive tackle in the game," Kruger said. "He's an incredible athlete. To be that fast at his size, there aren't that many people like that in the world. I know he looks big, but he looks just as fast to me on the tape. He knew what he was doing by getting bigger."

Although the bull-rush, a straightforward charge where he pushes linemen backward as if they're on roller skates, is one of his primary moves, Ngata is also utilizing some finesse and nimble feet to get the job done.

When Ngata notices offensive linemen have all of their weight down on their hand in their stance, he'll use a swim move or jab step to run past them rather than just exercise brute force.

"I'm trying to get guys off balance," Ngata said. "I actually think Mack is the best center in our division, the strongest and he moves well. He's usually a balanced guy, so getting him off balance and making a play means something."

Heading into Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Ngata already has 20 tackles and two sacks with one pass deflection.

In a win over the New England Patriots, Ngata registered a season-high nine tackles and a half-sack.

"Every game, Haloti makes plays that make you say, 'Wow, this guy will go down as one of the greats,'" defensive end Pernell McPhee said. "In my opinion, he's the most dominant defensive player in the NFL."

It's unlikely that the Chiefs, who are breaking in a new center in converted guard Ryan Lilja with Rodney Hudson out for the season with a broken leg, will only assign one blocker to try to occupy Ngata.

"He has tremendous strength, size and mobility for a man his size," Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel said. "You might have to put two on him. Some people will try putting three on him. He has movement skills for a big man. I think he has determination."

That last attribute is evident in Ngata's willingness to hustle to make tackles several yards away from the line of scrimmage. Lazy isn't in his vocabulary.

"That's huge because they don't expect big guys to run down a guy," Ngata said. "Hopefully, I can still do a little more, contribute and keep on improving and making more plays."

One of Ngata's most noteworthy plays this season was chasing down Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker in pursuit downfield to get a piece of a tackle.

"He is amazing that way," defensive coordinator Dean Pees said. "I saw him run down some people or see a screen, and he is out there hitting the guy and landing on him. I'm going, 'Man, there is no way I'd come back inside on that guy. Just stay outside.' A lot of that is not only physical talent, that's 'want to.' That's an attitude."

Pees already regards this season as the best he's seen Ngata play after he totaled 130 tackles and 10.5 sacks during the previous two seasons.