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The Baltimore Ravens figure to have a great offense in 2020, but the team’s defense could also be expected to do some damage on the field this year as well.
Quietly, the Ravens have one of the best secondaries in the game, and one of their best players is Marcus Peters. At cornerback, Peters can be expected to play his usually elite brand of football this coming season. What type of year could Peters have? Possibly the best in the NFL at his position with regards to interceptions.
Recently, Cynthia Frelund took a look at projecting some of the stats this coming season for the league, and the league leaders in every statistical category. Her metric found that Peters is projected to lead the league in picks with 5.
Frelund wrote:
“The best situations in which to earn interceptions are when defenses face passes in unfavorable down-and-distance plays for the offense. The Ravens’ addition of Calais Campbell to the defensive front helps drive more consistent pressure, which is also correlated with greater chances of earning an interception. The other factor working in Peters’ favor is his aggressive playing style. And it sure doesn’t hurt that he’s lining up on the opposite side of the field as Marlon Humphrey, who, on an almost-weekly basis, ranks among my model’s top three corners. With the CB duo of Peters and Humphrey, Baltimore boasts the highest pick projection as a total defense, as well.”
The team’s defense figures to play a huge role this season, and if Peters delivered upon this projection, it would be huge for the Ravens and their hopes. Certainly, he’s capable of that given he’s gone over 5 interceptions in a season multiple times.
Ravens Cornerbacks Ranked High Against NFL
For a long time, the Ravens have been elite on the back end. That tradition hasn’t slowed a bit since the team has last won the Super Bowl, and in fact it can be argued it’s only getting better and better with time. NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks would likely agree with that assessment, as he has placed the Ravens as having the top cornerback tandem in the league in 2020. The reasoning for that had everything to do with how well they play together.
Brooks said:
“The Ravens’ decision to trade for Peters in October helped the defense emerge as one of the NFL’s top units in the second half of the season and gave coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale the league’s best cornerback tandem. Peters lived up to his reputation as a dynamic playmaker with three picks in 10 games with the Ravens, including a pair of pick-sixes. He played with better discipline in coverage after coming over from the Rams, and his improved attention to detail resulted in more consistent performance. Humphrey has quietly emerged as one of the best cover corners in the game, particularly as a bump-and-run technician on the perimeter. He aggressively challenges receivers at the line and does a great job of maintaining hip-pocket positioning down the field. With Humphrey playing at a high level in coverage and Peters providing timely playmaking on the island, the Ravens have an elite set of corners.”
Peters coming to Baltimore was a huge shot in the arm for the group, and joining him with Humphrey was huge for the team. Moving forward, the Ravens have kept Jimmy Smith this offseason for some added depth, so they will be completely loaded for this coming season as they always seem to be.
Ravens Credited For Defensive Building
The Ravens have been keeping things together on the back end of their defense, and that’s good news as it relates to how the team is being built for their future according to some pundits.
Pro Football Focus contributor Gordon McGuinness recently tweeted about the approach the Ravens have with Eric DeCosta building his team, and lauded the fact that Baltimore seems to be building around players who are solid and stout on the back end and know the team’s scheme incredibly well. As he says, that’s how a defense should be constructed.
The Ravens recently re-signed Jimmy Smith, which was a huge move in order to keep a group together which has been very solid. That’s in addition to what they already have on the roster and what they will get back in 2020.
This shows that the Ravens might have the right plan as it relates to keeping their roster in shape. Though they build things from the back end out, the front is very strong and might be able to dominate when all is said and done next season.
It could pay off in terms of leading the NFL in interceptions during 2020.
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