Getty The 2023 Baltimore Ravens' defense has already gone one better than the legendary 2000 unit.
The legacy of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens defense has loomed large over every unit since. It stands to reason since that group allowed the fewest points ever in a 16-game season and won a Super Bowl almost singlehandedly.
That’s why it’s impressive the 2023 Baltimore D’ has already gone one better than the legends of the past. Coordinator Mike Macdonald’s group “has allowed six touchdowns to opposing offenses, one fewer than the famed 2000 Ravens defense allowed through seven games,” according to Mike Sando of The Athletic.
The Detroit Lions became the latest victims of this particularly stout Ravens defense. Five sacks and an interception helped Macdonald’s men hold a previously explosive offense to just six points and 337 total yards, per Pro Football Reference.
Their latest dominant display means these Ravens are now allowing a TD on just 7.5% of opponents’ drives, per TruMedia, according to The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer, via his colleague, Andy Kotska.
After dominating an explosive Lions offense, the Ravens are now allowing a TD on just 7.5% of opponents’ drives, per TruMedia.
That would be the NFL’s best mark since 2000. Yes, even better than the 2000 Ravens.
(via @afkostka)
Those numbers help the Ravens rank first in fewest points allowed and second in yards surrendered. Coincidentally, those are the same rankings the 2000 defense posted, and the similarities between the two units don’t end with statistics.
2023 Ravens’ Defense in Dominant Form
The Lions arrived at M&T Bank Stadium having scored at least 20 points in every game this season. Their offense had surpassed 30 points twice and 40 once.
None of that mattered because Macdonald had the Lions and quarterback Jared Goff under siege from the jump. Goff was taken down five times, but he was pressured on almost every snap, with a host of Ravens getting in on the action.
As Next Gen Stats detailed, eight players were able to “generate multiple pressures.”
The Ravens had eight different defenders generate multiple pressures in their Week 7 win over the Lions.
Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh finished tied for the team lead in pressures with 5 each.
Sending pressure from all angles is a hallmark of this season’s Ravens defense. Before playing the Lions, inside linebacker Patrick Queen noted how Macdonald’s schemes mean opponents “have to play us honest now. You can’t just be like, ‘We’ll double this guy, or we’ll slide to this guy,’ per Ryan Mink of Ravens.com.
So it proved against the Lions, when everybody from slot cornerback Arthur Maulet and outside corners Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens were blitzing. Two of the best pressure packages were highlighted by Shaffer.
Just two totally normal pressure packages from Mike Macdonald.
1⃣ Travis Jones and Broderick Washington drop into hook/curl zones as Arthur Maulet comes from the slot
2⃣ Michael Pierce drops into a middle hook as Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens come from opposite corners
Macdonald doesn’t always have to get creative to put heat on quarterbacks. Not when the Ravens are winning so many one-on-one matchups up front.
It helps a player like defensive tackle Justin Madubuike is enjoying a breakout season. He has 5.5 sacks after getting to Goff on this “ridiculous” play highlighted by Mink.
Justin Madubuike’s lateral quickness to split these blockers is ridiculous.
Madubuike is helping the present-day Ravens dominate, but so are some shared traits with 2000’s history makers.
Ravens’ Defense Shares Similarities With 2000 Legends
The 2000 Ravens didn’t let anybody run because of a twin wall formed by massive defensive tackles Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams. Today’s Ravens have Michael Pierce and Travis Jones, all 693 combined pounds of them, helping limit opponents to just two rushing touchdowns.
Adams and Siragusa protected all-action middle linebacker Ray Lewis. He was the best athlete in the unit, as well as its vocal leader.
Today, Roquan Smith has assumed the same role as Lewis. It was Smith who fired up the defense for the visit of the Lions, revealing he told his teammates, “it’s our house at the end of the day.”
Roquan Smith shared the message behind his fiery pre-game speech. 😤
Like Lewis, Smith is also the inspiration once the games begin. He’s a sideline-to-sideline playmaker capable of wrecking every phase of an offense the way Lewis did during a 17-year career that include being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP in 2000.
Smith shares something else with Lewis. Namely, both got the benefit of working with an inventive play-caller. Marvin Lewis coordinated the 2000 defense and had his own array of sophisticated zone-based pressure schemes.
Reaching the level of what the Ravens achieved almost a quarter of a century ago is a tall order for any defense. While this year’s unit is unlikely to match those standards, Macdonald’s group is at least trending in the right direction.