Ravens Defense: ‘If They Don’t Score, They Can’t Win'
BALTIMORE — The "Baltimore Bullies" are back.
The Ravens' defense is playing at a high level and helped pave the way for the recent four-game winning streak.
In a 13-3 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 11, the Ravens allowed season lows in points (3), total yards (205), yards-per-play average (3.8), and rushing yards (36), while recording three takeaways —two interceptions and one fumble recovery — to go along with four sacks.
As the offense sputtered, the Ravens' defenders took it upon themselves to take the game over.
"I think the defense did that," coach John Harbaugh said. "They always talk about that. The offense talks about it too, and they talk about it in their room. The defense, basically what they said at halftime was, ‘If they don’t score, they can’t win.’ That was their mindset, and I think at the end of the game, that was the same mindset, ‘It’s on us.’”
Baltimore improved to 7-3 and remains in first place in the AFC North.
After some early season struggles, the Ravens:
- Extended its NFL-best active streak of consecutive games with a takeaway to 12.
- Held Carolina scoreless and permitted only 63 yards in the first half of Sunday’s contest. Carolina’s 63 first-half yards mark the fewest allowed by Baltimore in any half since 2020.
- Baltimore has held opponents scoreless in the first half an NFL-high 29 times since 2008. In such games under Harbaugh, the Ravens are 28-1, including victories in 22 straight games.
- In the first halves this season, Baltimore has held opponents under 14 points in all 10 games, under 10 points in five games and under 7 points in three games.
- The Ravens’ 7.3 points allowed per first half this season is the NFL’s best mark.
More reinforcements are on the way as rookie outside linebacker David Ojabo is poised to make his NFL debut and veteran safety Marcus Williams is expected to return to the lineup from a wrist injury.
"We already knew what it was coming into the season, and the biggest focus point was execution," said inside linebacker Patrick Queen, who leads the team in tackles and has 4.5 sacks. "Early in the season, we weren’t executing to the standard that we needed to be, so now we all know that.
"We were lacking trust, and we didn’t realize it. So, we all talked about it, gathered around, and it’s still stuff that we’re working through right now. So, it’s just coming down to the point of us actually trusting each other. I think that we’re taking a step forward in that each day.”
