Ravens Defense Making Massive Improvement in Key Area

The Baltimore Ravens are victorious for the third game in a row after beating the Minnesota Vikings 27-19 in Week 10 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Ravens defense struggled to force turnovers at the beginning of the season, but things are changing over the course of their winning streak. The Ravens grabbed two interceptions and recovered a fumble in their win against the Vikings.

"I don't think we had too many opportunities in the first few games, but I also think you create your opportunities," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said postgame.

"You create your opportunity by being in the right spots. We could have had a couple more if we were, [if] the ball carried a foot further or something like that. We had 11 quarterback hits. [There has been] a lot of talk about the lack of pressure, but we had 11 quarterback hits and four batted balls. Those were passes defended by the D-line and the pass rushers. That's pretty darn great. So, those guys, I thought, had a phenomenal game."

Baltimore Ravens safety Malaki Starks intercepts a pass intended for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tahj Washington. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Ravens Turnovers Leading to Victories

The Ravens defense was one of the worst in the league over the first five games of the season, but things have clearly turned for the better during the last four wins.

Harbaugh believes the turnovers were the reason behind the Ravens' win against the Vikings.

"The game kind of turned with the turnovers, the kickoff coverage and the two-minute drive at the end of the half where we had hardly any time to go down there and get that field goal," Harbaugh said.

"Lamar [Jackson] leading that drive, that offense with the crowd and everything else going on [with] all the pressure. [And] then to come back out, get the stop, get the turnover, get the score – the touchdown – and then to get the fumble on the kickoff; that turned the game between the second and third quarter right there."

The Ravens' turnover differential is now at zero through the first nine games of the season. Of the 13 teams with a positive turnover differential, 10 have winning records, so it's a sign that it leads to winning football games.

If the Ravens continue to move in the right direction when it comes to turnovers, they should be in a good place to win more games down the line as the team fights for a coveted playoff spot.

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