Ravens Defense Steps Up To Extend Preseason Win Streak to 24 Games

For as good as the Baltimore Ravens defense was last season, five blown leads in the fourth quarter last season was the difference between being a wild card team and winning the AFC North.

The Ravens' performance on defense on Saturday in their 20-19 win over the Philadelphia Eagles was a step in the right direction, as they forced three turnovers on downs in the second half and stopped the potential go-ahead two-point conversion in the fourth quarter.

The defense also forced and recovered a fumble in Philadelphia territory, which led to a Justin Tucker 43-yard field goal to extend the lead to 20-13 with 10:33 left to play.

"Our defense really stepped up in the second half big time," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. "Two sudden change stops, two turnovers, see those guys makes the plays, stiffened up against the run quite a bit...That ended up being the difference in the game."

The win extended Baltimore's preseason win streak to 24 games. With 5:51 left in the third quarter, a muffed punt by receiver James Proche set the Eagles up at the Ravens' 14-yard-line.

After Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee scrambled for seven yards on second down, Baltimore stopped running back Trey Sermon for no gain, then forced an incomplete pass on fourth down to preserve its 17-13 lead.

The Ravens' defense was also put in a tough spot in the fourth quarter after quarterback Anthony Brown threw a pick-six to Eagles corner Eli Ricks with 7:03 to play. Philadelphia went for the two-point conversion, but quarterback Ian Book's pass fell incomplete.

Ravens cornerback Daryl Worley was all over the field with four tackles, two sacks and the forced fumble in the fourth quarter that led to a field goal. Linebacker Del'Shawn Phillips had 10 tackles, including one for a loss. Fellow linebacker Malik Harrison also had a good day with five tackles, one tackle for a loss and a sack. Linebacker Malik Hamm also had a sack for Baltimore.

If the Ravens are going to remain a contender in the AFC, they'll need their defense to improve late in ball games. Though it's only preseason, Baltimore's defense took a step in the right direction to improve when it matters most.

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