Raven Country

Ravens Welcome Much-Needed Veteran Back on Defense

The Baltimore Ravens greatly appreciated one of their star defender's return to action.

Henry Brown

Oct 13, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Spectzatord reflect off Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy (53) mask before the game against the Washington Commanders at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Oct 13, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Spectzatord reflect off Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy (53) mask before the game against the Washington Commanders at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Ravens' defense is bad. Even compared to some of the NFL's less-coordinated teams, they're one of the best at allowing opposing offenses to thrive, making this current group look particularly soft compared to the high standard that the winning franchise has set over the years.

One man returning to the unit won't save the defense from their slew of fundamental errors and tendency to let themselves get rolled over, like they did in last week's 44-10 loss to the otherwise-underwhelming Houston Texans, but further support certainly won't hurt the Ravens' odds of salvaging their season and reigniting their playoff hopes. That's what Kyle Van Noy represented in his Week 5 reappearance.

The veteran edge rusher was sorely missed since departing the field midway through the Ravens' Week 2 win over the Cleveland Browns, their most recent victory to date. Suddenly losing the team's most recent sack leader with 12.5 a season ago left a linebacker room that was sorely lacking in similar firepower, with the weakened pass-rush only further contributing to Baltimore's systematic defensive shortcomings.

Van Noy made his presence known in his homecoming in notching his first sack on the season, a big tackle on Texans quarterback CJ Stroud early in the second quarter before the one-score lead ballooned. He seemed like just the juice that the unit required, but his lone efforts weren't enough.

He spoke post-game on Baltimore's lack of discipline, clarifying that it's the easy fundamentals that are showing in the team's stark lack of stopping ability. It makes for a wild shift from what most fans have widely recognized as one of the most consistently stingy defense of the last decade, but he's intent on keeping anyone from blaming injuries for their fall-off.

It's much more concerning that Van Noy's tasked with playing such a key role in the offense, with most 34-year-olds serving more as vocal leaders as opposed to relied-upon run-stoppers. Mike Green, Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo were intended to provide some depth along the edge, but they've yet to total a single sack across 13 combined games in 2025.

Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Odafe Oweh
Oct 5, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (27) runs for a gain past Baltimore Ravens linebacker Odafe Oweh (99) during the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

He's doing what he can, leaving it up to the overwhelmed coaching staff to figure out how to restore order in a spiraling situation. These guys have fallen a long way since the historic 2001 defense allowed 165 total points in a single season; through five games, the patchy 2025 unit's already relented 177.

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Henry Brown
HENRY BROWN

Henry covers the Washington Wizards and Baltimore Ravens with prior experience as a sports reporter with The Baltimore Sun, the Capital Gazette and The Lead. A Bowie, MD native, he earned his Journalism degree at the University of Maryland.

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