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Ravens Defense Look to Keep Momentum in Second Half of Season

The Baltimore Ravens are ranked high for overall defense.
Todd Karpovich|
Ravens Defense Look to Keep Momentum in Second Half of Season
Ravens Defense Look to Keep Momentum in Second Half of Season

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Baltimore Ravens

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — After some early struggles, Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has the team playing at a high level ... and they're only going to get better.

Entering the midpoint of the season, the Ravens are ranked:

  • Second for takeaways (16)
  • Third for rushing yards per game (92)
  • Fourth for sacks (27)
  • Sixth for third-down conversion rate (33.7 percent)
  • Eighth for first downs allowed (189). 

After blowing double-digit leads in all three of their losses this season, their defense has helped pave the way for a three-game winning streak. The Ravens are 6-3 and are in first place in the AFC North, controlling their own fate for the playoffs.

Reinforcements are on the way as outside linebacker David Ojabo (Achillies) and safety Marcus Williams (wrist) are both expected to make an impact at some point over the final eight games. 

"I think we’re on our way," Macdonald said. "Like, the vision of how we want to operate – are we at the level yet? No. I think that’s kind of been the message since I've sat up here [and] since we got here. So, it’s still an evolving process. Now that we have more guys that are able to do different things, I think you’ll start to see it come into focus a little bit more, like you’ve seen over the last month.” 

Outside linebacker Justin Houston was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording three tackles, 2.5 sacks, and an interception in Baltimore’s 27-13 victory over New Orleans on Monday night.

He is the second player this season to record at least two sacks and an interception in a single game. Houston’s 8.5 sacks in 2022 are tied with Vikings linebacker Za’Darius Smith and 49ers' defensive end Nick Bosa for the second-most in the NFL. 

Rookie Kyle Hamilton also dealt with struggles early in the season but is evolving into a potentially dominant player.

The addition of linebacker Roquan Smith is already paying dividends. 

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Todd Karpovich
TODD KARPOVICH

Twitter: @toddkarpovich Email: todd.karpovich@gmail.com Skype: todd.karpovich Todd Karpovich has been a contributor for ESPN, Forbes, the Associated Press, Lindy's, and The Baltimore Sun, among other media outlets nationwide. He is the co-author of “If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Baltimore Ravens Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box,” “Skipper Supreme: Buck Showalter and the Baltimore Orioles,” and the author of “Manchester United (Europe's Best Soccer Clubs).” Karpovich, a Baltimore native, is a graduate of Calvert Hall College high school, Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, and has a Masters of Science from Towson University. 

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