As we’ve been doing for several years now, we’ll break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent each week, telling you what to expect from a scheme and individual standpoint. This year, Jonathan Heitritter and I will cover the opposing team’s defense. I will focus on the scheme, Jonathan on the players.
Today, scouting the Baltimore Ravens’ defense.
ALEX’S SCHEME REPORT
RAVENS RUN DEFENSE
A sturdy run defense, as you always expect from the Ravens’ front. They’re allowing just 3.8 YPC, eighth-best in football, and they’re the only team not to give up a rushing score this season. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is one of two teams not to score a rushing touchdown this year (Minnesota is the other). Doesn’t bode well, clearly. On the year, the Ravens have allowed only 10 rushes of 10 or more yards this year, ranking just outside the top 10.
As a front, they’re multiple and can play with two, three, or four down linemen. On early downs, you see more of that four-down front with them going into their sub-packages in more obvious passing situations.
They, like every team, have a mix of one- and two-gapping but the Ravens two-gap more than most teams. They’re burly along the interior and it’s hard to run downhill between the tackles on these guys. The names have changed over the years but they’re still stout. Watch them plug the run here.
Trying to get the ball on the outside has proven to be more successful though that isn’t Pittsburgh’s strength. Puts them in a difficult spot.
As several teams are beginning to do, they’re pretty heavy with a three-safety package of Kyle Hamilton, Geno Stone, and the presumed return of Marcus Williams. Hamilton is always around the line of scrimmage and has filled the stat sheet this year. He has three sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble. The only other two players in the NFL who can say that? Seahawks DB Tre Brown and Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith.
Linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen essentially never leave the field and the Ravens aren’t using nearly as much dime as they used to. Smith and Queen have logged 97 percent of the snaps, and Queen’s career has finally pulled together while Smith is still one of the best linebackers in football.
The Ravens have the third-ranked scoring defense, allowing just 14.5 points per game. Twice, they’ve held the opposition under 10 points, including last week against the Browns (granted, they started a rookie backup quarterback). Their third-down defense is middling (40.5 percent, 19th) but their red zone defense is incredible, third-best with opposing offenses finding the end zone just 30 percent of the time. The Ravens are a strong red zone team on offense and defense.
RAVENS PASS DEFENSE
The secondary is getting healthier with S Marcus Williams expected to return and CB Marlon Humphrey potentially joining him. Opposing quarterbacks are struggling against them, completing only 61.2 percent of their passes (seventh-best of any defense) and they’re having to throw it short. That makes the low completion rate even more impressive. Baltimore is allowing only 4.9 yards per attempt, easily the best mark in football and a half-yard better than the second-place New England Patriots. They simply don’t allow the big play, tied for first in the NFL with only five completions of 20 or more yards allowed.
On the year, they have 15 sacks, fourth-most entering Week Four. Exactly half of them have come from non-traditional pass rushers, off-ball linebackers and defensive backs. Hamilton leads the way with three while LB Patrick Queen has two. They have four interceptions, all from the secondary, with S Geno Stone leading the way with a pair. Their blitz rate is high, 31.4 percent (eighth-most) but their pressure rate, per PFR, is surprisingly low at 19.1 percent (27th). They tackle well with only 18 misses through four games, fourth-best in football. Just a sound group overall.
Schematically, there’s a mix of man and zone. On third down in obvious pass situations, alert Cover 1 with the “P-Dropper,” their nose tackle, dropping into coverage. A cut-up.
They’re not a super exotic blitz team — former DC Wink Martindale is now in New York — but Queen and Smith constantly rush, especially against empty. Hamilton is often coming off the edge from the field side and he must be accounted for.
Last note. They swarm and chase the ball hard in the receiver screen game so it may not be wise to call many of those this year. It’s a high-motor group that can tackle.
Jonathan’s Individual Report
The Steelers find themselves at a crossroads as they enter this Week Five matchup against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. The offense has looked uninspiring thus far through four weeks and must attempt to get going in the right direction against a Ravens defense that has been a stout unit through the first quarter of the regular season, ranking third in the league in both total points and yards allowed. They rank third in the NFL against the pass and seventh against the run, boasting playmakers at all three levels as well as core pieces that make up the rest of the unit.
Defensive Line
No. 92 Justin Madubuike has developed into quite the starter for Baltimore up front after being a third-round pick in 2020. He is a stout, powerful run defender who can anchor at the line of scrimmage to control gaps. Madubuike also brings some pass-rush juice to the table, with two sacks already this season after having 5.5 last year as an athletic defender who can chase of the ball with great pursuit. The Ravens also have big run stuffer No. 58 Michael Pierce, who is every bit of 6-feet, 340 pounds. He clogs up the interior, eating blocks and allowing the linebackers to flow to the football.
The Ravens also have No. 98 Travis Jones, whom they drafted in the third round in 2022, nabbing a hulking 6-foot-4, 327-pound man who can singlehandedly overwhelm interior offensive linemen. Jones has great strength and size to hold his own at the point of attack and also the quickness to get off blocks and push the pocket as a pass rusher. With Pierce healthy, Jones is more of a rotational player this season along with No. 97 Brent Urban. Urban started his career in Baltimore then bounced around the league for a few seasons before coming back last year. The 6-foot-7, 205-pound defender wins with sheer size and power to overwhelm interior blockers while also having a knack for batting down passes.
No. 96 Broderick Washington will also rotate in as big-bodied run defender who doesn’t bring a lot of pass-rush juice to the table but hold his own well against the run.
EDGE
The Ravens have gone to the veteran pool for multiple starters on defense, including former No. 1 overall pick No. 24 Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney has become a bit of a hired gun since his Texans days, spending time with Seattle, Tennessee, and Cleveland before coming to Baltimore. He is more disruptive than productive as a pass rusher, never surpassing nine sacks in a season. However, Clowney is a solid run defender who wins with strength and power. That combined with his freaky athleticism can give tackles problems when he comes off the edge.
The Ravens recently lost No. 90 David Ojabo to IR and still have yet to see if No. 54 Tyus Bowser will be able to come off the NFI list. No. 99 Odafe Oweh, who injured his ankle against the Bengals and missed last week’s game against the Browns, looks unlikely to play against Pittsburgh come Sunday. Baltimore recently signed No. 50 Kyle Van Noy to step in opposite Clowney, giving the Ravens a proven veteran in the pass rush department. He has topped five sacks each of the last four seasons and provides solid run defense on the edge as well as being able to cover in zones.
Baltimore also has No. 95 Tavius Robinson, who rotates with Van Noy on the edge as well as No. 48 Jeremiah Moon, who is mainly a special teamer while also providing depth.
Linebackers
The Ravens got their cornerstone linebacker last season, trading for No. 0 Roquan Smith from the Chicago Bears. Since arriving in Baltimore, Smith has been everything the Ravens could have hoped for, providing an athletic, instinctive LB who excels in run-and-chase situations. He reads extremely well pre- and post-snap and flows to the football with ease, covering ground laterally against the run. He has 43 total stops, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and three pass deflections through four games this season. A field general in the middle of the defense, Smith has stabilized Baltimore at the second level. He can run, hit, and cover with the best of them in the NFL.
Smith plays beside another former first-round pick in No. 6 Patrick Queen. Queen is an athletic, explosive defender who accelerates quickly to the football and brings nasty intentions as a hitter. He struggled at times during his young NFL career in terms of pass coverage and getting off blocks against the run but rebounded in 2022 to post a big season for Baltimore. He has 36 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, and a pass deflection this season. Queen gives Baltimore a dynamic duo in the middle, pairing with Smith as another linebacker who can run, hit, and cover when allowed to move freely to the football.
Behind Smith and Queen is No. 40 Malik Harrison, who used to have a bigger role before Smith came to town and is a better downhill run defender than pass coverage defender. No. 30 Trenton Simpson factors in mostly as a special teamer as the Ravens ease him in slowly during his rookie season as well as No. 53 Del’Shawn Phillips.
Cornerbacks
The Ravens have arguably one of the best cornerbacks in the game in No. 44 Marlon Humphrey. Humphrey hasn’t played yet this season after injuring his foot in training camp, but he returned to practice this week and has a good shot to play Sunday. He makes plays all over the field for the Ravens as a physical corner who can go toe-to-toe with a team’s No. 1 wide receiver and come downhill against the run or on a designed blitz. We’ll see if he gets the green light come Sunday, but Humphrey playing would be a big boost to Baltimore’s defense. No. 21 Brandon Stephens has been playing in Humphrey’s absence, having three pass breakups and a gimme interception against the Browns last week.
Baltimore also has No. 28 Ronald Darby starting in the secondary, and the veteran has logged four pass breakups in four starts. No. 23 Rock Ya-Sin also has gotten some run the last three weeks, playing in sub-packages. He has represented himself well as an aggressive player contesting passes as well as aiding in run defense. The Ravens also have No. 25 Kevon Seymour and No. 5 Jalyn Armour-Davis, who primarily play on special teams.
Safeties
No. 32 Marcus Williams was one of Baltimore’s key additions last offseason but missed time in 2022 with a dislocated wrist. He’s missed the last three weeks of the 2023 season with a pectoral injury, but just practiced in full and looks primed to play on Sunday. Williams is a certified ballhawk. He has the instincts and range to roam the back end of the defense and make plays on the football, having 19 interceptions and 47 passes defended since entering the league in 2017. Adding him back into the secondary with Humphrey would be a big boost for Baltimore in coverage.
No. 26 Geno Stone has filled in well since Williams went down to injury, doing so last year as well when he missed time. The Iowa product has provided steady play on the back end, picking up 21 total tackles, two pass deflections, and two interceptions. Stone isn’t the greatest athlete when it comes to pure speed and quickness, but he is a fast processor who can break on passes well in coverage and is an effective tackler. He still should see a lot of defensive snaps Sunday if Williams does return to the lineup.
No. 14 Kyle Hamilton was brought along slowly as a rookie last season but has become a full-time starter in Year Two with Baltimore, being that hybrid defender who can play near the line of scrimmage as a strong safety/linebacker as well as in the slot over tight ends. Hamilton has the size, athleticism, and closing speed to be a menace against the run as well as playing chase to ball carriers in the open field and along the sideline. He has shown to have some tackling issues on tape, as well as not being the smoothest in pass coverage. Still, has improved in the coverage aspect in his game from a season ago, being a good off-coverage defender who can cover ground quickly and make plays on the football.
