A lot of people gave up on it earlier in this strange and disappointing season, but the Ravens defense has played markedly better in recent weeks – so much better that it now sits in the top half of the league rankings.
That’s right, the top half.
Surprised? I thought so. But as baseball manager Casey Stengel said,
you can look it up. The Ravens are ranked No 14 in total defense heading into Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Total defense is a yards-per-game stat. At No. 10 against the rush and No. 19 against the pass, the Ravens are ranked right behind New England (No. 13) and ahead of playoff contenders such as Green Bay, Minnesota and Buffalo. (Yes, Rex’s Buffalo.)
Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees’ unit is still in the lower half of the league in such stats as points allowed (tied for No. 19) and third-down percentage (No. 21) and no defense has generated fewer turnovers, but still, a significant uptick has occurred since October, when Baltimore was languishing near the bottom of many rankings.
“I see more disciplined play. We’ve had very few breakdowns in the back end. We’ve had a few, but very few compared to earlier in the year,” Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh said earlier this week. “I see better tackling. For the most part, I see really good tackling. Our front is dominating upfront, and we are running to the football. That has gotten better every single week for about the last four or five weeks – say four weeks. It has gotten progressively and steadily better. To me, when you run to the football with your hair on fire like your life depends on it, you have a chance to be a really good defense.”
It also helped that Pees used the bye-week break to devise a quicker third-down scheme, with linebacker Zach Orr gaining a larger role, enabling the defense to get off the field more often. Between that and cutting down on big plays, a major nuisance earlier in the season, things are just better in general.
Of course, the improvements have occurred as the Ravens have navigated the easiest portion of their 2015 schedule, a run of five straight games against opponents with losing records. The San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins are a combined 24 games under .500. (The Ravens went 3-2 against them.)
The caliber of the opposition ramps up considerably Sunday; the Seahawks have won two straight NFC titles and five of their last six games in 2015. Many prognosticators think the Ravens are in for a long day against a team that seems to be gathering momentum at just the right time. Seattle’s quarterback, Russell Wilson, has thrown 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in the last three games.
If the Ravens are going to pull off a win at M&T Bank Stadium, their defense is going to have to lead the effort, sustaining the momentum it also has gathered recently. Baltimore’s offense, decimated by injuries, is experiencing major struggles.
In two games since quarterback 
Yes, there are reasons to believe the game will be close, regardless of what any trends or numbers suggest. Though 4-8, the Ravens have been competitive in every game right up to the final whistle. They’re playing hard. They’re seldom an easy out at home. Statistics indicate West Coast teams have a harder time in games starting at 1 p.m. on the East Coast.
But if the pieces of an upset are going to fall in place, the Ravens defense needs to lead the way.
Its recent success certainly has the players believing that can happen.
“We knew that we had to step up our game in order to help this team win,” linebacker
