Chidobe Awuzie is a chess aficionado who sees similarities between that hobby and playing cornerback for the Ravens. Particularly when it comes to anticipating what your opponent will do.
"Chess is like pattern recognition," Awuzie said. "As a corner, you see a formation in the classroom, then you recognize it on the field. Your mind processes that information and your action equals success. Just like in chess."
Making the right moves has become a habit for Awuzie. It happened again in Week 11 when he broke up a pass in the end zone in the waning moments of Baltimore's 23-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns. It was a clutch defensive play that Awuzie timed perfectly, dislodging the ball from the grasp of Browns receiver Gage Larvadain as he attempted to gain control for a game-tying touchdown.
Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr marveled at the coolness and technique that Awuzie displayed in a pressure situation. A pass interference call would have given the Browns first-and-goal at the 1. Instead, Awuzie broke up the third-down play, and when Roquan Smith followed with a pass breakup on fourth down, the Ravens had the Browns checkmated.
The Ravens have other talented cornerbacks, but targeting Awuzie isn't paying off for opposing quarterbacks.
Awuzie has the second-best Pro Football Focus coverage grade among all NFL cornerbacks with at least 50% of their team's defensive snaps. On 31 targets, he's surrendered just 178 yards.
"He never panics when the ball's in the air," Orr said. "That play right there. I'm telling you, some of the best of the best in the world, 99% of those guys are going to get a [pass interference] called. The play 'Chido' made, that's one of the best plays I've personally seen as a pass breakup."
Head Coach John Harbaugh echoed those sentiments on the plane ride home from Cleveland, talking with General Manager Eric DeCosta. Awuzie is doing exactly what the Ravens hoped, and more, since being signed as a free agent during the offseason.
"I told Eric … I think that might be his most underrated signing," Harbaugh said. "We knew he was a good player because we'd seen him over the years. I'd say he is even better than advertised."
In his ninth NFL season, Awuzie spent his first four years with the Dallas Cowboys as a second-round pick from Colorado and became a starter as a rookie. That was followed by a three-year stay with the Cincinnati Bengals, and a one-year stop last season with the Tennessee Titans.
Awuzie didn't jump at the first situation that presented itself during free agency, but when the Ravens rang, he felt it was the right choice.
"It was kind of like college again, where I got to choose where I wanted to go," Awuzie said. "When the opportunity came for me to come here, it really stuck with me – immediately.
"I wanted to be a part of a winning tradition. This team does things the right way and has great leadership. I knew early on when I got here that 'Play Like a Raven' holds weight. It means something. Coming to this environment has really motivated me and kept me driven."
Awuzie's three seasons with the Bengals gave him familiarity with AFC North football. He also has playoff experience as a starting cornerback with the Bengals during the 2021 season when they reached the Super Bowl before losing to the Los Angeles Rams.
Starting 1-5 was a test for the Ravens, and the defense struggled before finding its footing during the current four-game winning streak. Awuzie sees similarities between this year's Ravens and the 2021 Bengals prior to their playoff run.
"When I was on that team, everybody bought in," Awuzie said. "There was a camaraderie and closeness, trust you have for your brother, especially on the field, but also in the locker room, that we're all in this together.
"In the NFL, that can get downplayed, and you don't really see it that often, a team where we all have each other's back. Do I see that here? For sure. When you go through what we went through at the beginning of the season, it forces you to look to your left, to your right, and do it together."
Awuzie has been part of the reason why things have come together for the Ravens, but he thinks the defense can reach another level. He's not looking back, wondering why the team started slowly. He's moving forward, happy that the best move he made this offseason was signing with Baltimore.
"Now the challenge is to keep doing it," Awuzie said. "We've put some good stuff on film. Now that's the standard. We have to keep that standard."
