Baltimore Ravens cannot overlook Tennessee Titans defense

The Baltimore Ravens offense is nothing short of prolific, but they cannot underestimate a good Tennessee Titans defense with a familiar face coaching them.

Under defensive coordinator Don Martindale, the Baltimore Ravens defense has flourished. The team finished first in total YPG and second in PPG in the 2018 season. The unit followed that performance up in 2019 with a fourth-place finish in total YPG and a third-place finish in PPG in 2019. Last I checked that’s pretty good.

Ravens Flock has seen a lot of good defenses during the franchise’s existence, to include elite units in 2000, 2006, and 2011 to name a few. Still, fans aren’t likely to forget the up-and-down seasons with former defensive coordinator Dean Pees.

Pees served as the team’s DC from 2012-2017 before announcing his retirement from the NFL. Under his coaching, Baltimore’s defense finished as the following in total YPG followed by PPG per season (2012-2016):

• 17th YPG, 12th PPG (2012)
• 12th YPG, 12th PPG (2013)
• 8th YPG, 6th PPG (2014)
• 8th YPG, 24th PPG (2015)
• 7th YPG, 9th PPG (2016)

Pees finished his final season as the Baltimore Ravens DC with the 12th ranked total YPG and the sixth-ranked PPG defense.

Those aren’t bad numbers by any means, but the common theme was the defense crumbling when it mattered most and sporadic and inconsistent play-calling by Pees. When Pees retired, Ravens Flock rejoiced.

Dean Pees wasn’t out of retirement for long, however, as he accepted the same position with the Tennessee Titans less than a month after stepping down in Baltimore. It was like watching your ex tell you they didn’t want to date for a while and then jumping into a new relationship almost immediately; it left a bad taste in the mouth of Ravens Flock.

In his first season with Tennessee, Pees coached the Titans to the eighth-ranked total YPG and the third-ranked PPG defense in 2018. Pees followed up that performance with the league’s 21st ranked total YPG and the 12th ranked PPG defense. Far from terrible, but not ideal.

There’s some good news and bad news with Dean Pees’ experience with the Baltimore Ravens. The bad news is he knows how the front office and coaching staff operate. The good news is fairly obvious: he has no experience coaching against Lamar Jackson as the team’s starting quarterback. With the way he’s played in 2019, it’s safe to assume the MVP front-runner will have some success against this Tennessee Titans defense.

Nonetheless, Baltimore can’t overlook someone who had such a long tenure with the team. Pees was a part of that Ravens coaching staff for eight-years (2010-2017). If there’s one defensive coordinator who could possibly slow Baltimore dow in this post-season, it’s Dean Pees.