7 Baltimore Ravens who must step up against Tennessee Titans

1. Chris Wormley

Run defense is multi-faceted and we’ve talked a good bit about it today. I highlighted what the the outside linebackers have to do. I talked about what L.J. Fort and company have to do at the second level of the defense. I talked about how Michael Pierce needs to be a force in the middle of the defensive line. Stopping the outside run has more to it than just having the outside linebackers setting the edge. That’s why Chris Wormley needs to play well at the defensive end position.

The Titans are a power running football team, which means they are going to try to push the defensive end out of the picture. When the Titans run a power play to the left, Wormley is the player they’re going to try takeout with the pulling guard. Wormley has to be able to hold his ground and force the issue. The ultimate goal of the defense is to create a new line of scrimmage in the backfield. You know Brandon Williams can get the job done. Wormley has to step up and play his absolute best. Wormley can be a hard player for the opposing team to deal with. He’s got to have his most consistent performance against the Titans.

Run defense is huge in this game, and you can’t say it enough. Four of the seven players I mentioned in this post are defensive players directly tied to stopping the run. The Ravens can play their game or they can let the Titans play theirs. There is no in between. Baltimore, not Tennessee, must force the issue in this game.