Ravens: 3 ways the team can make a legitimate Super Bowl run

2. The Ravens defense has to perform better in the second half

Everyone knows that the Ravens, at their core, are a running football team that plays suffocating defense. It’s that identity that has made them so dominant in the Lamar Jackson era.

However, so far this season, the Ravens haven’t been able to run the football and the defense hasn’t been as good as in the past.

Defensively, the Ravens have struggled in pass coverage. They have allowed over 400 yards passing in three of their seven games played. That is not a typical Ravens defense.

They have been torched when they blitz opposing quarterbacks. It’s a part of their identity, but until the Ravens’ front-seven shows they win their one-on-one battles consistently, the Ravens should reconsider how much pressure they bring every play.

The injury to Marcus Peters has been huge. Although Anthony Averett has played well, teams will be hunting him with their big-bodied receivers. The ball is coming out quicker which counters the Ravens’ blitz scheme and pressure package.

Wink Martindale’s calling card has always been his unpredictability. Many quarterbacks in the past have stated they had difficulty recognizing who was blitzing and who was dropping in coverage.

However, recently, teams have beaten that by throwing to their running backs and attacking Averett with huge receivers.

Another issue is tackling. A lot of the big plays the Ravens have allowed were the result of missed tackles. If the Ravens want to make a run in the postseason, their defense needs to tackle better and Martindale may have to tweak his scheme a little bit.