The Baltimore Ravens' defense is enjoying a shocking surge over the past month. The unit was once viewed as a historically bad group, letting up 37 or more points in four of their first five games. Now, they have locked down opposing offenses in an encouraging stretch that has seen them hold each of their last five opponents to under 20 points.
There is no doubt that the acquisition of safety Alohi Gilman and the usage of versatile chess piece Kyle Hamilton closer to the line of scrimmage has been the main catalyst for this run. The coverage has been far better week to week, and even the pass rush is finally finding success.
General Manager Eric DeCosta also made a trade for outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones ahead of the trade deadline, and Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr’s unit immediately benefited from that move. They got a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Shedeur Sanders in the last two games.
Baltimore’s pass rush also saw an unexpected source make the most of his opportunities in the team’s Week 11 win over the Cleveland Browns: linebacker Trenton Simpson.
Trenton Simpson starting to make an impact in any way he can
The Ravens’ defense had its best performance of the year in Week 11, and Simpson was among the many players who made a dominant impact. While he only saw five snaps, the 24-year-old had himself a day, registering an 86.0 grade, per Pro Football Focus, including an 80.1 pass rush grade. He is truly making a difference in that area, as he accounted for one hurry and two QB hits.
Head Coach John Harbaugh took notice of Simpson’s standout performance last Sunday, despite the limited snap share. In his press conference on Friday, Harbaugh spoke about what Simpson has provided for Orr’s defense in recent weeks.
“Trent’s gone on to the edge a lot, and has played in that pass rush role,” Harbaugh said. “He’s done a great job. He got the quarterback hit in the last game to force the intentional grounding. He’s done some other things and can also drop in coverage. He’s pretty versatile, and it’s adding a lot to our defense.”
Since All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith’s return from injury in Week 8, Simpson has not played more than 10 snaps in a game. However, he is still earning the coaching staff’s trust as a pass rusher.
Simpson was a monster off the edge at Clemson. Across his three-year college career, he totaled 12.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss. While he settled as an off-ball linebacker at the NFL level, he continues to flash that pass-rush ability.
If Simpson can put together another encouraging performance in Baltimore’s Week 12 meeting with the New York Jets, more snaps could be coming down the line. He has the potential as a pass rusher, and if rookie Teddye Buchanan continues to lock down that inside linebacker spot next to Smith, the Ravens may turn to Simpson in more pass rush reps.