Amid a five-game streak, the Baltimore Ravens are officially rolling. After Sunday's 23-10 win over the New York Jets, the Ravens moved up to 6-5, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the AFC North. Shockingly, it's been the Ravens' defense that has been the main catalyst of their success over the past five weeks.
Linebacker Roquan Smith spoke about what makes this group special and how they've turned things around in recent weeks.
"It's just a bunch of dudes that are willing to go out there and put it all on the line for one another," Smith said. "Once you have [the communication], and then when you have the mindset, willing to put your face in the fan every single play. And you have those types of guys that's not worried about "me, me, me, me, me" and more like "us, us, us." When you have that, it's the perfect combination for a really good defense."
Smith went on to mention the importance of communication, which (even on TV) has been a visible improvement for Baltimore's defense. The Ravens have now held their opponent to under 20 points in six straight games, something they only did once in their first five games.
And to Smith's point, they look like a more cohesive overall unit. You can tell this team is doing whatever it takes to get into the playoffs. As one of the leaders of this defense, Smith is certainly a big part of this success.
The Ravens' defense is trending up at the right time
Despite a five-game win streak, things haven't been perfect for the Ravens on offense. Their defense has been nearly perfect, though. Similar to the stat about holding their opponents to under 20 points, it's now been six straight weeks that the Ravens have forced at least one turnover, which they only did in one of the first five games. They now have 13 takeaways, which ranks tied for 11th in the NFL.
Smith has been a big part of this success. He struggled in the four games relative to his standards. However, after returning from an injury that sidelined him for two games, Smith has looked his dominant self since Week 8. Smith has done a much better job of controlling the middle of the field since returning from injury. On Sunday, Smith led the way with 11 total tackles in arguably his best game of the season.
Another massive change was trading for Alohi Gilman ahead of Week 6. Gilman's presence has allowed Kyle Hamilton to move close to the line of scrimmage, a change that has greatly benefited the team. Likewise, trading for Dre'Mont Jones has bolstered the Ravens' pass rush; he notably had 1.5 sacks on Sunday.
Rookies Teddye Buchanan and Mike Green have also developed nicely, and given the Ravens a nice boost to their front-seven. Malaki Starks has also done a much better job of manning the back of the field.
The point is, it's all coming together for the Ravens at the right time. As the Ravens try to secure a playoff spot in the final stretch of the season, their defense will be a key part of their success. Smith's comments reflect what can be seen on the field: this defense is playing together and playing at a high level.
Undoubtedly, this should have Ravens fans fired up.