The consistent positive outputs by the Baltimore Ravens defense this season has been the epitome of a collective effort.
No single defender has carried the team to the second-best scoring defense in the NFL (16.4 points per game). Rather, the stellar play of a handful of defenders has led to innate success for Dean Pees’ unit.
One of the defensive leaders putting in notable work on a weekly basis this season is veteran defensive end Haloti Ngata. Once considered to be on the downswing of his career, Ngata’s performance in the first half of the 2014 season has poked holes in that developing opinion.
The 30-year old’s $16 million cap hit for the year made him appear to be just another overpaid veteran, however his weekly dominance this season has made his current monetary value not so bad.
Playing on a defensive line that has dealt with a plethora of injuries since training camp, Ngata’s ability to consistently be an anchor in the run game while offering a diverse pass rush skill set has made him once again one of Baltimore’s top defenders, something that couldn’t necessarily have been said in 2012 or 2013.
In Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Ngata offered a little bit of everything. The multi-dimensional play he showed was just a snippet of what he’s been doing all season.
Let’s take a look at some of his key plays from Sunday.
As a pass rusher, Ngata had his way with Bengals left guard Clint Boling, who struggled all day to handle #92.
On a play action pass, Ngata gets the inside leverage on Boling.
After the fake handoff, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has a rather clean pocket to stand in and make his reads.
The only thing holding him back, though, is Ngata, whose ability to crash the interior offensive line puts pressure on Dalton.
Instead of having enough time to stand in the pocket and make a throw downfield, Dalton is forced to make a throw on the move as Ngata collapses in from his backside.
Dalton rolls out to the right to run free of Ngata, and to avoid the sack, he settles for a dumpoff to running back Gio Bernard in the flat.
Not only did Ngata show off his strength when rushing the passer against Cincinnati, but he also displayed savvy agility, pre-requisites for a diverse rusher.
This time lined up against right guard Kevin Zeitler, Ngata executes a swim move off the snap.
He may be 30 years old and listed at 340 pounds, but Ngata still has it when it comes to agile moves inside.
Ngata’s inside move catches Zeitler off guard, and it leaves him on the ground as Ngata closes in on Dalton.
Initially assessing his options downfield, Dalton is quickly forced to choose between two options: get out of the pocket or get the ball out as quick as possible.
He chooses the latter, and opts to turn to the flat for a check down pass attempt as Ngata quickly closes in.
Otherwise a clean pocket created by Cincinnati’s offensive line, Ngata’s quick swim move early in the play proved to be the deciding factor in Dalton’s passing choice.
Ngata’s pass rushing ability has been an added plus, however his initial value comes in run defense. The Ravens have Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil and Pernell McPhee to get to the quarterback; Ngata is one of the key anchors against the run.
What has been so positive about Ngata’s game this year is that his inherent strength to simply shed blocks regularly has returned. This wasn’t necessarily always the case on a weekly basis during the past two seasons.
Off the snap, Ngata receives a double team block that initially pushes him out of the play.
As the run play is directed toward the right middle, Ngata is forced to shed two blocks in order to come back across the line and make an impact.
He does just that as he uses his strength to work off the blocks and begin to make a move on the ball carrier, running back Jeremy Hill.
As Hill cuts back toward the left of the offensive line, Ngata has already successfully shed both blocks, particularly the one from left tackle Andrew Whitworth who has little choice but to watch Ngata close in on Hill.
Ngata positions himself with a favorable angle on the running back, meeting him in the middle to prevent more than a minimal gain.
There’s no way to describe Ngata’s season other than that it has not only been a success, but that it has led to much more of an impact than in 2013 and 2012.
Maybe Ngata is rejuvenated after not having to play January football last season, or maybe Ngata is simply more motivated to earn a large salary again in 2015 before becoming a free agent in 2016.
Regardless of the reason for Ngata’s success, it’s easy to say he has been one of the difference makers for Baltimore’s defense at the midway point of the 2014 season.
His balanced rush tactics and strength against the run have made it simple for Baltimore’s front seven to have consistent success despite a slew of injuries to the defensive line.
If Ngata’s play is sustained for the second half of the season, he may be one of the reasons why the Ravens will be playing football in January again.
