Much ado has been made about the poor game planning done by Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees following the loss to the Raiders last Sunday in Oakland.
Social media, phone lines and message boards were all set ablaze by the 12-year NFL veteran coach’s decision to opt for three-man pass rushes instead of the organized chaos with which he attacked Broncos QB Peyton Manning just one week prior.
Speaking for the first time since the devastating defeat that dropped the Ravens to 0-2 on the season, Pees offered a bit of insight on why the defense failed to put pressure on Raiders signal caller Derek Carr.
“Oakland was getting the ball out quick, but so did [Peyton] Manning,” said Pees following practice on Thursday. “We knew going into both those games they were going to get the ball out quick. There isn’t going to be any difference this week, either.
“Part of it was pass rush, but the other part of that is they work hand-in-hand. Because what happens is if you’re playing zone [coverage] – or even if you’re playing man [coverage] – if the quarterback … If you can’t get him to hold the ball at all, I don’t care what pass rush you have, it’s not going to get there.
“You can manufacture pressures. OK, then you manufacture pressures, now you’re putting the secondary even more on an island, because they’re out there now one-on-one. I felt like in that last game, I didn’t really feel like I could … Because I didn’t feel we were playing with energy, that’s the worst time to pressure, because it means you’re not going to get there, and you’re really not playing aggressive in the back end. I pressured a whole lot less in this last game than I did in the first game, and that was not my intent.”
The Ravens manufactured just seven quarterback hurries, four QB hits, and just one sack against a Raiders offensive line that struggled against the Bengals in week one.
Pees acknowledged his defense lacked energy, the opposite of their week one performance against Denver which ultimately led to their demise. It wasn’t just the lack of pass rush that did the Ravens in, it was missed tackles, costly penalties and the inability to get off the field of crucial third downs.
“In this last game, we did not play with energy,” he responded when asked why the polar opposite transpired against Oakland. “When you don’t play with energy, you end up with six penalties, numerous missed tackles and several big plays, and that was the whole bottom line.
“For whatever reason, we didn’t play with energy. The players are responsible for that and so are the coaches. It’s up to us to get them to play with energy and play at a high level, and it’s up to them as players to produce at a high level. It’s all of us. It was a team effort in both the first game and a team effort in the second game, so we’re all responsible for both.”
As the team deep in their game-planning against the 2-0 AFC North Division leading Cincinnati Bengals, lots of question marks remain as to which Ravens defense will show up on Sunday for their home opener.
Will it be the shut down unit that held Peyton Manning and company without an offensive touchdown or will it be the sloppy, lack of energy defense that was torched for 351 yards and three touchdowns?
Dean Pees understands the importance of not getting to high or too low about a performance.
“No. I’ve been around a long time,” said the Ravens sixth defensive coordinator in franchise history. “[In] 2003, [the Patriots] opened up the season at New England with a 31-0 slashing by Buffalo, who we never lost to again. [They] went on that year to go 17-2 and win the Super Bowl.
“One game never defines you – good or bad. It didn’t define us after Denver. It won’t define us after Oakland.”
While one game may not define you Dean, it sure has all eyes focused on how your unit performs this week….
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