Subscribe to our newsletter
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube Rss
Login
Search
Close this search box.

Let Calais Cook!

·
Calais Campbell tunnel
Shawn Hubbard/Baltimore Ravens
Share
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Reading Time: 5 minutes

This is Tale of the Tape: Defense. For Tale of the Tape: Offense, click here

No D-Line, No Problem!

One of the most impressive aspects of the Ravens’ Week 3 win in Detroit was their ability to cope with the absences of defensive linemen Brandon Williams and Justin Madubuike and OLB Justin Houston. Broderick Washington, Justin Ellis and practice squad call-up Kahlil McKenzie all filled in admirably to help hold the Lions to under 100 rushing yards.

But the real star of this game was veteran Calais Campbell. He was a PROBLEM on Sunday, consistently blowing up plays in the backfield. He was a wrecking ball going through the Detroit offensive line, frequently opening up opportunities for his teammates or just finishing the play himself.

If either Derek Wolfe or Madubuike were lined up next to Campbell on the above play, Jared Goff almost certainly would have been sacked. He takes the right guard for a ride, crashing into the center and knocking down the left guard for good measure.

Next, Campbell throws the RG like a rag doll and takes down the RB in the backfield. His strength is just ridiculous at times, making any one-on-one matchups an immediate mismatch for the offense.

Here’s another play where Campbell just destroys the play, this time with some scary speed for a lineman his size. All of this is to say that reports of Campbell’s decline over the past two seasons have been greatly exaggerated. He’s still an absolute force on the football field for the Ravens, and that only makes life easier for the rest of the defense.

Put Campbell and Odafe Oweh on the field together and dare the other team to run the football. Both are physical juggernauts with an acute ability to stop the run. Opponents have a tough enough time dealing with the two of them, but when you start to throw in defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s innovative blitzes, it’s easy to get excited about this defense.

Seriously, how are offensive lines supposed to diagnose this kind of pre-snap look and react quickly enough to protect the quarterback? Oweh and Tyus Bowser occupy five blockers between them and Campbell wins his one-on-one, leaving a wide open lane for Chuck Clark to get the sack. Not only is this an excellently-designed play, but the Ravens have the right personnel to execute it perfectly.

 

Here’s another example. The pre-snap deception allows several defenders to immediately surprise their blockers and collapse the pocket. Both Bowser and Clark start off in front of the center and loop around to opposite sides. With their speed and Campbell, Oweh, and Daelin Hayes causing problems on their own, Goff had no chance on this one.

Secondary Looking Solid Despite Injuries

The secondary was viewed as a strength heading into the season, with an insane combination of youth and experience providing depth and playmaking ability all over the field. Injuries have calmed the hype, but the secondary is playing really well. Let’s take a look.

Having Jimmy Smith back is huge. He’s an extremely smart and physical player who can take on a variety of matchups and even drop deep as a safety, like he did on this play. I was hootin’ and hollerin’ seeing Smith fly to the ball and level the receiver to break up the pass. It sure looks like his hamstring is healed! One extra note here: I’d love to see Tyus Bowser win more of these matchups against opposing tackles. He’s clearly got the skillset to do so, he just needs to execute on the field.

Anthony Averett is quickly becoming a darling among fans. I pointed out his insane rep against Tyreek Hill last week, and he again showed his speed and anticipation on this play. He’s speeding towards the receiver before the ball is even close, timing it perfectly. Friendly tip for opposing wideouts: don’t bobble the ball against the Ravens.

 

You can’t talk about this defense without mentioning Chuck Clark. He had a huge game on Sunday, notching 12 tackles, one sack and one tackle-for-loss against the Lions. He seemed to be everywhere, constantly around the ball and ending plays. His football I.Q. and instincts make him a fantastic leader for this defense, and he showed why he’s one of the most underrated players in the NFL.

How to Counter the Ravens’ Defense

The Lions did expose a few points of attack against the Ravens’ defense on Sunday. Heavy blitzes have their counters, and the Lions clearly did their homework. The Ravens made some nice plays to stop some potential threats, but a more talented offense might be able to execute better and really make Wink & Co. pay.

Malik Harrison reads this play from the snap, allowing him to dictate the terms of engagement with the lead-blocking fullback. He sheds the block and makes a clean tackle to control the play from start to finish. Harrison clearly has the physical skills to succeed, and this play is an encouraging sign that his ability to read and diagnose plays is improving.

But attacking the edges of the field can still be successful against the Ravens. If Harrison doesn’t play that perfectly, the running back is probably able to turn the corner with a chance to make Patrick Queen miss in the open field. More on that later.

Here’s a more successful run, in which the Lions’ offensive line dominates from the snap. The threat of an end-around forces DeShon Elliott to slow down, and the RB is off to the races. I’m less worried about Bowser losing this rep–that’s going to happen sometimes–than I am about Queen not moving to make a play, despite not being blocked.

[Related: Hot Take – Ravens Inside Linebackers the NFL’s Worst?]

Blindly running between the tackles is probably not going to work against this Baltimore front seven, but these outside runs can put the defense on their back foot and gash the Ravens, especially against blitzes that flood one side of the field.

There are a few passing concepts that the Lions used to some success as well, like this tunnel screen. Screens in general are a good strategy against blitzes, but this specific design puts half of the Baltimore defenders behind the play, with offensive linemen licking their lips at the prospect of bowling over defensive backs. This is a vulnerability of the Ravens’ defense, so the cornerbacks have to be aware and ready to snuff out the screen before the play is fully developed. Shout out to Bowser, though, who jets from the opposite hash to prevent a touchdown.

Pick plays like this have also plagued the Ravens in the past. We can talk about the legality of these kinds of plays and referees’ seeming reluctance to call offensive pass interference, but the best response is to just be prepared. Plus, the tight end doesn’t engage Clark in the slot, he just sets an NBA-style pick that’s not going to get flagged very often. Again, reaction time is key for the defensive backs, as is communication to ensure a clean switch.

Wrapping It Up

I have to at least mention the missed tackles from Sunday’s game, though I do think all the fuss is a bit overblown. One thing I noticed is that opponents seem to be aware of the Ravens’ proclivity towards stripping the ball, more frequently covering up before hits and tackles. Not only does this help limit forced fumbles, but it makes it easier to break tackles. I couldn’t find any good angles of these situations, but be on the lookout in future games.

 

Queen struggled here, diving at air for no particular reason. Head coach John Harbaugh stressed fundamentals this week, and this is a good example of why. Queen arrives at a good spot to make the play, but seems almost surprised when the receiver tries to go around him. Not great, but definitely fixable.

Between Bowser and Queen, the Lions’ running back should’ve been down before the 45-yard line. Instead they both miss, with Bowser getting juked and Queen again taking an odd angle towards the ballcarrier. He seems to lead with his shoulder before trying to use his arms and succeeds with neither approach. On plays like this, the second tackler should be focused on wrapping up the ballcarrier instead of…whatever Queen was trying to do. He may have been expecting Bowser to grab ahold of the RB so Queen could lay the boom, but I’d still prefer solid technique over going for a big play, especially when help isn’t nearby.

On the plus side, missed tackles seem to be the defense’s biggest issue, despite injuries and positive COVID tests. If they can clean up their tackling, this defense could be absolutely deadly.

Top of Post
Picture of Nikhil Mehta
Nikhil Mehta
Nikhil Mehta is a sportswriter and football analyst from Marriottsvile, Maryland who grew up on Ed Reed interceptions and elite QB play from Joe Flacco. He has written for RSR since 2020, focusing on film analysis, salary cap management, and roster buildling. He first attended training camp in 2022 before adding offseason practices in 2023 and the NFL Scouting Combine in 2024. He currently writes Battle Plans with Dev Panchwagh and can also be found writing about the Orioles at Eutaw Street Report. Check out his Russell Street Replay and Baltimore Birdwatchers podcasts, and find him on X @nikknowsball.
Don’t Miss Anything at RSR. Subscribe Here!
Latest posts

From the Forums

RSR on Youtube

Super match this week
"77" Historic Relegation
Sports
Follow Blanché
Facebook Twitter Youtube
Get Notified Of The Latest Sport News Update From Our Blog
Join our newsletter and get 20% discount
Promotion nulla vitae elit libero a pharetra augue