For the first six years of their history, the Ravens defense was under the direction of Marvin Lewis. We all know his resume. He was and is the gold standard of defensive coaching in Baltimore. He left after the 2001 season to take the head job in Cincinnati.
In the ensuing 20 years, the Ravens had six defensive coordinators with varying levels of success. Between Mike Nolan, Rex Ryan, Greg Mattison, Chuck Pagano, Dean Pees, and Wink Martindale, those coaches helped the Ravens win 56 percent of their games (54-42). While the defensive coordinator isn’t the sole indicator of a team’s success, they are hugely influential in any success the team does have.
Throughout Ravens history, after Lewis, Chuck Pagano was the best defensive coordinator the team had as far as record (12-4), and Dean Pees was the best in terms of tenure (2012-17). Additionally, each of the last four defensive coordinators helped the team make the playoffs in their first season in the new role.
This all bodes well for incoming defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who began his professional coaching career under the tutelage of Pees in Baltimore in 2014. His pedigree is strong, and he understands expectations, from Coach Harbaugh and the fans.
So, what do we know about Macdonald? Let’s start with his experience.
Macdonald has always had an ability to handle a lot of work while sustaining high levels of performance. He graduated from the University of Georgia summa cum laude in 2010 after coaching two years of high school football. From there, he became a graduate assistant for the Bulldogs while also completing his master’s degree.
In 2014, Macdonald came to the Ravens to help coaching safeties. He’d eventually work with the team thru 2020, also coaching inside linebackers. He was an integral part of those defenses routinely ranking near the top of the league in points allowed, turnovers, and 3rd down defense.
Last year, he became the defensive coordinator at Michigan, where his influence helped the Wolverines reach marks they haven’t seen in years. He helped Michigan rank 8th nationally in scoring defense, make the College Football Playoff, beat Ohio State, and helped defensive end Aidan Hutchinson become the NFL’s No. 1 overall draft pick.
Now in Baltimore, with over a decade of top-level football coaching experience, Macdonald is ready to take the next step. What can we expect from him?
The first thing you need to know when attempting to forecast a coach’s performance is to look at their roster. Football is all about the players. Bill Belichick once said, “Players win games, and coaches lose them.” That’s so true. Fortunately for Baltimore fans, they can expect Macdonald to be a players coach. Being a players coach doesn’t mean being soft on your players. It means you’re able to gain their trust. Macdonald turns 35 on June 26, so he’s at an age where he can relate to players. That’s big. He knows references they’ll make and is likely to have experience similar life issues they have, thus creating a bond which will become the foundation on which he can successfully coach.
As far as his scheme goes, we don’t know for sure what he’ll run. Again, it comes back to the players. Coaches can have a brilliant scheme replete with nuance, but if the players he has can’t execute said scheme, that brilliance goes to waste. You have to be able to teach as a coach, at any level, to see success. Macdonald is an excellent teacher of the game, perhaps because he’s a devoted student of the game.
Main tenants of his defense are likely to include turnovers, overwhelming quarterbacks (whether pressure is actual or simulated), dogged run defense, and stifling pass defense. I know that sounds like any defensive coordinator’s wish list, but I truly believe the Ravens defense, under Macdonald, can achieve high marks in those areas.
First, turnovers. The Ravens were abysmal is that department last season, ranking 30th in takeaways last season, so by default Macdonald can’t really be much worse. Adding two new premier safeties to the defensive backfield, as well as edge rusher David Ojabo (whom he coached at Michigan) is sure to ratchet up the pressure on opposing offenses.
Incorporating top-down coverage with a refreshed pass rush package should all but guarantee increased pressure on the quarterback in 2022. Odafe Oweh is a year wiser. David Ojabo (when healthy) should be a force off the edge. Justin Madubuike will push the pocket from the inside with consistent fervor. Tyus Bowser being healthy will allow him to return to top form, as he’s shown the ability to excel in multiple alignments.
The retention of Calais Campbell, addition of rookie defensive tackle Travis Jones, and a motivated Patrick Queen will help Macdonald in limiting opposing running backs this year. Those three will have big roles in stopping what I believe to be the best running back division in football. They all present specific run stopping abilities, which Macdonald is sure to maximize, given his diverse coaching experience of “middle defenders”—safeties and inside linebackers. Seeing the field from the middle helps you align and identify run schemes better than if you were a perimeter coach or defender.
The entire defensive unit (coaches and players) need to be on the same page to prevent teams from making big plays in the pass game. Last year, the Ravens allowed 20 touchdowns of 20-plus yards (17 pass, 2 offensive turnovers, 1 kickoff return). That simply cannot happen again. Don’t think that hasn’t been noticed by Macdonald. You better believe he has a plan to limit big plays and flip the down and distance script in Baltimore’s favor. With the return of his two starting cornerbacks, a full compliment of safeties, a revamped pass rush, and a solid linebacker core, he has all the tools he needs at his disposal to do just that.
All in all, it’s a good time to be a Ravens fan. The team is close to a championship and are motivated. You don’t often see that. Macdonald in particular is going to be a great asset to the Ravens, as I believe he’s going to be one of the best defensive coordinators this team has seen.
Just don’t expect him to last long in his current role. If his career continues on its current path, he could be in line for a head coaching job before he turns 40.
If that happens, that probably means he helped return the Ravens defense to dominance.
Born in Baltimore, Mike had long been drawn to sports of all kinds. Growing up watching Cal Ripken play ever day gave him a great example for which to attack every endeavor he undertakes.
When the Ravens came to town, though, that’s when Mike found his passion. Since that time, he’s tried to gain every bit of knowledge he could. Now as a high school coach, Mike is able to take his film study and appreciation of the game to a new level.
To engage with Mike on social media, follow him on Twitter @MikeFastNFL.