How the Ravens Defense Succeeded against the Broncos Offense

While my BSL Ravens Analyst colleague Shawn Brubaker highlighted why the Ravens offense might not be as doomed as some think, I decided to write about the far easier topic of what the Ravens did well on defense. While Denver’s offensive line is patchy and Peyton Manning isn’t the quarterback that he used to be, it’s still very impressive that the Ravens didn’t give up an offensive touchdown. Below, I’ll break down a couple of the reasons why the Ravens defense was so successful on Sunday and whether or not we should expect that trend to continue.

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Jimmy Smith and Anticipatory Coverage

Smith was the best player on either side of the ball for the Ravens on Sunday. There were a lot of reasons Smith was so successful: he’s smart, physical, and Demaryius Thomas, Denver’s number one receiver, is the type of deep threat receiver Smith excels against.

But the number one reason Smith was so successful is he great at anticipating how the opposing offenses play develops. Smith was great at deciding when he should break his original assignment and make a play on the ball.

Smith showcased this skill in the play that ended in a pick six. Smith sees that Peyton Manning is going to throw to his hot route because of the pressure from Kyle Arrington. He breaks off his assignment, jumps the route, and ends up returning an interception for a touchdown.

This type of anticipation wasn’t just used for flashy plays like the pick-six: it also helped Smith clean up other cornerback’s mistakes. This type of cleanup duty helped limit Denver’s yards after catch and resulted in Smith leading the team in tackles. Below, Smith recognizes Emmanuel Sanders is open and decides to ditch his coverage early and make the tackle.

This isn’t a one game deal for Smith either. He has shown this type of route jumping and anticipation in the past, getting an interception against the Bucs last year the same way.

This type of route jumping and awareness of how an opponent’s offense is developing is particularly useful given the deficiencies of the Ravens’ other cornerbacks. Lardarius Webb and Kyle Arrington both struggled against the Broncos, so a player like Smith who can provide that kind of help to other cornerbacks is incredibly valuable.

Brandon Williams and defensive line penetration

I had my doubts before Sunday’s game that Brandon Williams would be able to generate significant pressure on the quarterback. Don’t get me wrong, I thought Williams was an excellent player and would go a long way in replacing Ngata’s production. It was just that at 335 pounds, I just didn’t think Williams would be able to fast enough to pressure the quarterback.

But if his performance against Denver is any indication, Williams will be a constant source of pressure on the Ravens defensive line. Garrett Downing highlighted some of the instances of pressure here, but there are other times Williams generated significant pressure.

 

Between my images and Garrett Downing’s vines, it’s clear that Williams had a great day against Denver. The Denver offensive line is very much a work in progress, and it remains to be seen whether Williams can get this type of push against offensive lines with a much better pedigree. Still, it’s a great sign that the Ravens will get plenty of interior pressure throughout the year.

Dean Peas and Delayed Blitzes

 The Ravens were able to generate against the Broncos not because of the overwhelming personnel advantages, but because the Ravens defensive coordinator consciously utilized delayed blitzes against an inexperienced Broncos offensive line. Below, Mosley almost acts as a corner blitz that results in a Peyton Manning sack.

Not all of these delayed blitzes ended up in sacks, but they usually made an impact. A delayed blitz by Albert McClellan led to Peyton recognizing the pressure and throwing it away.

Again, it’s tough to tell how the much the Ravens excelled because of their own defensive scheming or because of Denver offensive line inexperience. Still, this early in the season, it’s good to see Pees is finding creative ways to generate pressure.

Final verdict

It’ll take a couple games to find out just how good this iteration of the Ravens defense, especially with the Terrell Suggs injury and the subpar competition coming up this week. Still, there were a lot of promising signs the Ravens defense will be improved from last year.