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Defensive film room from Ravens 37-26 win over the Patriots

by

Syndication: The Providence Journal
Kris Craig / USA TODAY NETWORK

Baltimore’s defense has struggled to keep opponents out of the end zone once they reach the red zone. They’ve only thwarted three of their opponents 11 red zone attempts, one of which was on a late Marlon Humphrey interception Sunday. With a mix of new defenders, injuries and a young defensive coordinator, they’ve struggled to communicate effectively pre-snap and aren’t lined up correctly by the time the ball is snapped. This has led to easy gains and tough goal line situations.

At the same time, Baltimore has been forcing turnovers relentlessly. Marcus Peters made his presence felt forcing a fumble, recovering a fumble and notching a late interception that helped seal the game for Baltimore. Rookie safety Kyle Hamilton was more specialized on third down than he has been over the first few weeks, which resulted in more confident play and ultimately a massive forced fumble that helped the Ravens move to 2-1.

The Ravens figure to be without Michael Pierce for quite some time, who suffered torn biceps on Sunday. On the bright side, rookie Travis Jones and youngsters Justin Madbuike and Broderick Washington have been studly against the run. Madubuike has looked like a much improved pass rusher through three weeks and figures to take on a leading role in this defense for years to come.

Here is what stood out on film defensively: