National Football League

Ravens' unusual task for bye week: improve defense

Published Oct. 24, 2009 5:03 a.m. ET

foxsports

For much of the past decade, the Baltimore Ravens strived to create an offense capable of matching the swagger of a defense that annually ranks among the best in the NFL. The Ravens finally have that kind of attack. In their second season under offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice have carried a unit that ranks seventh in total yardage and is averaging a robust 28.2 points per game. The defense, however, has been uncharacteristically inadequate. The Ravens (3-3) entered their bye week with a three-game losing streak after giving up a combined 77 points to New England, Cincinnati and Minnesota. Baltimore ranks 17th in total defense after finishing second last season under the guidance of Rex Ryan, who left in January to take the head coaching job with the New York Jets. Linebacker Bart Scott and defensive back Jim Leonhard followed Ryan to New York. Although Ravens coach John Harbaugh insisted the changes have not been a factor, he acknowledged that the new-look defense under first-year coordinator Greg Mattison remains a work in progress. "Whatever struggles we've had on defense are not due to who's not here. We've got plenty of good coaches and plenty of good players to play good defense," Harbaugh said. "Is there a transition? There's always a transition in any kind of a change," he said. "There's a transition as a head coach coming in here last year. There's a transition in our offense with Cam. That's something that I think is natural. It's not a transition that we can't play great defense through, and we intend to." It hasn't happened recently. The Ravens went 39 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher before Cedric Benson and Adrian Peterson each surpassed the century mark in successive weeks before the bye. The backfield has been victimized by long pass plays, including a 58-yarder last Sunday in Minnesota that set up the winning field goal in a 33-31 defeat. Cornerback Fabian Washington was pulled against the Vikings after being repeatedly beaten, and his replacement, Frank Walker, fared no better. Without Scott, who ranked second on the team in tackles last year, Baltimore is yielding 332.7 yards per game - an increase of 60 yards from 2008. The Ravens have given up 25 plays of at least 20 yards and blew fourth-quarter leads against the Bengals and Vikings. "Those are the things we have to correct," said linebacker Ray Lewis, who has maintained his effectiveness while operating in the middle of a different supporting cast. The offense needs very little tinkering. Operating for a second season under Cameron, the Ravens have opened up their passing game and maintained a solid running attack behind Rice, who leads the NFL in total yardage. Even though the Baltimore defense couldn't stop the Vikings last week, the game came down to a missed 44-yard field goal by Steve Hauschka in the final minute. If that kick goes through, the Ravens are 4-2 and tied for first in the AFC North. Their three losses have come by a combined 11 points, so there's really no reason for despair - yet. "We're disappointed in some aspects, but then in some aspects, with the record we have, we understand why we have it," wide receiver Derrick Mason said. "Three plays and we could potentially be 6-0. So, do we feel good about it? No. But we're going to move forward." The Ravens can look to last season as cause for encouragement. They started 2-3, then closed 9-2 and won two playoff games to reach the AFC championship contest. "I guess in order to understand your future, you've got to look back at your past," Mason said. "We were kind of in the same situation last year and then we were able to make a run toward the end. Hopefully, it bodes well for us again." For years, the Ravens have been known for their defense. Is the identity of the team changing? "All those identity questions, to me, they miss the mark," Harbaugh said. "We want to be the best team we can be. We want our offense to be dominant, we want our defense to be dominant, and we want out special teams to be dominant." The offense is on target. The special teams have been decent. Hard to imagine, but the defense is Baltimore's most glaring weakness. "Football always takes care of itself," Lewis said. "Those bounces that we didn't get in the last three games, we'll get those later."