Ravens defense floundering, changes need to be made

Dean Pees has to make serious adjustments to the defense and if he cannot fix it then he might need to go.

By: Corey Johns

Even though the Ravens are not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, their home loss to the Cleveland Browns to drop them to 1-4 on the year just ended all realistic chances of playing in the postseason. The Ravens defense was terrible once again as Josh McCown passed for 457 yards and two touchdowns. Gary Barnidge caught eight passes for 139 yards and a touchdown.

The Ravens need to make changes, and more changes than just their personnel to fix their defense. If it’s not a change at defensive coordinator then Dean Pees better remember what he did Week 1 to make Peyton Manning look more like McCown than McCown did.

Since Manning was very limited that first week the Ravens secondary has been torched by Derek Carr, Andy Dalton and now McCown, not exactly murderers row of quarterbacks.

Despite all of the injuries at wide receiver, including yet another one with Darren Waller exiting the game with a concussion, the Ravens were able to put up 30 points. That is enough to win a game.

Justin Forsett rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown and Joe Flacco threw for 210 yards and a touchdown while running two more in on the ground. But the Ravens’ defense just does not have the ability to shut a team down. After taking a 21-9 lead in the second half the Browns were able to rally back and tie the game, successfully finishing multiple long drives for touchdowns.

The Ravens needed a 23-yard field goal from Justin Tucker at the end of regulation to force overtime, but there they saw the Browns drive and win the game with a 32-yard field goal.

The secondary just could not stop the Browns passing game in the forth quarter. Something needs to change. Pees must have a long and thorough evaluation done of his performance. Since he took over the Ravens defense they have finished in the bottom third of total defense two out of three years and are very much nearly the bottom of the league in that area right now.

If it is determined that he is not the problem then the lineup has to be moved around because the Ravens cannot simply go out there every week with the same players and the same game plan and expect anything other than what is happening each week.

Free agent signing Kendrick Lewis has been abysmal in coverage, perhaps benching him and moving Lardarius Webb back to free safety would be a wise move. Webb is being burnt up and down the field, but he is still a great team leader and a very smart defensive back. Moving him back to safety would hide his lack of speed but would keep his instincts on the field.

Perhaps it is time to just throw rookie Tray Walker in the fire and let him and his huge frame overwhelm opposing receivers at the line with a hard press.

Or maybe they have to go make a bigger trade than they did for Will Davis and get a player from a team that is selling everything off for dirt cheap, like the Chicago Bears (Antrell Rolle or Terrance Mitchell maybe).

The losing has to stop but for it to stop the defense has to make a stop.

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