Terrence Brooks May Be Deep Safety Ravens Need
Sep 28, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (13) carries the ball as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith (22) tackles at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Not long ago, I opined that Will Hill is the only guy with the skills needed to play the deep safety role the Ravens have struggled at this season. Looks like I wrote off rookie third-round pick Terrence Brooks too soon, as he excelled in significant playing time against the Carolina Panthers.
Brooks was expected to challenge for a starting job immediately upon being drafted. His failure to do so, paired with his relative struggles in the preseason, led many, myself included, to write him off. That was a mistake.
Coming out of college, Brooks seemed to have the necessary speed and instincts to make an impact, but he didn’t demonstrate much in the way of ball skills at Florida State. Since he wasn’t tested significantly against the Panthers, we still don’t truly know how Brooks will fare in jump ball situations.
What we do know, however, is that Brooks was the best deep safety the Ravens had Sunday. Brooks regularly took the deep middle zone when the Ravens ran Cover 3 or a deep half in Cover 2, and he never surrendered a big play. Further, Brooks showed the range to help out teammates on deep balls. On balls that hung in the air, Brooks used his speed to get in range to help teammates defend the deep ball. That’s a skill Darian Stewart and Matt Elam could only dream of.
On balls that hung in the air, Brooks used his speed to get in range to help teammates defend the deep ball. That’s a skill Darian Stewart and Matt Elam could only dream of.
Brooks played almost exclusively on passing downs, with 28 of his 35 snaps coming either in coverage or on a blitz. His small frame (5’11”, 196 pounds) will probably keep him from being a top-tier run defender early, but the promise Brooks has shown in coverage will undoubtedly earn him more playing time.
Questions remain regarding the rookie safety. Can he tackle consistently? How will he defend jump balls? But all told, Brooks put forth the best performance by a Ravens’ safety this season in coverage, and that cannot be ignored.
Expect the Ravens to continue to give the rookie a shot. If he continues to impress in deep coverage, it will not only limit the big plays that Stewart and Elam have given up regularly this year, but it will also allow defensive coordinator Dean Pees to call more aggressive coverages and blitzes.
In fact, Pees did call a more aggressive game against Carolina than any other game this season. That’s probably a coincidence, but Brooks’ coverage ability should give Pees the opportunity to make aggressive calls more often.
All told, Brooks’ play was one of the most under-the-radar positive stories to come from the Panthers game. If Brooks keeps it up, maybe he will be the safety the Ravens have been waiting for.