Baltimore Ravens Secondary Could Struggle This Week
Ben Roethlisberger has been tearing opposing secondaries apart this season. He is probably thrilled to know that he will be going up against the Baltimore Ravens’ 22nd-ranked passing defense Sunday night.
The Ravens’ defense has given up 2,048 yards through the air this season, and as I said, that is 22nd-best in the league. That is not very good.
Why is this group of defensive backs struggling so much? For starters, starting cornerback Lardarius Webb missed most of the first four weeks of the season and hasn’t been the same since returning to the field. That has been a huge blow for the defense.
Also note that Webb’s replacements, Chykie Brown and Asa Jackson, haven’t exactly performed the greatest when they have received opportunities. They look like they’re still in college, even though they are both multi-year veterans. This is common with young cornerbacks, but until they get their act together, it will cause a hole in this defense.
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The safeties have been an issue as well. Matt Elam was taken 32nd overall by Baltimore in the 2013 NFL draft, but he has not performed like a first-round pick in 2014. He has been getting beat down the field on a number of occasions and just doesn’t look to have the speed that we thought he might have had.
Rookie safety Terrence Brooks gave a shot at it last week, but he didn’t fare all that greatly either. These guys are high draft picks, so hopefully at least one of them will pan out.
In the mean time, the Ravens’ secondary will have the brutally tough challenge of going up against Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown. Both are among the top three in their positions in yards, and Brown leads the league in receptions with 60. It will be tough, and with the way that the Ravens’ secondary has been going, that secondary could easily get torn apart.
That is why something has to change soon, and quickly. Will Hill played in two games for the Ravens since coming back from his six-game suspension, and he has played well, so hopefully he can add a needed boost. Without Jimmy Smith on the field, they will need a couple added boosts, but let’s start with one at a time.
And you never know, maybe someone that has been struggling this year will come through with a great performance in Pittsburgh on Sunday night. You just never know.