Baltimore Ravens: No Excuses for Dean Pees This Season
By Joe Serpico
Baltimore Ravens Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees has no excuses for the defense not to be better with the organization bringing in an influx of new talent.
When the random NFL fan thinks of the Baltimore Ravens, they think of defense. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and the rest of the cast struck fear into opposing teams. They hit hard and got after the quarterback. They forced turnovers and turned them into points.
We saw none of that last season.
The Ravens recorded 37 sacks last season, a year after getting to the quarterback 49 times. The defense had a total of 22 turnovers in 2014, compared to just 14 last year. They also ranked in the top 10 in total defense in ’14.
The biggest loss of the year happened to come in the first game when Terrell Suggs went down with the second Achilles injury of his career. That instantly shook the defense up and Dean Pees needed to find new ways to get to the passer with the former Defensive Player of the Year out for the season. The lack of a pass rush allowed the secondary to get burned.
Things should be better in 2016 with all the new pieces General Manager Ozzie Newsome has added. It started in free agency with the addition of Eric Weddle, the top secondary player available. It was the Ravens top need of the offseason, and they landed one of the best safeties in football over the last five seasons.
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They added a veteran cornerback in Jerraud Powers after the draft. He could win the starting spot opposite Jimmy Smith or play nickel corner. He has a knack for getting his hands on the ball, which this team was desperately missing.
The NFL Draft is where Ozzie made some solid moves defensively. They needed a better pass rush, so they added Kamalei Correa and Bronson Kaufusi in the second and third rounds. They also added Matt Judon in the fifth round, who led the nation in sacks last season.
He also brought in two cornerbacks that could fight for spots on the roster. Tavon Young will be a nickel corner because of his size, while Maurice Canady fits the Ravens’ mold of how they want their cornerbacks to be built.
We also cannot forget that Suggs will be back. Father Time is not going to make things easy for him to get back to being the player he once was, but he is an upgrade over what the Ravens were forced to go with last year.
Injuries took several of Pees top players away last season. It was a guessing game every week as to who he would have at his disposal on Sunday. With all the new parts brought in, he has more talent, and no excuses to make this defense one of the best once again.
The Ravens still have a hole at middle linebacker. I still believe that DeMeco Ryans is their best option available. Otherwise, it’s a list of unproven players other than C.J. Mosley. There are some that think Correa will get a chance to play inside, but we will have to wait and see how that plays out.
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Marc Trestman needs to have a better year in his second season in Baltimore, but Pees will come under more scrutiny if his defense does not look better. Ozzie brought in the young guys to mesh with his veterans to make it possible. Now the scheme has to play effectively.
It is up to Pees to make the pieces work. If he cannot get things turned around, he could be looking for a new job next season.