Ravens Defense Getting More Creative in Key Area

Things improved as last season wore on, but Zach Orr knows he needs to do better in his second year as defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, so the 33-year-old play-caller is taking more chances in creative ways this preseason.

Orr is dialling up an increasingly sophisticated array of blitz packages, and his schemes earned praise from Ravens Wire writer Larry Brown Jr. He went into detail about how effectively a pressure-crazed game-plan helped the Ravens dominate during the 31-13 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2 of the exhibition campaign.

Brown explained how “Orr has been disguising and confusing opposing offensive lines with double A-gap pre-play alignment and several shell coverages. Orr has all the personnel that he needs with the Ravens starters on defense, which fans have yet to see. Even with the reserves in the game, Orr’s system seems to work, and his unit allowed only seven first downs through 47 total plays in week 2 of the NFL preseason.”

A more varied way to get to quarterbacks can help Orr’s loaded unit hit the heights the group reached under his predecessor Mike Macdonald in 2023.

Ravens Feasting on the Blitz

Pushing the blitz button early and often worked wonders for Orr and the Ravens in Dallas. His defense feasted with three sacks, seven quarterback hits and six tackles for loss, per ESPN.

Two of those sacks were credited to an undrafted free agent earning plaudits this preseason, but the most notable takedown was notched by defensive back Keyon Martin.

He broke free to score a safety thanks to a “nasty” designed to target the B-gap, highlighted by Coach Dan Casey of The Player Caller’s Club.

It’s unusual for teams to show all the bells and whistles during preseason, but Orr and the Ravens need to refine their blitz game after falling back in this area last season. Fortunately, things are trending in the right direction after the marauding display against the Cowboys followed a two-sack, seven QB hits performance against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1.

These numbers represent a far cry from last season, when the main issue wasn’t anything to do with X’s and O’s, but more a problem of timing and when to send in pressure.

Zach Orr Still Refining Play-Calling

Orr had a tough act to follow as a first-time coordinator replacing Macdonald. The latter had engineered a defense that led the NFL in sacks and turnovers, while allowing the fewest points.

Elaborate blitz concepts were the key to Macdonald’s success, but he was selective about sending extra rushers after QBs. The Ravens posted a modest 21.9 percent blitz rate, according to Pro Football Reference, but Orr scaled things back to 20.3 percent.

It was less about how often the Ravens blitzed and more about when they unleashed pressure. Orr didn’t always get it right, notably during a defeat to AFC North rivals the Cleveland Browns in Week 8, when the DC called blitz after blitz inside two minutes with the game on the line.

The gambit backfired when reserve QB Jameis Winston connected with Cedric Tillman for a 38-yard, game-winning touchdown. Orr attempted to justify his daring strategy with the rather curious line, “Worst-case scenario, at least if they score, they score fast,” per The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer.

Rather than recklessly blitzing in waves, a timely and well-designed pressure might prove the difference. Especially when the Ravens have better personnel in the pass rush room, including a 2025 NFL draft second-round pick leaning from a key member of the legendary 2000 defense.

Orr and a staff featuring some experienced and intelligent assistants, including secondary coach Chuck Pagano and pass-rush specialist Chuck Smith, are crafting a more intricate blueprint for putting heat on the pocket.

The new wrinkles can work, but much will still depend on Orr using the blitz in the right moments against the right matchups.