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The NFL has been focused on things other than football over the last few days. I struggled to just let this write-up flow due to the remaining uncertainty about the health of Bills safety Damar Hamlin. This is a major challenge for all parties involved and what happens on the field seems secondary right now. We’re continuing to get positive news about the young man, which comes as a huge relief to everyone that watches football.
It is impossible to state some things with certainty, as this was written before the final regular season games have been played and the playoff picture confirmed.
There’s one more week left in the 2022 regular season to finalize the playoff picture and upcoming matchups. Before we get into those and the specific X’s and O’s, I wanted to look at all the teams in the running and talk about the ten biggest strengths and most dangerous elements across them.
All but one of these groups associated with them have already clinched an NFL playoff spot. The Miami Dolphins will host the New York Jets this Sunday and need a win in combination with the Buffalo Bills beating the New England Patriots (a matchup that still brings some questions about playoff seeding) to make the postseason.
So without any further proclamations, here are the ten elements to look out for in the NFL playoffs:
#1. Patrick Mahomes' magic
This first one is pretty self-explanatory for anybody who has tracked Patrick Mahomes’ career. Ever since starting that final game of his rookie season (before taking over for Alex Smith the following year and immediately elevating the Kansas City Chiefs into an AFC powerhouse), he’s been a human highlight reel, doing things that we’ve never really seen in the NFL.
Two weeks into his first season as a full-time starter, I was ready to trash my pre-draft thoughts on him and express my belief in his future. I ordered his jersey and have followed his career with great interest.
Mahomes has continued to grow as a student of the game (being able to identify pre- and post-snap looks by the defense), and has become a machine at finding weaknesses and attacking those from within the pocket. He still adds that cherry on top with the stuff he does after the initial play breaks down.
He drifts around the pocket with bodies flying, completing frequent no-lookers and spinning out of trouble before finding his guys down the field. He looks like he’s covered in grease with tacklers slipping off him as he’s somehow getting away from them as a runner. He even switches the ball to his left hand and somehow completes passes that way. This guy has made our jaws drop on numerous occasions and is a defacto NFL superstar.
What makes him so special in that regard is that he doesn't allow his eyes to drop or miss opportunities to find his receivers down the field. Nor is he ever really unaware of somebody having an angle on him and exposing the ball to be stripped.
Mahomes will literally look behind himself at times as he’s leaving the pocket and then toggle right back to his targets trying to break free on secondary routes. He has a flexible arm to flick it to them from all kinds of different arm angles and off either foot, when needed. He and Travis Kelce almost have a Zen-like connection on critical downs, finding green grass together.
Jerrick McKinnon has been the recipient of quite a few of those off-schedule plays that have broken the backs of NFL defenses. I feel like all the components around Mahomes have really embraced that style of creating secondary plays. Along with the transformation we’ve seen this offense make on script, with more runs from under center and working the middle of the field.
That dichotomy of being able to carve up opponents when things are on-script, but then being even more dangerous when Mahomes uses his wizardry. This happens even if the defense wins initially, which makes them maddening to play against.
There have been several examples of Mahomes' magic already this season and we will doubtless see more in the NFL playoffs.
#2. San Francisco’s suffocating talent & schematic advantages
The San Francisco 49ers have arguably the most talented roster and the best combination of offensive and defensive play-callers in the entire NFL. That is pretty glaring as we discuss the best teams in this field.
The only two reasons they aren’t quite regarded as an overwhelming force in the NFC are the fact that we also have a Philadelphia Eagles squad that is 13-1 with their starting quarterback under center. There's also the fact that the final draft pick last April in Brock Purdy is leading the offense.
Purdy has the highest passer rating in the NFL since taking over as a starter (112.7), and gives them more of a play-making component than they’ve had in recent years.
You look at their lineup on both sides of the ball and it’s truly astonishing. In three-and-a-half games without Deebo Samuel, their offense has scored 109 points (those 31.1 points per game would lead the NFL).
They are slated to get Samuel back and re-unite what is undoubtedly the most talented combination of five skill position players when they go into 21 personnel. Not only because of what all those guys can do with the ball in their hands, but because of the way they can stress defensive rules with the formation and play-design flexibility they have.
You could argue that the O-line outside of All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams may be somewhat vulnerable in heavy dropback settings. However, all their weapons are so explosive after the catch and the Niners have now run for over 120 yards in all but one of their eight games (vs. NO) since the bye week.
Meanwhile, the defense has been even more consistently dominant. There have been three games all season in which they’ve allowed more than 20 points. One was when they were missing half of their starters at Atlanta. Then a game at home against the flamethrower that is Patrick Mahomes. Shockingly, the third came last Sunday in an overtime shootout in Las Vegas.
Those are complete outliers to the rest of their schedule, as they’re still number one in the league in points per game (16.5), DVOA (-14.0%) and EPA per play (-0.096). Nick Bosa is the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year as the most consistent and well-rounded threat off the edge.
Their range on the second level to either chase things down out wide is phenomenal. As is their ability to take away passing lanes and still race up for minimal YAC. The way they squeeze down routes in zone coverage, forcing quarterbacks to hold onto the ball, is also extremely impressive.
A big reason for the success of their players is the way that the coaching staff has put them in place. Kyle Shanahan has been one of the NFL's premier offensive play and game-plan designers for nearly a decade now.
The way he can dress plays up differently and mess with defensive rules adds a few wrinkles to the run game and affects the eyes of defenders. All the variations on how to put the ball in the hands of his best players stand out on a weekly basis.
On the opposite side, DeMeco Ryans has risen to be one of the top head-coaching candidates in this upcoming cycle for how well-orchestrated that defensive unit is. There’s obviously a lot of talent to play with in the front-seven, but the way he has maximized their strengths with different games up front has been tremendous. He utilizes the range of those linebackers, along with not de-accentuating the impact of a fairly average corner group with how they orchestrate coverage.
#3. Josh Allen’s alien skill-set
Talking about the Buffalo Bills concerning anything but the health of Damar Hamlin is challenging. I still have a tough time imagining that crew stepping onto a field, as long as their brother is still in a hospital bed. We got some great news recently and it’s usually easy for me to marble at the crazy set of tools that their quarterback brings to the NFL.
After discussing more of the team-building and overall evaluation of the team, we go back to the quarterbacks, specifically all the things Josh Allen can do. You can point to some questionable decision-making leading to turnovers (particularly in the red-zone) and that’s why he is a couple of spots down from Mahomes.
However, I don’t believe there’s a team in the NFL relying more heavily and putting more onto the plate of their quarterback than the Bills. They’ve truly asked their signal-caller to put on a cape and he has delivered in a major way these last three years (plus). Only Mahomes has been responsible for more total yards (4775) and touchdowns (39 – tied with Joe Burrow).
Obviously, what the two biggest poster children in terms of freaky skill-sets in Mahomes and Allen can do any time they take the snap is mind-warping. But what really stood out to me (looking back when those two faced off back in Week 6) was the way they would break the structure of defenses on numerous occasions.
Mahomes does it with the way he can escape from pressure and deliver from different arm-angles. Buffalo’s gunslinger can often wait an extra beat or even be late in the eyes of some, because of the velocity he can rip throws with.
Going back to their first meeting with the Jets (certainly not his best performance in an upset loss), on Buffalo’s final offensive play he literally put the ball right on the numbers of Gabe Davis. The ball legitimately traveled 70 yards through the air. Combining that ability to hang at the top of his drop and Stefon Diggs’ savvy to create that little bit of late separation matches extremely well.
Now, let’s get to the fact that this guy is also a 245-pound monster-truck when he carries the ball. Even though we’ve seen Allen hurt his elbow and ankle this season, he hasn’t been shy of putting his body on the line and delivering key plays as a runner.
He's capable of attacking every blade of grass as a passer and can gain ground in a hurry, run over a linebacker and stiff arm a cornerback. This presents a major challenge for defenses. However, Allen is also a featured weapon in the designed run game. The Bills can of course run zone reads at times, but QB power and sweeps towards the perimeter are staples on the menu. Allen is their biggest threat on the ground once they get into the red zone, and good luck stopping this tank on sneaks.
He has a combination of athleticism, size and arm-talent. Combined with his continued progression from a mental aspect, nobody may be able to stress defenses in as many ways as he does. Be ready to see some crazy things from Josh Allen in the NFL playoffs.
#4. Philly’s physicality up front
It’s rare to see an NFL team truly dominate in the trenches on both sides of the ball in the vast majority of matchups. However, that’s what we’ve seen from the Eagles this season. They are the only NFC to be top-five in offensive and defensive DVOA right now (along with the Bills in the AFC)
Before having to rest Jalen Hurts at quarterback, they were comfortably atop the NFL with a 13-1 record. Despite having two of their bottom-four marks these last couple of weeks, they’re still fifth in rushing yards (2374) and have seven more touchdowns on the ground than anybody else (31). More importantly, they’re easily number one in rushing success rate (51.0%) in the NFL.
The run defense has had some issues in the middle of the season, with interior D-linemen hurt and a couple of ways teams attacked their five-man surfaces with. However, they’re still tied for number in yards per play surrendered (4.8) and second in takeaways (27). This is thanks in large part to the way the consistently affect the pocket. They have 68 sacks and rank behind only the Cowboys in pressure rate (25.0%).
The reason Philly isn’t even quite at the top of the NFL in total or average yards per rush is because they don’t have those legit home-run hitters in the backfield. They have more five/six-yards runs on first downs than anyone, have been more successful at converting in short-yardage situations and are consistently able to move the chains.
Looking at that front five, they can really run any concept. They take advantage of the mobility at the center position with Jason Kelce. Right tackle Lane Johnson (injured but back soon) can create lanes and the way they create displacement off short and long pulls lets Jalen Hurts tank ahead on sneak plays. On those, he’s converted an absurd 27-of-29 into first downs (on third and fourth).
Hurts and Miles Sanders have moved the chains on 75% of rushing attempts on third and three or less. That’s a big reason they’re converting an NFL-best 72.2% of red-zone trips into touchdowns, along with their 60 total runs of 10+ yards between their top two ball-carriers.
Defensively, I mentioned some of the issues they’ve had in terms of how opposing teams have given their five-man front problems at times. Especially when using those angles against them with pin-and-pull or GT power schemes. However, they did add some depth to that unit with veteran free agents and their splits with rookie D-tackle Jordan Davis on the field versus when he’s not are stunning. As he’s getting healthier and more acclimated, we will see him become a bigger part of their formula.
More importantly, this D-line has been crushing pockets all season long. They have some of the most impressive snaps on tape. They often truly collapse the space around the quarterback from all angles and force him to release the ball off his back-foot. Those don’t even show up on the stat sheet, other than ending up in incompletions and interceptions.
They also have a commanding lead on the rest of the NFL with their 68 sacks. Combine that with the way they have their corners funneling everything inside and their safeties aggressively driving on routes in quarters or cover-six and it forces QBs to attack tight windows. As an effect of that, balls being popped up for grabs.
With temperatures low and teams will likely need to come through Philadelphia (including a New York Giants team up on the slate this Sunday, which is locked into the number six seed) and being able to win on the ground will be huge.
#5. Joe Burrow’s brains and relentlessness
While the “superhuman” or “alien” tags fit for the likes of Mahomes and Allen, Joe Burrow is more of a supercomputer or assassin. The Cincinnati Bengals' rise has been incredible. From picking Burrow first overall in the 2020 NFL Draft to being the AFC representative in the Super Bowl last year was in large part due to the way their quarterback and their weapons could stress opponents. Add that to a very well-schooled defense and you have a contender.
In 2022, we saw that new offensive line have major struggles early on with communication and also individual play. The heavy dose of two-high defensive structures they were facing and their own overwhelming tendencies created major issues for this unit over the first month of the season.
From Week 5 Cincinnati fully embraced the idea of being a shotgun offense. They rank behind only the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens (two teams that heavily rely on mobile quarterbacks and what they can present in the option run game) in snap rate with their signal-caller five/six yards behind the center.
Since that point, they rank behind only Kansas City in offensive EPA per play (0.148) and third in both EPA per rush and rushing success rate. Because they don’t give away information with their prior tendencies (of running the ball on first down and 12 personnel being a massive indicator for zone schemes), it has opened up their offense and made them much tougher to prepare for.
The threat of handing the ball off from the gun and out of three-WR sets fits their O-line better. They benefit from creating favorable angles and utilize pullers more regularly, which creates easier opportunities for explosive plays in the RPO game. You really see the second level not gaining depth as quickly.
More importantly, Joe Burrow has always been more comfortable with that wider peripheral vision and not having to turn his back to the defense when using play-action. His ability to ID pre-snap matchups and take vertical shots within 2.5 seconds makes him an assassin from within the pocket. That along with his awareness for leverage advantages versus zone coverage and route adjustments.
You combine that with a growth in the dropback pass game schematically. Zac Taylor and OC Brian Callahan have added more wrinkles to take the pressure off. From what I’ve seen on tape, the spacing and aim stem routes in a way that affects how defenders are leveraged by those five skill-position players has looked better-taught.
There are more well-designed rubs, formation flexibility (particularly the way they utilize their backs as coverage indicators and more integral parts of route patterns) and simply more answers for defensive looks incorporated.
So having a cyborg at that QB spot, who can take advantage of everything that’s on the table and isn’t afraid of hanging in the pocket is huge. Plus what he can present in terms of identifying opportunities to take off as a runner or wiggle his way out of sacks and muddy pockets (as we saw him do on numerous occasions during last year’s postseason run). This will make them an even bigger threat to march through the AFC yet again.
#6. Cowboys’ crushing pass-rush
Finding reasons for regression concerning the Dallas Cowboys coming into 2022 was fairly easy for me personally. I had legit concerns about the reformed offensive line and lack of proven perimeter weapons offensively. More importantly, the variance we see on the defensive side of the ball, above all turnover “luck” and largely also pressure rates.
Dallas finished last season number one in takeaways with 34 and fourth in percentage of pressures per dropback at 27.6%. Well, guess what – they once again are at the top of the NFL in takeaways (32, which is five more than the next-closest team) and have also risen to first in pressure rate (25.6%), along with being third in sacks (51).
While he has cooled off to some degree, Micah Parsons has been even more dominant in his second season as a chess piece. This has been huge, as a lot of the guys around him have taken advantage of their one-on-one matchups.
Something that has hurt Dallas at times (in terms of creating opportunities to just tee off in the pass-rush department) is the fact they’ve had issues against teams who have stuck with the run game in neutral game-script situations.
They’re tied for 19th in the NFL in yards per rush (4.5) surrendered and have allowed 136+ yards on the ground in seven games this season. However, only one of those has happened across the past seven weeks and they’re now actually up to third in rushing success rate (37.6%).
Thanks to that, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has been able to be versatile with the looks they throw out there on the back-end. This in return gives those guys up front time to get home, as quarterbacks have to re-evaluate post-snap. You see quite a few twists and overloading of sides, but the Cowboys rank just outside the top-ten in blitz rate (26.4%).
Altogether, they now have the third-best EPA per dropback (-0.060) and overall EPA per play defensively (-0.083). As well as being tied for first in the NFL in defensive DVOA (-14.0%) with the 49ers.
Against the Tennessee Titans this past Thursday night (a decimated, one-dimensional offensive team), they pressured Joshua Dobbs on a season-high 42.9 percent of dropbacks. What really stands out once they take control in games is how the dam can break and this unit piles on big plays.
In their dominant showing against the Minnesota Vikings mid-way through the year, they sacked Kirk Cousins seven times and held those guys to three points. While they shouldn’t have allowed the Colts to hang around against them about a month ago, what they did in the fourth quarter was almost unheard of. They created turnovers on four consecutive possessions, once taking the ball back to the house themselves and setting up three more short fields leading to touchdowns.
The key to everything they do is the way they can make quarterbacks uncomfortable and create opportunities for game-changing plays. Dallas right now has four of the NFL's top-58 players in sacks and top-62 in total pressures (Micah Parsons, Dante Fowler, DeMarcus Lawrence and Dorance Armstrong Jr.). Only two other teams have three such names (New England Patriots and Eagles).
It’s fair to question if we’ll see one of these dominant showings of the Cowboys defense overall against the well-balanced teams at the top of the NFC. But if they can play with the lead or get into situations where the opposing team is in heavy dropback settings, they can unleash that pass-rush.
#7. Justin Jefferson’s jittery elusiveness and Minnesota’s late-game madness
The first part of this has certainly lost some weight due to the most recent showing against the Green Bay Packers. Justin Jefferson was held to just one catch for 15 yards in a blowout loss. However, if we’re looking at the rest of the NFL season, this guy has been the most dominant receiver in football.
He demanded a gameplan that saw safety help over the top on the majority of snaps, along with an All-Pro level corner in Jaire Alexander playing man on him, This held him to under 98 receiving yards for just the third time since Week 3.
Across the three prior contests, Jefferson had hauled in 35 of 47 targets for 479 yards and a couple of touchdowns. When he went up against Green Bay in the season-opener (a game in which the Packers played a lot more match-zone) number 18 in purple went off for 184 yards and two TDs.
He has simply been phenomenal this season. Despite leading the NFL with 174 targets and 599 routes run, Jefferson is still number four in yards per route run (2.93) and second in yards per team pass attempt (2.92).
When you watch this guy attack defensive looks, there are just so many things he can do to stress rules and put individual players in conflict. Jefferson is really unique with his elusiveness off the line and then the herky-jerky type of twitchiness to create separation out of his breaks. The way he can put guys under stress (who want to control reps by getting into his frame) as he slithers by them, or shakes them off with one of his signature rocker-steps, makes him a nightmare to match up against in true man-coverage.
He has the football IQ to find voids in zone coverage and he tilts his body to get safeties leveraged the wrong way. That approach isn’t a whole lot better. I think we all saw the nasty triple-move he had for a touchdown in their historic comeback against the Indianapolis Colts, where he left Stephon Gilmore behind in the dust. It’s the way he runs those backside digs that really stands out to me.
On top of his route-running excellence, Jefferson tracks the ball tremendously well over either shoulder and has some spectacular catches in contested situations. Most notably, that unreal one-handed on fourth-and-19 against the Bills, which allowed Minnesota to take the game to overtime, where they ultimately won.
That leads me into my second point here, which is the late-game craziness we’ve seen by this Vikings squad and how they’ve managed to pull wins out of their hats. While three of their four losses have now come in blowout fashion (against the Eagles, Cowboys and Packers) and you can question how legitimate they are as championship contenders in the NFC, if you let these guys hang around, they will do something nuts to come out victorious.
That’s how they’re still a perfect 11-0 in one-score affairs. Their 10.2 points scored on average in the fourth quarter are 1.6 better than any other team and they’re tied for 11th, surrendering just 5.7 on average. It’s really a combination of all the different elements.
One is Kirk Cousins being a tough son of a gun and hanging onto the ball as a defender is barreling in on him. His prayers thrown up to Jefferson are being answered.
They have an opportunistic defense with multiple veterans creating takeaways, along with a couple of pass-rushers getting to the QB when needed most. Plus a couple of big plays on special teams being sprinkled in, such as a fourth-quarter kick return touchdown by Kene Nwangwu (in a tight affair with the Patriots back in Week 11).
#8. Dolphins’ deadly speed blowing past the NFL's best defenders
There’s a bigger topic at hand, considering Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion history, but I would expect Tua to be back under center for this Miami team. That is if they can just take care of business against the New York Jets in their final NFL regular season contest.
He may not have the arm-strength to fully maximize the skill-sets of Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and company (in terms of attacking over the top of coverages). However, he is capable of punishing defenses for leaving those guys isolated down the field and can certainly take advantage of the gravity they hold. They create windows with the threat they present to opponents.
Having him under center during a potential NFL playoff run (which they would need to beat the Jets and have the Bills beat the Patriots to qualify) will be key.
More than that, it’s the way they can utilize them in similar roles and how they can both affect the structure of coverages. In their favorite RPO concept (where they typically have somebody wheeling up the sideline, along with some kind of glance or skinny post off that), having either of them already at full speed off motion routinely forces the corner to play over the top with outside leverage and creates a lot of space to the safety inside. Tua can then attack with his quick trigger and ability to make decisions.
Thanks to how they put DBs on their heels and how their coached to approach coverage, that can lead to plenty of separation as they break off on deep curls (and digs) after threatening vertically.
Along with the damage Hill and Waddle can do individually, it creates matchup advantages and just space to work with for the rest of that receiving corp. While Cedrick Wilson has been largely limited to a few flash plays and Mike Gesicki’s numbers have seen major regression, Trent Sherfield has really carved out a role for himself. He has taken advantage of those favorable looks, easily becoming the WR3 in terms of snap count (57.4%) and putting up at least 25 receiving yards in nine games.
Miami’s backs have racked up 541 yards through the air on 7.8 yards per grab, thanks to the room they’re provided with on checkdowns. In terms of the run game, those RPO elements they’ve incorporated can certainly benefit those backs. But with defenses game-planning to take away those passing lanes with flooding zones, they’ve gone to more two-tight sets and traditional I-formations out of 21 personnel.
Out of those, they go with straight hand-offs or tosses, reading out of the shotgun. Yet, even then, Mostert and Wilson can quickly rip off big gains if you give them a lane.
Just throwing either of those two speedy receivers (who are just one yard shy of the 3000-mark as a duo right now) a simple bubble screen or one of those shallow cross set-ups with blockers in front creates problems. They have that extra burst to take it up the sidelines or punish guys for overrunning the play.
Having these play-makers gives this team a shot at beating just about anybody in the NFL if they can simply grab a spot in the tournament.
#9. Justin Herbert’s heroics in got-to-have-it moments
Justin Herbert has been a prominent topic across sports media, with some people calling him a “social media quarterback.” His winning percentage has also been called into question. Over the past six weeks, he has silenced a lot of the critics by securing a spot in the NFL postseason. The Los Angeles Chargers have a 5-1 record across that stretch, with several big-time throws directly affecting the outcome of those contests.
That’s often times where these talking heads on TV simplify the game way too much and purely consider the results. Similar to the Patrick Mahomes conversation at the top, a lot of people have had to eat their words since Herbert stepped onto an NFL field. Mainly with how much better he’s been in terms of ability to process the game, in combination with his raw physical abilities.
The numbers and the tape over his first three seasons have both been stunning (outside of a six-game stretch this season where he was missing several key components around him, as far receivers and offensive line are concerned). He’s shined the brightest in the biggest moments of his young career.
Look at so many of the advanced metrics and what they’re doing under offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. The Chargers attack and how they restrict their quarterback has been very frustrating to watch at times. Not having any proven vertical threats among that group of targets and missing All-Pro level players at left tackle and center for extended stretches have certainly contributed.
However, I refuse to believe there should be a world in which LA’s trigger-man should be tied for 31st among qualified passers in intended (6.4) and completed air yards per attempt (4.7) respectively. Thankfully, with the return of Corey Linsley at center (to make them more sound at picking up pressures accordingly), Keenan Allen as a consistent chain-mover and Mike Williams being a true weapon, we’ve seen this offense get the job done when needed most.
Particularly on those key downs, they’ve been able to move the chains consistently with Herbert’s pin-point accuracy and better precision. Over the past four weeks, they’ve gone a combined 33-of-67 on third and fourth downs (49.3%).
Herbert has been a gamer for his entire career with the Chargers. He has registered a total of 13 game-winning drives across 48 career starts. Where I get back to the idea of football being a team sport are the moments where his defense and receivers have let him down.
The Chargers have dropped the third-most passes NFL-wide as a unit. Thinking all the way back to Week 2, Gerald Everett ran a sloppy route, when he was gassed at the end of a drive, which led to a 99-yard pick-six the other way. This was in a game in which Herbert got his ribs cracked and still threw an absolute missile down the seams to set up a passing TD with a few seconds left. He even set up the opportunity for an onside kick.
Meanwhile, the defense allowed an average of 25.5 points per game through their first twelve games. The Chiefs seemingly effortlessly strolled down the field for a game-winning touchdown with less than two minutes left (after Herbert had just put them up by four). Their corners were smoked by Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams, forcing Herbert to make crazy off-schedule throws on fourth downs to climb back into that game. So his efforts have been minimized to some degree, because the other side couldn’t do their part.
At no point was that more apparent than in the regular season finale last year at Las Vegas. Herbert converted a third-and-ten and three fourth-and-ten’s with bonkers throws to send his team into overtime, only to see Josh Jacobs slice through the defense. This set up a field goal that eliminated the Chargers from the playoffs.
I believe Brandon Staley and Herbert can do anything in a knockout set-up. With some of the things they’ve shown on huge downs, they can shine in the NFL playoffs.
#10. Baltimore’s ball-hawking
With only one combined takeaway over the last three weeks, this point seems less eminent right now. However, they have faced some of the most conservative and run-heavy offenses in the NFL (Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers).
Baltimore is still tied for sixth NFL-wide in takeaways with 24. That’s despite their interception leader in safety Marcus Williams missing seven weeks. He picked off three passes through his first four-and-a-half games with the Ravens and got another one on his return from IR (now having played at least 97% of defensive snaps in each of the past four contests).
While he hasn’t been truly healthy all season, the hope is that corner Marcus Peters will be an impact player again as we get to the NFL postseason. Especially looking at his past, with 31 interceptions in five seasons as a pro. You add that on top of what else they have on that unit and there’s a lot of guys with their eyes set on getting the ball back for their offense.
Throughout the first 13 weeks, the Ravens had seven games with multiple takeaways. More recently, they’ve been in a lot of low-scoring affairs, as their passing game has devolved due to a lack of creativity and an already thin receiving corps being decimated. Adding to that was Lamar Jackson getting hurt at the start of December.
Over their last eight games, the defense has allowed more than 17 points just once, with improved play on the second level. Roquan Smith has given them a more steady presence in the middle and also enabled Patrick Queen to be utilized as a pressure player more regularly. Both those linebackers have since picked off a pass against the Steelers.
They can add to this, by robbing throws down the seams with their closing burst or come free on some games with the front. This affects the flight of the ball from the quarterback’s hands. When you look at how they’ve constructed their defensive line, there’s a lot of big, long bodies. Even if they don’t create pressure quickly, they can affect passing lanes and bat passes as they put those hands up late. Jason Pierre-Paul and the interior D-linemen alone have combined for 19 passes defended.
While Chuck Clark is more of the chess-piece for that unit, Marcus Williams gives them a true rangy free safety. He can make plays behind the other cover-guys locked up when they do go to man-coverage.
Yet, Baltimore has used more of the meta-oriented zone coverages (quarters, cover-six) and they’ve regressed from being near the top of the NFL for the last several years to just 20th in blitz rate (21.5%). Still, it’s more about being selective with when they bring pressure and they’ve been more effective as a result.
They certainly make use of Marlon Humphrey’s ability to excel in isolated situations and play through the hands of the receiver. This gives those DBs more opportunities to play with their eyes on the passer. Combine that with the way Humphrey has mastered the art of the peanut punch, Marcus Peters always looking to attack the ball and rookie Kyle Hamilton’s crazy wingspan and you get a unit that can come up with a turnover at any point.
Lamar Jackson is set to return soon and he will put pressure on the opposing offense to put up points. This will lead to the ball being put in harm's way more regularly in the NFL postseason.
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