By Joe Schiller
One of the major concerns coming into the 2019 season for the Baltimore Ravens was the pass rush.
Rightfully so. The Ravens lost two of their top pass rushers in Terrell Suggs and Za'Darius Smith. With Matthew Judon the only proven pass rusher, there were questions how the pass rush would fare.
The Ravens sacked Josh Allen six times and generated 12 quarterback hits in their 24-17 win on Sunday. The defense has vastly improved during their nine-game winning streak and a heavy dose of blitzing has been the key.
According to ESPN Stats and Info, the Ravens have blitzed on 53% of dropbacks this season. They also have the lowest sack rate among a four-man rush.
The Ravens blizted Allen 30 times, and forced the second-year quarterback to complete only seven of his 24 attempts. Wink Martindale's aggressiveness has paid off for Baltimore this season and there's a reason they can afford playing Cover-0 and sending more rushers.
It's because of a deep secondary. Having Jimmy Smith, Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters and Brandon Carr gives the Ravens one of the deepest cornerback groups in the NFL. They likely feel more comfortable leaving them with one-on-one coverage to send more rushers to the quarterback.
It paid off on the final play of the game when Peters deflected Allen's pass intended for John Brown. Peters had no help over the top and was on an island.
It's an unprecedented approach, but why would you question a team that's won nine staight playing solid defensive ball?
You don't.
