OWINGS MILLS, Md. – The comparisons to the Baltimore Ravens’ 2000 defense, one of the greatest in league history, were premature. But the 2023 version of Baltimore’s defense, through the first 10 games, is worthy of its own praise.
Having a second season in defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald’s system has been an obvious – yet important – difference, players say.
"He’s got a somewhat complicated scheme," safety Kyle Hamilton told USA TODAY Sports. "But he’s done a great job drilling it down and making it simple for us."
Hamilton, himself more accustomed as a second-year player, was the poster player of the Ravens’ transition from longtime defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale – now with the New York Giants – to Macdonald, who was a first-time NFL coordinator in 2022. In Week 2 of that season, it was Hamilton being beat deep by the Miami Dolphins that was the visual representation of their late-game collapse.
Fast forward to Week 10 of this season against the Cleveland Browns, and it was Hamilton who crept up to the line of scrimmage, blitzed and tipped a Deshaun Watson pass straight up into the air to come down with it and score on the second play of the game.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
Having defenders know how to do multiple things and play in different spots – especially for a 6-foot-4 safety like Hamilton – are all parts of Macdonald’s philosophy.
"I think it always keeps the offense on their toes, and I think allows us to make plays in different areas and show our versatility," Hamilton said.
Players have to keep up with the wrinkles Macdonald and his staff devise each week, edge rusher Odafe Oweh said.
"I also think guys are just getting more comfortable with the scheme and the defense," Oweh said. "Mike had all this stuff last year, too. Guys are just learning plays and being more skillful in certain positions."
In 2023, the Ravens enter a “Thursday Night Football” matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals allowing the fewest yards per play (4.2) of any team. Despite giving up 27 points – the offense was responsible for a pick-six that was followed by a missed extra point – in a 33-31 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Baltimore still has the top scoring defense in the NFL (15.7 points per game). The unit is third in sack rate (9.51%) with a league-best 39, and the 17.3 first downs the group allows per contest also ranks third.
Macdonald's defense found its groove in the second half of 2022. After a Week 9 trade with the Chicago Bears for inside linebacker Roquan Smith, the Ravens allowed 14.9 points per game, the second-best mark in the league. Baltimore finished third in rushing defense (92.1 yards per game).
During the offseason, Macdonald said the defensive coaches talked about “having a clear vision of what we wanted to get to.”
"So, it crystallized a little bit in how we were coaching it and our methods and how to do it," Macdonald said. "I think it was clear, and the staff has been awesome on how we’ve worked together on how we want to do it and how you go about executing it. So, the logistics of everything is just a lot smoother the second time around."
Of course, players need to buy into what the coaches are teaching. Thirteen players have registered sacks – an overrated metric in Macdonald’s mind, because there are more accurate ways to calculate the effectiveness of a pass rush. Veterans Kyle Van Noy (16 quarterback pressures) and Jadeveon Clowney (five sacks) have contributed despite not being with the team for most of the offseason. Safety Geno Stone, not a starter at the outset of the season, leads the league in interceptions with six.
Macdonald, who rose up the coaching ladder from coaching intern to linebackers and defensive backs coach with the Ravens – the only NFL team he’s worked for – from 2014-2020, commended the defensive assistants for communicating specific roles and shouting out efforts that don’t show up on the stat sheet.
"That's something we talk about as a unit all the time. ‘Hey, look at this guy doing a great job that set up this guy. So, this guy made a great play, but he was able to make a play because these three guys are doing a great job setting this guy up for success,’" said Macdonald, who worked for head coach John Harbaugh’s brother Jim at Michigan as a first-time defensive coordinator in 2021, when he helped the Wolverines reach their first College Football Playoff.
"Every time someone makes a play, there’s so many great examples that you can show, so that’s definitely something that we’ve stressed, but credit to the guys. In buying in, I think they see different guys making plays, and that’s building their confidence."
Macdonald, now 36 years old, was 34 when Harbaugh brought him back to Baltimore as defensive coordinator, which made him and Shane Bowen of the Tennessee Titans tied as the youngest coaches to hold defensive coordinator titles in the NFL. (Nick Rallis, 30, with the Arizona Cardinals is now the youngest defensive coordinator in the league.)
In Macdonald's second season back, linebacker Patrick Queen said, the attention to detail has the defense causing more confusion for opposing offenses.
"It’s hard for offenses to pick up on the stuff that we’re doing," Queen said. "If they do pick up on it, it’s still hard to complete passes, because we’re on everything."
Macdonald said he watches film through the lens of how an offense might attack his unit.
"I think that just goes back to how you build it from the get-go and how you practice it in the offseason, so when you do see different offenses throughout the year, you feel like you’re well equipped to do things that the guys know how to do and can tailor it to that team," he said.
Macdonald also thinks about “interchangeable parts” – “rotational pieces,” as Stone put it – a lot, putting creativity to the test during the offseason. Recently, Macdonald has the luxury of having safety Marcus Williams back in the lineup alongside Stone and Hamilton, who can play all over the field.
"As you get into this season, having consistency from a week-to-week basis so guys are used to playing next to one another, is important," Macdonald said. "So, you don’t want to move it too much, but having the ability to do that, especially when guys go down or different matchups and things like that, absolutely."
No unit is perfect, however. Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson completed all 14 of his pass attempts in the second half of Sunday’s game, helping erase a 15-point second-half deficit. After the game, Watson said the Browns were able to adjust to how the Ravens disguised their coverage shells. Rather than having the offense second-guessing, the Ravens played into the Browns’ hands.
From being around Macdonald in meeting rooms and the practice field, Stone said it’s obvious he wants to come up with a plan to defend every route on each play.
"There’s always weaknesses in defenses, he knows that," Stone told USA TODAY Sports, "but at the same time, it just shows how he always wants to get everyone in the perfect spot, get everything covered."
"Caring" is one way to describe Macdonald, Queen said.
"Great guy, great coach. He actually cares about his players – cares about how we play, cares about how we perform," Queen said. "Just an all-around good guy."
The feeling is mutual for Macdonald toward his players.
"I think we have a tight unit, and it’s exciting to see people be excited for other people's success," Macdonald said. "It’s not easy to get to this point. Hopefully we build on it, but definitely proud of where we’re at, for sure."
