Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter took over the head coaching job earlier this off-season with a few defensive ideas. Minter assumed that his success with a nickel 3-3-5 zone defense against the Los Angeles Chargers would translate well in his new role.
In retrospect, the Ravens have played against opponents with high-quality wide receivers, including the Dallas Cowboys, who have both CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. This past weekend, the Ravens faced another top duo of wide receivers in the NFL: Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. The Ravens allowed 276 passing yards to the Cowboys in Week 3 and 292 passing yards to the Bengals last Sunday.
Fans may rave that defensive backs Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins
have struggled, but few understand the underlying issue: a lack of defensive harmony. That is, the issues revolved around running a Zone scheme.
With the speed of the Ravens' linebackers, including the slow return of Teddye Buchanan, Minter should reduce his zone schemes and let his defensive playmakers excel in man coverage. Yet, by giving opposing quarterbacks clean pockets because he refuses the blitz, Minter has left his defensive backs on stationary zone islands, waiting on opposing veteran quarterbacks to shred them.
Minter has been very conservative against top-tier offenses, and while that strategy may seem prudent, it has nullified the defense's chance to create negative plays. The Ravens defense allowed no points in the first half Sunday, but Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow went unscathed because the Ravens produced only one sack.
Minter can make the changes, but the question is whether he will. At 4-3, the Ravens sit at the bottom of the AFC North, and without quarterback Lamar Jackson in the lineup, Minter needs his defense to create turnovers and force negative plays. As the pressure mounts, the media and fans will expect Minter to be assertive. It's likely that he will.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Jesse Minter can use more man coverage to help Ravens evolve from mid-tier
