Ravens' defense on the attack: Baltimore leads NFL in sacks
BALTIMORE - The Baltimore Ravens are punishing opposing quarterbacks.
As any elite defense goes, it starts with the pass rush.
And through seven games, the Ravens are the best in the NFL.
They have a league-leading 29 sacks, four more than second-place Buffalo.
"It all goes hand-in-hand in terms of sacks," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. "Coverage is part of that, opportunity is part of that. Sometimes the offense helps. You get the lead and force them to throw the ball more."
The Ravens (5-2) racked up five sacks in their dominating 38-6 win last Sunday against the Detroit Lions.
Linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who was signed off the streets last month, had two sacks in the game, and now has three in four games.
"Kyle Van Noy, not surprised, we've seen it for so many years, impressed," Harbaugh said. "You start getting a little bit older and people start saying you can't do it anymore. Kyle does take that personally, and it is probably what fuels him."
Jadeveon Clowney, with 3.5 sacks and numerous pressures, has been a huge addition to Baltimore's pass rush. Then there is the continued development of Justin Madubuike, who has a team-best 5.5 sacks.
"I think (Justin Madubuike) has continued to grow ever since he has been here," Harbaugh said. "He has always had a lot of upside. You would see kind of the dominant plays here and there, and I think he's made more of those. He's been more consistent in making more dominant plays whether it is run or pass."
The Ravens, who were sixth in the league with 49 sacks last year, are getting after the quarterback at a rapid pass despite losing two of last year's leading sackers in Justin Houston and Calais Campbell.
That pass rush has contributed to six Ravens' interceptions, including a league-best four by safety Geno Stone.
"Success does breed success," Harbaugh said. "Real confidence is based on having proven to yourself that you can actually do it. It's one thing to believe in yourself and know the potential is there. It's another thing to sink a shot and know that you can. When you make it, you feel a little bit better about yourself. You know you can because you did."
Harbaugh said the biggest reason the Ravens are dominating up front is because they are playing at a high physical level.
"We are doing a good job playing hard and our guys have been physical up front," Harbaugh said. "Generally, good, sound, hard-playing defense, I think our guys are doing a good job at that."
Patrick Queen has 3.5 sacks, Kyle Hamilton has three, Arthur Maulet has two and Roquan Smith has 1.5. Five more Ravens have one sack apiece.
The Ravens, currently the leader in the AFC North, play at the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. on WJZ.
"They are right where they should be," Harbaugh said. "How many games have they played so far? That means we have 10 more. We still have a lot of work to do."