2026
2026 season · Weeks 1 to 8 · 4-4
Ravens defense
Every snap the Ravens defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good+0.01 EPA a play allowed, 17th of 32, and 0.01 above what the offenses they faced usually manage (18th).
- How they playThey blitz on 31% of dropbacks, the 13th-most in the league, and get pressure on 19%.
- Where offenses find roomOn the ground: 3.6 a carry, 10th, and runs up the middle gain 3.3 a carry.
- Who hurt themTee Higgins (CIN): 148 yards and +11.9 EPA on 7 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
- Next upWeek 9 against the Jaguars, whose offense ranks 3rd in EPA a play.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | +0.01 | 17th of 32 | 48th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.05 | 17th of 32 | 48th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.06 | 22nd of 32 | 33rd | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 44% | 21st of 32 | 36th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 8% | 10th of 32 | 70th | |
| Yards per play | 5.4 | 14th of 32 | 58th | |
| Yards per carry | 3.6 | 10th of 32 | 70th | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 40% | 12th of 32 | 64th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 5.7% | 19th of 32 | 42nd | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 19% | 23rd of 32 | 30th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 17% | 7th of 32 | 80th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 1.3% | 24th of 32 | 27th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 70% | 26th of 32 | 20th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 2.19 | 18th of 32 | 45th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.0 | 22nd of 32 | 27th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | +0.01 | 18th of 32 | 45th |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Ravens. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 5 of 8 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 8 against the Bills, 0.17 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average -0.01 a play elsewhere, the 22nd-toughest schedule of offenses.
at INDW 41-23-0.24usual -0.10
vs NOL 17-24+0.13usual -0.06
at DALW 34-31+0.09usual +0.09
vs TENW 24-18-0.16usual -0.09
at ATLW 30-23-0.02usual -0.12
at CLEL 10-13-0.12usual -0.08
vs CINL 13-35+0.33usual +0.09
at BUFL 10-36+0.04usual +0.21Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is deep middle: +1.70 EPA a throw against a league +0.76. The lockdown zone is behind the line left, -0.64 a throw (league -0.18). Completions against them run 2.1 points over expected, 23rd-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 3.6 yards a carry against them, 10th of 32. The leak is up the middle: 3.3 a carry and +0.18 EPA (league 3.7, -0.09).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 19.323rd | 177.628th | +0.4428th-toughest | 22.210th-most28.69th-most35.09th-most |
| Tight ends | 6.02nd | 46.511th | +0.2416th-toughest | 9.213th-most11.314th-most13.515th-fewest |
| Backs, receiving | 5.818th | 17.82nd | -0.541st-toughest | 15.29th-fewest17.410th-fewest19.58th-fewest |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 18.113th-most18.113th-most18.113th-most |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins | CIN | 7 | 148 | 1 | +11.9 |
| CeeDee Lamb | DAL | 8 | 112 | +10.0 | |
| Drake London | ATL | 11 | 118 | +7.5 | |
| Juwan Johnson | NO | 4 | 66 | +7.0 | |
| Carnell Tate | TEN | 12 | 145 | +6.7 | |
| Chris Olave | NO | 10 | 86 | 1 | +6.5 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-4-to-6: offenses convert 32% against a league 44%. They are stingiest in 1st down (-0.06 a play, league +0.01) and weakest in 3rd down (+0.11, league -0.04).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 216 | -0.06 | +0.01 | -0.07 |
| 2nd down | 158 | -0.02 | +0.01 | -0.02 |
| 3rd down | 106 | +0.11 | -0.04 | +0.15 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 31 | 55% | 61% | −6 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 28 | 32% | 44% | −12 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 47 | 34% | 27% | +8 pts |
| Red zone | 87 | +0.15 | +0.03 | +0.12 |
| Two-minute drill | 55 | +0.00 | +0.00 | 0.00 |
| When they lead | 269 | -0.07 | +0.01 | -0.07 |
| One-score game | 341 | +0.01 | -0.01 | +0.02 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 31 | +0.12 | +0.03 | +0.09 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 31% of dropbacks and average 4.4 rushers; 69% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.02 EPA when they blitz and +0.06 when they do not.
They put 6.4 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 4%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.5 a carry; into eight or more, 1.7.
Offenses lean on the run against them: 2 points under their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains -0.42 EPA against them on 19% of throws; screens -0.96.
21 defensive penalties for 193 yards, 18 of them first downs, the 14th-fewest. They miss 9% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 21st-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Tavius Robinson leads the pass rush with 9 pressures and 3.5 sacks on 54% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98Travis JonesDT | 56% | 2 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 1 | |
| 92Nnamdi MadubuikeDT | 55% | 5 | 1 | 8 | 20 | ||
| 95Tavius RobinsonLB | 54% | 9 | 3.5 | 8 | 3 | 18 | 1 |
| 15Mike GreenLB | 49% | 8 | 3.5 | 8 | 5 | 18 | |
| 93Calais CampbellDE | 47% | 5 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 11 | |
| 91Trey HendricksonLB | 46% | 6 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 9 | |
| 96Broderick WashingtonDT | 26% | 1 | 7 | ||||
| 94John JenkinsDT | 23% | 1 | 10 | ||||
| 97Ethan BurkeLB | 17% | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| 90Aeneas PeeblesDT | 6% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Roquan Smith plays 94% of the snaps with 66 tackles and 2 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0Roquan SmithILB | 94% | 66 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 26 | 59.0 | 2 |
| 32Trenton SimpsonLB | 62% | 50 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 71.5 | 1 |
| 9Zion YoungLB | 37% | 15 | 1 | 1 | 39.6 | 1 | ||
| 40Teddye BuchananLB | 17% | 13 | 1 | 3 | 63.9 | 1 | ||
| 49Jay HigginsLB | 0% | 4 | ||||||
| 48Carl JonesLB | 0% | 3 | ||||||
| 50Adisa IsaacLB | 0% | 2 |
Nate Wiggins is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 83.7 passer rating on 36 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24Malaki StarksSAF | 98% | 17 | 15 of 17 | 226 | 2 | 125.0 | 1 | |
| 14Kyle HamiltonSAF | 97% | 28 | 19 of 28 | 208 | 1 | 87.6 | 1 | 4 |
| 2Nate WigginsCB | 95% | 36 | 20 of 36 | 220 | 1 | 83.7 | 4 | |
| 44Marlon HumphreyCB | 80% | 36 | 23 of 36 | 327 | 1 | 100.9 | 7 | |
| 21Jaylinn HawkinsSAF | 61% | 18 | 12 of 18 | 213 | 1 | 100.7 | ||
| 3Chidobe AwuzieCB | 23% | 9 | 6 of 9 | 52 | 83.8 | 2 | ||
| 29Chandler RiversCB | 19% | 16 | 11 of 16 | 132 | 1 | 97.9 | ||
| 38Keyon MartinCB | 16% | 6 | 5 of 6 | 31 | 1 | 104.1 | 1 | |
| 25K'Von WallaceSAF | 12% | 3 | 3 of 3 | 30 | 108.3 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.