Ray Lewis Reveals What’s so Special About Baltimore’s Defense This Time: “You Don’t Have to Coach Them”

There’s no shortage of nicknames for NFL defenses. For many, the Legion of Boom and the Steel Curtain both come to mind, but not everyone is as familiar with the Baltimore Ravens’ current unit. According to its former enforcer, however, that needs to change.

Prior to the start of their season opener against the Buffalo Bills on the road, the NFL Hall of Fame linebacker, Ray Lewis, joined the NFL on NBC pregame show to give his take on the current state of his Ravens’ defense. Suffice to say, it was as spirited of an analysis as one could expect from the two-time Super Bowl champion.

“The pieces that we have now,” Lewis explained, “you don’t have to coach them, just unleash them.” According to the former face of Baltimore, games of this caliber, even in the regular season, are won and lost in the trenches.

“The way we run the ball, the style, the way we run the ball, bringing in DHop and adding him to that… It’s a magical game for them,” Lewis noted as the rest of Buffaloes’ roster warmed up behind him. Unfortunately, the prime time contest proved to be as magical as advertised, just for all of the wrong reasons.

The Ravens’ run game was very much on point. Derrick Henry, despite a costly fumble, was able to generate 169 rushing yards and two touchdowns with 18 carries.

Likewise, Lamar Jackson produced 70 rushing yards on just six carries. Nevertheless, it was Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills who ended up walking away with the victory in this AFC divisional round rematch.

The reigning MVP notched an eye-catching total of 424 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns, two passing and two rushing. Allen, who hadn’t thrown a touchdown against the Ravens since 2022, was able to record the most productive Week 1 of any quarterback in the NFL, silencing both his doubters and Ravens fans in the process.

Of course, there’s plenty of football left to play, and it would be no surprise to see these two teams facing off once again in the playoffs. Jackson and co. are slated to host the Cleveland Browns in Week 2, while Allen and the rest of the Bills are now preparing for a short trip over to Gotham City to take on the New York Jets.

In the meantime, however, this figures to be a painful loss for Baltimore, who has routinely struggled to defeat the other top contenders in their own conference. The 40 points that the Ravens scored were the most that they have put up against a top AFC team in recent memory, but to fall short of victory after such an effort is certainly nothing less than a punch to the gut.

Then again, the Ravens are a franchise that has been defined by its grittiness, so it’s safe to say that “Action” Jackson will be back in the win column sooner rather than later.