OTL: Washington, White Provide Hope for Beleaguered Secondary

There’s a lot to unpack this week, as Ravens Flock does its best to recover from what was yet another frustrating, almost inexplicable loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Some real voodoo magic, as the fans have been calling it.

Before getting into what bothered me most, though, let’s focus on maybe the lone positive: the defense looked improved, particularly in the secondary. First and foremost, young DB Ar’Darius Washington has officially earned his spot in Zach Orr’s struggling defense:

The Ravens have named Ar’Darius Washington as their starting FS going forward.

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/29Oe1GDs1B

— Ravens Nation ð™‡ð™„ð™‘𙀠(@LIVERavenNation) November 19, 2024

With serious concerns about Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson, it honestly felt like Baltimore had no other choice but to try something new. That said, it’s no knock on Washington, as I’ve felt the unit has played better with him in there.

Paired with Kyle Hamilton playing deep, the secondary may have had its most complete game last Sunday:

Ar’Darius Washington is 5-foot-8, 180 pounds.

Darnell Washington is 6-foot-7, 264 pounds.

Two big plays over the middle after Roquan exited, but credit to Ar’Darius for making those tackles. pic.twitter.com/c1pc7yEOgJ

— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) November 19, 2024

And for what it’s worth, I do think Hamilton should move forward in this role, even if it means less flexibility as a chess piece. Ultimately, the big plays need to stop, and he was able to help minimize them.

Another bright spot was the play of Tre’Davious White in his Ravens debut. The corner made a few great plays on the ball, and provided some hope for the CB spot opposite Marlon Humphrey:

Tre’Davious White in his Ravens debut:

83.3 coverage grade
4 targets
1 first down allowed
2 forced incompletions
59.4 passer rating allowed pic.twitter.com/AC7g5wBE72

— PFF BAL Ravens (@PFF_Ravens) November 19, 2024

At the same time, Brandon Stephens continued to struggle:

Wild: #Ravens CB Brandon Stephens gave up 78 of Russell Wilson’s 127 passing yards.

He single-handedly sold the game… pic.twitter.com/3rRN4EWZRs

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 19, 2024

I’m disappointed in Stephens’ development after a strong 2023 season, and I’ll just leave that there. Baltimore may be looking for a replacement or another option of sorts, as GM Eric DeCosta brought in former All-Pro Desmond King:

WELCOME TO THE FLOCK, @blaqbadger14!

The Ravens are signing FA CB Desmond King, per @AaronWilson_NFL.

Baltimore’s defense adds another unit. pic.twitter.com/lweDMmwphj

— Ravens Nation ð™‡ð™„ð™‘𙀠(@LIVERavenNation) November 19, 2024

Baltimore already has one King (pun intended), but maybe this one’s for when the first isn’t used? Either way, I would hope King actually isn’t the most impactful player, as a younger option continues to bud:

Nate Wiggins’ rookie season so far has been extraordinary and he’s just going to keep getting better.

Ravens got a great one pic.twitter.com/Lsm4zbye0d

— The Ravens Realm (@RealmRavens) November 20, 2024

Nate Wiggins rookie stats so far this season. (Im about to push some nasty agendas) pic.twitter.com/iLZNjzwFHw

— NateWigginsEnthusiast (7-4) (@JTDropemoff410_) November 19, 2024

We haven’t yet seen Nate Wiggins step into a major role on the defense, but he’s done well with the chances he’s been given. His name isn’t called a lot, and for a Swiss cheese secondary, I think that’s a nod of confidence. I’d like to see him get more of a chance in later weeks.

Now that we’ve covered some of the good, I do want to focus on what’s really bothered me since Baltimore’s loss to Pittsburgh. Losing eight of nine to a divisional opponent in what is supposed to be one of the closest rivalries in football is bad, and at a certain point it reflects on the head coach, especially when the Ravens have been the better team on paper for basically all of those losses.

Listening to Louis Riddick here, I feel what he’s saying is that the Ravens get out-physicalled by Pittsburgh:

Louis Riddick shares his thoughts on why Mike Tomlin has had John Harbaugh’s number in recent years:

“Let me tell you why Pittsburgh beats Baltimore: it’s the mentality. … The best line he’s ever told me is this: ‘They love to be the bully, and we love to play the bully. We… pic.twitter.com/jKjiRaj6JY

— Bobby Trosset (@bobbybaltim0re) November 19, 2024

It may not happen every play, but it does always seem like the Steelers cause chaos for a Ravens offense that normally looks very fluid. Ultimately, I think that comes down to physicality.

Even outside the Pittsburgh game, Baltimore’s beaten itself many times over the years. Individual mistakes are difficult to blame on Harbaugh, but at a certain point, penalties do come back to the coach:

The Ravens have three offensive lineman in the top 10 of offensive holding penalties.

Patrick Mekari has six (1st)
Ronnie Stanley and Daniel Faalele have four each (t-3rd)

— Spencer Schultz (@ravens4dummies) November 19, 2024

And lastly, I’ve listed Harbaugh’s career record against some of the league’s best coaches:

Bill Belichick: 5-7

Andy Reid: 2-5

Mike Tomlin: 15-21

Overall, that’s a record of 22-33, and while it’s not horrific by any means, it shows that Harbaugh is a notch below the greats. Now, I do feel it’s Super Bowl or bust for Baltimore’s long-tenured coach.

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