Perhaps the most stunning thing about the Ravens’ 37-20 win over the New England Patriots was not that they won by 17 points over the previously undefeated juggernaut, but how they won … which was, namely, by generating a ton of pressure on the G.O.A.T, Tom Brady.
Of course, Lamar Jackson and the offense deserves credit for a 210-yard rushing performance. But anytime your defense can hit Brady 10 times — 10 times! — you deserve special kudos. So that’s what I’d like to give Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale and his crew credit for their effort Sunday, even though it resulted in only two sacks:Understand, it’s difficult to touch Brady, who gets the ball out in 2.5 seconds or less 55 percent of the time, according to Pro Football Focus. Only three quarterbacks do that faster, and while Brady may look 32, it’s important Online Cigarettes Store USA to remember he’s 42, an age when pressure historically makes quarterbacks more skittish than a Chicago Bears kicker with less than a minute left in regulation.
That’s why Ravens coach John Harbaugh gave props to his defense earlier this week.
“It's really hard to rush the way we rushed him — very direct rushes in front of him,” Newport Cigarettes Shop Harbaugh said. “I thought we impacted him as much as we could.”
With a Ravens-Patriots showdown in the playoffs looking like a possibility, it’s good for the Ravens to gain some confidence against a Patriots team that has historically been an incredibly difficult January out. And if the Ravens actually face the Patriots again, you better believe their ability to get to Brady may make all the difference in the world.A week ago, I shouted out rookie inside linebacker Devin Bush Jr. for helping transform the Steelers’ old and slow defense into a fast, young unit.
But another key player at the heart of the defensive turnaround has been 22-year-old safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, Newport box 100s cigarettes who was acquired from the Miami Dolphins in September for a first-round pick.
Fitzpatrick has been a revelation. He has helped a defense that generated only 15 turnovers in 2018 to one that is on pace to nab 44 this season.