When defense no. 1 prepares for attack no. 1, Fangio explains why the Ravens are so dangerous, originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Defense no. 1 in the NFL is about to face the No. 1 offense. 1 in the NFL and the No. 1 defensive coach. 1 was asked on Wednesday how much he likes such a match.
“I’d rather play Swarthmore,” Vic Fangio said with a straight face.
Swarthmore hasn’t had a football team since 2000, but the immediate challenge for Fangio is the Ravens and their multi-faceted offense.
The 9-2 Eagles face the 8-4 Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday, and it’s an interesting matchup of a defense that has held nine consecutive opponents under 300 yards and an offense that has averaged 32 points per game since Week 3.
The Ravens lead the NFL with 427 yards per game — 32 more than anyone else — and are 2nd in points per game at 30.3, trailing only the Lions.
They are second behind the Eagles in rushing yards per game (180) and third behind the Bengals and Seahawks in passing yards per game (263).
So they have a chance to become the first NFL team in 83 years to lead the NFL in both rushing and passing yards. The 1941 NFL Championship Bears did it with 182 passing yards and 196 rushing yards per game.
“Their whole offense is dynamite,” Fangio said. “They’re doing great, they’re throwing great, they’ve got good receivers — they’ve got the best group of receivers they’ve had in a long time. Two really good tight ends, their line blocks well. You know, it’s no coincidence that they have the No. 1 offensive line. 1 in the league.”
Like the Eagles, the Ravens have a quarterback that can hurt you with an arm or a leg and a running back in the MVP race.
In December, Lamar Jackson had one of the best games ever by an NFL quarterback against Fangio’s Dolphins defense, completing 85 percent of his passes for 321 yards with five TDs, no interceptions and a perfect 158.3 passer rating in the Ravens’ 56. 19 win over Miami. In 2021, Jackson threw for 316 yards and a TD in the Ravens’ 23-7 win over Fangio’s Broncos.
“I think he’s a very special player,” Fangio said. “They’ve got a more complete offense now than they’ve ever had and they’ve always been good on offense since he’s been there.” They’re really good, they’re really versatile, they’re multiple, their run game is multiple, their pass game is really good. They are just really good.
“It’s a test. It’s a challenge. You get it all.”
Jackson is already a two-time MVP and is coming off the best year of his career with 27 touchdowns, three INTs, an NFL-leading 3,053 passing yards, a 67 percent accuracy and a whopping 117.9 passer rating. Only Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning and Nick Foles had a higher rating throughout the season.
“No one was really, really successful (defending him) one way,” Fangio said. “I’ve said it many times, the definition of good quarterbacks (is) there’s no one way to play them.”
The Ravens are on pace for 7,253 yards, which would be 3rdrd– the most in NFL history. But even using their average of 427 yards per game, that would be 11thTh-highest for the entire season.
“They’re running it effectively, they’re losing effectively, they’re going down effectively,” Fangio said. “You have to defend the Lamar Jackson gun run game. Henry, they have many weapons and many ways to hurt you.”
The Ravens don’t have a single receiver having a big season, but they are very balanced. Zay Flowers is on pace for over 1,100 yards and nearly 14 yards per catch, tight end Mark Andrews is on pace for 600 yards and eight TDs and Rashod Bateman is on pace for over 800 yards and his 16.4 per catch average is 3rd– highest in the league. Nelson Agholor – now 10 years oldTh NFL Season – Has 13 catches for 205 yards and two TDs for Ravens.
But the key to everything is Jackson, a playmaking machine as both a passer and a runner. His 41 completions of at least 20 yards are second only to Sam Darnold’s 43, and he also has four 20-yard runs, more than half of the starting running backs.
“You can hand it off to a great running back or you can keep it yourself and get to the edge or use some strength as well,” Fangio said. “Anytime a quarterback can run design runs, it adds another level to the offense.”
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