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Ravens Defense Thrives Without Superstar Pass Rusher
New coordinator Jesse Minter aims to replicate Mike Macdonald's pressure-based scheme in Baltimore
Published on Feb. 10, 2026
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The Baltimore Ravens have found success on defense without a dominant pass rusher, thanks to a scheme that creates pressure from all angles. Under former coordinator Mike Macdonald, the Ravens led the league in sacks in 2023 despite lacking a superstar edge rusher. Now, new coordinator Jesse Minter looks to bring a similar approach to Baltimore, focusing on team-wide pressure rather than relying on one elite pass rusher.
Why it matters
The Ravens' ability to generate consistent pressure without a premier pass rusher challenges the conventional wisdom that teams need a dominant edge rusher to have an effective defense. Their success shows that a well-designed scheme can make up for a lack of elite individual talent, which could allow the Ravens to be more flexible in their roster-building approach on that side of the ball.
The details
In 2023, the Ravens led the NFL with 60 sacks, despite having no player record more than 13 sacks. Coordinator Mike Macdonald utilized a pressure-based scheme that allowed safeties, linebackers, and edge rushers to attack the offense based on pre-snap reads, rather than relying on one or two dominant pass rushers. This unpredictable approach made the Ravens' defense difficult to game plan against. The Ravens' new coordinator, Jesse Minter, is expected to bring a similar philosophy to Baltimore, aiming to create pressure through scheme rather than pure talent.
- In the 2023 season, the Ravens led the NFL with 60 sacks.
- In the 2023 playoffs, the Ravens only managed 2 sacks in 2 games against the Chiefs, but still held them to 17 points in the first half.
The players
Mike Macdonald
The former defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, who led their defense to a league-leading 60 sacks in 2023 without a dominant pass rusher.
Jesse Minter
The new defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, who is expected to bring a similar pressure-based scheme to Baltimore as his predecessor, Mike Macdonald.
What they’re saying
“...even if you don't have a bad offensive line, they found ways to get pressure, and it's because, at the line of scrimmage, they allow their safeties and their linebackers and their outside edge rushers to determine who was blitzing based off the turn of the center and based off the call point.”
— Robert Griffin III, Former Ravens quarterback (The Colin Cowherd Show)
What’s next
The Ravens will look to continue their pressure-based defensive approach under new coordinator Jesse Minter, who is expected to implement a similar scheme to the one that was successful in 2023.
The takeaway
The Ravens have shown that a well-designed defensive scheme can generate consistent pressure without relying on a single elite pass rusher, challenging the conventional wisdom that teams need a dominant edge defender to have an effective defense. This approach could allow the Ravens more flexibility in their roster-building on that side of the ball.
