Carroll County Times: Westminster, Maryland
Clad in their black uniforms, the Baltimore Ravens want to make an equally intimidating statement with their top-ranked defense tonight against the New York Giants.
As the Ravens head into their second preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens’ hard-hitting defense has no intention of dialing down its intensity or hiding its intricate blitz packages. After all, the entire country will be watching this nationally televised contest.
“We just want to show them that we’re a tenacious defense with a lot of depth,” Pro Bowl linebacker Bart Scott said. “Let’s see if they can match our tempo and intensity. We want to seize that role. It’s important we take each game like it’s our last.
“It’s a national stage. Every time you step out there you want to represent yourself well. You want the ultimate respect of your peers because it’s a highlighted game.”
The defense put an exclamation point on a 29-3 victory Monday night over the Philadelphia Eagles, holding them to only 23 rushing yards on 18 attempts. Plus, Baltimore registered five sacks.
Meanwhile, the Giants’ featured running backs, Brandon Jacobs and Reuben Droughns, managed a combined 32 rushing yards on nine carries last week in a 24-21 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
“The stuff the Ravens do on defense is awfully tough to prepare for in a preseason game,” said analyst John Madden, who’s calling the game for NBC. “Obviously, Philadelphia wasn’t ready for it. I don’t know that the Giants will be ready for it, either.”
Under defensive coordinator Rex Ryan’s aggressive philosophy, the Ravens’ base defense is tilted toward attacking at nearly all times.
Even though Baltimore doesn’t specifically game-plan for preseason games, their approach often confounds offenses who are not prepared to audible to account for the blitz as they try to orchestrate a scripted playbook.