How the Eagles Stymied the Ravens Offense

Let me stop you before you get any thoughts in your head about a blueprint for shutting down Baltimore’s offense. There is no blueprint. There is no silver bullet that solves the problem that is the Ravens offense.

Instead, defenses need to play a complete game, both from a scheme and an execution standpoint. They also need the talent to be able to hang with the Ravens and win some or most of the matchups on the field.

It’s not just about the X’s and O’s or the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s. It’s about having all of the above. And even then, your best hope is to slow the Ravens offense, not shut it down entirely.

While there might not be a blueprint, there are certain guiding principles that need to be in place against Baltimore. The top priority is to not let Lamar Jackson go off. Easier said than done, I know. But this was core to the Eagles’ game plan on Sunday, and they executed about as well as any defense has against the Ravens all season.

Let’s start with the run game, particularly when there is a read-option element involved. Defenses have to pick their poison and choose between taking away Jackson or Derrick Henry. Frankly, that’s a terrible choice for any defense to have to make. But the teams that have had the most success against the Ravens have chosen to take away Jackson.

That can be accomplished in a number of ways. We’ve seen teams slant the end man on the line of scrimmage (EMOL) inside, creating a “keep” read for Jackson, only for him to be met by a waiting linebacker scraping over the top. That still can be a dangerous approach, though, considering you’re letting Jackson keep the ball and giving him the opportunity to make a defender miss.

We’ve seen other teams have the EMOL to the side of the running back (the side most likely to see Jackson keeping it) attack Lamar every time. This forces a “give” read and gets the ball out of his hands. The Steelers did this often in Week 11, for instance.

We’ve seen blitzes off the edge to the running-back side to ensure that Jackson can’t get to the perimeter if he does keep it.

We’ve also seen the EMOL to the side of the back use a “surf” technique, staying square to the line of scrimmage and to the outside, again forcing Jackson to give the ball to his running back. That defender is then still in position to help out on the back. This was the approach Philadelphia seemed to favor on Sunday.

Just check out Nolan Smith (#3) on the below plays:

You can see why it’s called a “surf” technique. The defender looks like he’s surfing (Sometimes football is a simple game).

You could even see Jalen Carter (#98) get in on the action. This time, it was with the Ravens in a pistol formation. Jackson opened to Carter’s side for the play-fake and the read, making him the “surf” defender. Again, he stayed outside to ensure Jackson wouldn’t keep it:

The next step to limiting Jackson’s legs is in the passing game. Defenders have to be aware at all times and ready to respond if he scrambles.

There are two components to this; the pass rush and the coverage.