The historically great Ravens defense looks to be once again a force in the AFC. Baltimore is 3-1 with the seventh-best rushing defense in the NFL, and it hasn't allowed a running back to eclipse 60 yards rushing.
Expected leaders Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs are carrying their weight, but it’s rookie inside linebacker C.J. Mosley who has made the Ravens one of the best run-stopping teams in the league.
Physicality
While the Ravens' run defense was strong last year as well, the team lacked at inside linebacker, where starters Daryl Smith and Jameel McClain posted a combined -20.6 Pro Football Focus grade as run defenders. Replacing McClain with Mosley cured the problem before it became real, and the fix has led to more team confidence and allowed Suggs and Elvis Dumervil to take chances on the perimeter to generate pressure.
Mosley’s success isn’t a product of his quickness or athleticism in traffic, but rather his willingness to embrace contact, limit running lanes and maintain balance to finish tackles. His ability to help clog the middle of the field has allowed other defenders to finish tackles with less blocker interruption.
In the first play below, you see Mosley (No. 57) diagnose the run and accelerate to the blocking fullback, closing the initial running lane. That forces DeAngelo Williams to bounce outside, where Suggs and Mosley finish the tackle.
In the next play, you see Mosley take on Ryan Kalil, one of the best centers in the NFL, with great extension and low pad level. Mosley slides underneath and finishes the tackle for a minimal gain in traffic.
While run support plays don’t look sexy, it’s the consistency and physicality in Mosley's first four games that should have the Ravens excited, both for the run defense this year as well as the future of Mosley’s ability.
Value as a pass rusher
Run defense was the top priority when the Ravens drafted Mosley in the first round. But his value as a pass rusher at Alabama was not ignored, and it has flashed. Although he has no sacks yet, Mosley's ability to explode on designed blitzes reared its successful head against the Panthers.
In the play below, you see Mosley nearly finish a sack on Cam Newton on third down inside the red zone. He blows by the running back with great pad level and upper body strength to force Newton into an off-balance, outside-the-hash throw.
Crucial for Ravens success
While the Ravens' next three opponents (Colts, Bucs and Falcons) all lack an elite running presence, Mosley’s impact won’t be any less felt. With two of those opponents having tremendous passing offenses, look for the Ravens to continue to trust Mosley as the run enforcer, letting Suggs and Dumervil be more aggressive as pass-rushers.
As for their division, Baltimore must be stout against the run to contain Cincinnati's Giovani Bernard and Pittsburgh's Le’Veon Bell, two of the top five backs in the league at the moment, as well as the three-headed attack in Cleveland with Ben Tate returning to a Terrence West-Isaiah Crowell-loaded backfield.
The offense may be coming around, but it’s the Ravens' defense that will lead them. And while the usual mainstays of Suggs and Ngata will keep the defense pressing on, it’s the rookie difference-maker Mosley who could be the difference in getting Baltimore back to the playoffs this season.
Eric Galko is the owner and director of scouting at Optimum Scouting and OptimumScouting.com, as well as a Sporting News contributor. Follow him on Twitter: @OptimumScouting