Marcus Williams is confident Ravens will have a top defense again in 2024

The NFL is admittedly a copycat league where teams try to emulate, replicate or adapt the schemes and systems of the most successful and innovative teams.

After fielding a historic No. 1 ranked defense in the league last season that became the first to finish first in fewest points allowed (16.5 per game), sacks (60) and takeaways (31), the Baltimore Ravens saw several integral players and coaches on that side of the ball depart for lucrative deals and new opportunities elsewhere this offseason.

Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald is now the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks and two of his top assistants will be calling the shots for their own units this year—Anthony Weaver with the Miami Dolphins and Dennard Wilson with the Tennessee Titans.

On the personnel front, the Ravens lost a handful of key defenders from all three levels with the three most notable being Pro Bowl and Second Team All Pro inside linebacker Patrick Queen, free safety Geno Stone who led the team and AFC with seven interceptions and three-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney who finished second on the team in sacks.

Some pundits have pondered and are questioning the team’s ability to have the same or even come close to the level of success they had in 2023 when the 2024 regular season rolls around. In a recent appearance on NFL Network’s ‘The Insiders, Ravens starting free safety Marcus Williams expressed his confidence in the ability of his teammates and coaches on defense to produce elite results yet again but acknowledged that the process begins before the season opener, not after.

“It’s all about how you come together in training camp, that camaraderie, those long days and long nights,” Williams said Thursday. “Just being together, locking in on the film room and locking in on the field because every day is important and every day counts. When you go into the season, you know every season is not going to be the same — a lot of people are going to leave, a lot of people are going to come [in] — but we always have that next-man-up mentality. Everybody will be practicing as if they’re a starter because if you practice as a starter then anybody can go in there and play. I think we do a good job with our coaches, our staff, our players, by having that mentality to go in there each and every day and practice to the best of our abilities.”

Two of the biggest strengths of the Ravens’ defense last season were the wealth of versatile players at all three levels and the coaching staff’s ability to adapt the game plan and scheme from week to week or even from half to half within games.

Being adaptable defense prevents opposing offenses from picking up on tendencies finding solutions that often occur with more static schemes. A prime example of this is how the Houston Texans’ offense was able to score 46 points and 606 yards of total offense in their two games combined against the Cleveland Browns’ vaunted yet static defense under 2023 AP Assistant Coach of the Year Jim Swartz between the regular and postseason. Meanwhile, in their two games against the Ravens last year their offense didn’t score a single touchdown, was held to 12 combined points and didn’t reach 300 yards of total offense in either game.

“A lot of people think they got it figured out and then you change something,” Williams said of the defense’s many looks and ability to change. “You got to be chameleons when you’re in this league because people, you know, they adapt, and they see you on film, they can see how you stand, how you align, and each and every week you got to be able to change a little here, a little there. We have a good thing going in our group and we’re able to see what the offense is doing to try and attack those defense and those coverages. That defense is really good for us — depending on which one you’re talking about.”

While the Ravens will have the same field general wearing the green dot and leading their defense this year in two-time All-Pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith, they’ll have a new coach calling the shots. Replacing Macdonald is 32-year-old Zach Orr who was promoted this offseason from inside linebackers coach. Even though this will be his first time calling plays at any level, the Ravens players believe he has what it takes to lead them to continued prosperity.

“He definitely has the respect of the room,” Williams said. “He comes in every day and puts in that time and that work — age is just a number — you put in that time and that effort to come out and be the best at your role as he did as a player, he’s gonna do as a coach. I have the utmost respect for him; the way he presents himself, the way he carries himself, how he coaches us and how he listens to whatever we have to say. He doesn’t have an ego where we can’t put our input. So, that’s a good thing, but he isn’t going to hold back just because he feels we’re about the same age. He’s still going to give you that good, hard coaching.”