As the No. 1 defense prepares for the No. 1 offense, Fangio explains why the Ravens are so dangerous originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The NFL’s No. 1 defense is about to face the NFL’s No. 1 offense, and the coach of the No. 1 defense was asked Wednesday how much he enjoys that kind of game.
“I’d rather play at Swarthmore,” Vic Fangio said with a straight face.
Swarthmore hasn’t had a football team since 2000, but the immediate challenge for Fangio lies with the Ravens and their multi-faceted offense.
The 9-2 Eagles face the 8-4 Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday, and it’s an intriguing matchup between a defense that has held nine straight opponents to fewer than 300 yards and an offense that’s averaging 32 points per game since week 3.
The Ravens lead the NFL with 427 yards per game – 32 more than anyone – and they are No. 2 in points per game with 30.3, behind the Lions.
They are second behind the Eagles in rushing yards per game (180) and third behind the Bengals and Seahawks in passing yards per game (263).
So they have a chance to become the first NFL team in 83 years to lead the NFL in both rushing and passing. The 1941 NFL Championship Bears did it with 182 passing yards and 196 rushing yards per game.
“Their whole offense is dynamite,” Fangio said. “They manage very well, they throw very well, they have good catchers – they have the best group of catchers they’ve had in a long time. Two very good tight ends, their line blocks well. You know, it’s no coincidence that they have the No. 1 offense in the league.
Like the Eagles, the Ravens have a quarterback who can hurt you with his arm or leg and a running back in the MVP race.
In December, Lamar Jackson had one of the greatest games an NFL quarterback has ever had against Fangio’s Dolphins defense, completing 85 percent of his passes for 321 yards with five touchdown passes, no interceptions and a perfect 158.3 passer rating in the Ravens’ 56-56 game. 19 victory against Miami. In 2021, Jackson threw for 316 yards and a touchdown in the Ravens’ 23-7 win over Fangio’s Broncos.
“I just think he’s a very special player,” Fangio said. “They have a more complete offense now than they’ve ever had, and they’ve always been good on offense since he’s been there. They’re really good, they’re really versatile, they’re multiple, their running game is multiple, the play-action game off the running game is really good. They’re just really good.
“It’s a test. It’s a challenge. You get all that.
Jackson is a two-time MVP already, and he’s having the best year of his career with 27 touchdowns, three INTs, an NFL-leading 3,053 passing yards, 67 percent accuracy and a monstrous passer rating of 117.9. Only Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning and Nick Foles had a higher grade over a full season.
“Nobody was really, really successful (defending him) in any sense,” Fangio said. “I’ve said it many times, the definition of a good quarterback (is) there’s no one way to play them.”
The Ravens are on track for 7,253 yards, which would be 3rd-the most in NFL history. But even using their average of 427 yards per game, that would be 11th-the highest over a full season.
“They manage it effectively, they overrun it effectively, they backtrack effectively,” Fangio said. “You have Lamar Jackson’s shooting game to defend. Henry, they have many weapons and many ways to hurt you.
The Ravens don’t have a single receiver having a huge season, but they are very balanced. Zay Flowers is on pace for over 1,100 yards and nearly 14 yards per catch, tight end Mark Andrews is on pace for 600 yards and eight touchdowns and Rashod Bateman is on pace for over 800 yards and his average of 16.4 per take is 3.rd-the highest in the league. Nelson Agholor – now in his 10th yearth NFL Season – Has 13 catches for 205 yards and two touchdowns for the Ravens.
But the key to it all is Jackson, a big-play machine as both a passer and a runner. His 41 completions of at least 20 yards are second to Sam Darnold’s 43 and he also has four runs of 20 yards, more than half of the starting running backs.
“You can give it to a great running back or guard it yourself and get sidelined or use some powers as well,” Fangio said. “Anytime the quarterback can run design runs, it adds another level to an offense.”
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