The young Baltimore Ravens defense finished the 1999 season ranked No. 2 in the NFL and did not permit a 100-yard rusher. Why, then, did defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis spend all that time in the film room? Because, in the hurly burly world of the NFL, the glass is always half-empty not half-full.
"Last year we didn't allow a touchdown play of over 28 yards," Lewis said earlier this week. "When we looked at it, 26 of 28 touchdowns against us came from the red zone. We spent a lot of time analyzing what we do and what the best teams in the red zone do.
|  | | Ray Lewis' turbulent offseason hasn't affected his Pro Bowl play. |
"We changed the philosophy of some of the things we do. We asked Brian (Billick) for more red-zone time in training camp. We basically said, 'This is an area we want to take away.' "
And, basically, that's what has happened.
The 4-1 Ravens have allowed opponents inside their 20-yard-line a scant eight times -- the lowest total in the league -- and permitted only two touchdowns and two field goals for a total of 19 points, another league best.
The 4-1 Miami Dolphins defense is similarly impressive when push comes to shove. Opponents have penetrated the Miami 20-yard-line on 14 occasions and emerged with only seven scores. In five goal-to-go situations the Dolphins have yet to allow a touchdown. Like the Ravens, the Dolphins have allowed only two red-zone touchdowns and have the league's lowest touchdown percentage, 14.3.
In light of the pyrotechnics from Kurt Warner et al. in St. Louis, where they have scored 30 points or better an NFL-record 11 times, it is comforting to know that a few teams still know how to play defense in this league.
The Ravens are coming off their second consecutive shutout, a 12-0 victory over Cleveland, and their third shutout in five games. Going back to last year, the total is a staggering four of seven. Think about that. The last team to pitch back-to-back shutouts was the 1985 Chicago Bears, and the last one to collect three in a year was the 1991 Washington Redskins.
Both teams, it is worth noting, won Super Bowls.
Cynics will point to the Ravens' schedule and note with a smirk that those four recent shutouts have come against Cincinnati (twice), Pittsburgh and Cleveland, but the defense clearly is for real. Baltimore is ranked No. 1 against the run, allowing a paltry 41.8 yards per game, and No. 2 overall.
The Dolphins? They've allowed a ridiculous 38 points, even with the 16 that Cincinnati threw at them last Sunday. After shutting out Seattle 23-0 in the opener, Miami lost at Minnesota 13-7 before allowing Baltimore and New England just three field goals.
Those 38 points, in case you were wondering, are the lowest total through the first five games since 1977 when the Atlanta Falcons allowed only 22 and the Denver Broncos held opponents to 33. The Falcons finished a pedestrian 7-7, but the Broncos advanced to the Super Bowl.
In recent years offensive coordinators like Mike Holmgren, Dennis Green and Mike Shanahan were the trend as head coaches. Now that they and others like Mike Martz have made their impact on the offensive side of the ball, the pendulum seems to have swung back toward defense. Six of the eight men who have been named head coaches in the last year come from the defensive side of the ball:
New England's Bill Belichick, Dallas' Dave Campo, Al Groh of the New York Jets, New Orleans' Jim Haslett, Dick LeBeau of Cincinnati and Dave Wannstedt of Miami.
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Our guys are just concentrating on what's in front of them. We just want to win the next 11 games. If it means we have to shut them out, well, OK. ” |
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— Marvin Lewis, Ravens defensive coordinator |
Ebb and flow. The league has always worked in cycles such as this. And before you start snickering, be advised that Haslett's Saints are proud purveyors of the league's No. 1-ranked defense. Turnabout and turnovers, after all, are fair play.
The Ravens and Dolphins share many similarities. They have swift, physical defenses with muscular middle linebackers. Their offenses have also demonstrated the ability to run the ball, which takes time off the clock and keeps the defense fresh.
Baltimore's defense begins and ends with middle linebacker Ray Lewis. After leading the NFL in tackles for two of the last three seasons, he leads the Ravens with 39 stops. Defensive end Rob Burnett has been terrific, producing 26 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and an interception. Linebacker Jamie Sharper (26 tackles) and defensive end Michael McCrary (25 tackles, 1.5 sacks) have also been active.
The Dolphins, on the other hand, are getting help from some unusual suspects. Defensive end Trace Armstrong, who turns 35 on Thursday, hasn't been a starter for several years but he is second in the AFC with 6.5 sacks. Defensive end Jason Taylor, who had 2.5 sacks a year ago, already has 4. Middle linebacker Zach Thomas, despite missing last week's game with a sprained ankle, leads the team with 42 tackles. Cornerback Sam Madison leads the NFL with 18 interceptions over the last four seasons, a total he shares with former teammate Terrell Buckley and the Ravens' Rod Woodson.
What would happen if these two immovable forces met? It already happened on Sept. 17. Miami won a 19-6 slugfest, but the Dolphins were playing at home. So, which defense is better?
"Oh ... well ... I have no idea," Baltimore's Marvin Lewis said. "Our guys are just concentrating on what's in front of them. We just want to win the next 11 games. If it means we have to shut them out, well, OK."
The 1970 St. Louis Cardinals and the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers were the only NFL teams in the last three decades to render three straight shutouts in the same season. That classic Steel Curtain team also holds the record for most shutouts in a season, five.
Can the Ravens make some history on the road and shut down Jacksonville, a team that ran up 36 on Baltimore in a narrow 39-36 loss in Week 2?
"That," Lewis said, "is a great, great challenge. We didn't play very well on third downs. We had three or four penalties that kept drives alive. They've had some career days against us, but we'll see what happens."
A year ago, according to Lewis, Billick sat down with the defense and had an emotional heart-to-heart talk about goals.
"He came in and said, 'Do you want to send four, five guys to the Pro Bowl every year or do you want to play together, play disciplined and lead the league in defense?' " Lewis said.
A few weeks ago, Billick held up U.S. sprinter Marion Jones as an example. "If she hadn't dreamed she could win five gold medals, she would have failed before she even tried," Lewis said. "The message is, 'Don't be afraid to stick your neck on the line. Don't be afraid to put it out there.'
"That's the way we're playing this year."
Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
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