Ravens’ run to AFC title recreation vs. Chiefs fueled by surprises

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Mike Macdonald did not reply the repeated calls from an unknown quantity as a result of he thought it was a recruit, and he believed his soccer teaching profession was over.

Macdonald’s time as a graduate assistant on the College of Georgia had led to 2014 after he acquired his grasp’s diploma in sports activities administration with a 4.0 grade-point common. With no affords to proceed teaching, he reluctantly determined to shift to finance and signed a contract with KPMG, a worldwide accounting agency.

Then Macdonald seen a voicemail from that persistent but unfamiliar quantity. It was from the Baltimore Ravens, who have been providing a one-year teaching internship.

As Macdonald listened to the message — which he later stated “was similar to a name from God” — the hand holding the cellphone started to shake with pleasure.

“You are fascinated with your skilled life and your profession and also you understand how lucky you might be with issues that occurred alongside the way in which,” Macdonald stated.

A decade later, Macdonald is the coordinator for a historic protection that helped the Ravens advance to Sunday’s AFC Championship Sport towards Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (3 p.m. ET, CBS).

Amongst Macdonald’s first assignments as an intern was to attract up the opponents’ performs on playing cards for coaches to make use of at follow. Now, he has devised a scheme of versatility and unpredictability the place 355-pound nostril deal with Michael Pierce drops into protection, defensive deal with Justin Madubuike generally crashes the sting and robust security Kyle Hamilton strains up in all places.

The Ravens turned the primary crew in NFL historical past to steer the league in fewest factors allowed (16.5), most sacks (60) and most takeaways (31) in a single season. Baltimore shut down this 12 months’s greatest offenses, together with dominating the highest three — the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions — and quarterbacks have been hit so laborious 5 needed to depart video games this season. Within the 34-10 divisional playoff win over the Houston Texans on Saturday, the Ravens held Houston with out an offensive landing and did not let standout rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud run a play inside Baltimore’s 25-yard line.

In a matter of two years, Macdonald went from being the NFL’s youngest defensive coordinator to one of many hottest head-coaching candidates. At age 36, he has interviewed with 5 groups about their vacancies: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Commanders.

“I simply assume he is a wizard,” Ravens center linebacker Roquan Smith stated. “He extra so finds out what groups battle with, [what] a crew’s weak spot is, and [knowing] our power and having the ability to make these right into a game-plan scenario. It is fairly candy.”

Whereas quarterback Lamar Jackson stays the headliner for the AFC’s top-seeded Ravens, their protection has been simply as integral in getting Baltimore to its first AFC Championship Sport in 11 seasons. Listed here are among the gamers who made this 12 months’s Ravens protection uniquely profitable.

Kyle Hamilton, security

Key stat: He was the one participant with a minimum of 80 tackles, 3 sacks and 4 interceptions this season.

A few weeks earlier than the 2022 draft, Ravens coach John Harbaugh had one query for Hamilton throughout his go to to Baltimore.

“What are you doing right here?” he requested.

The Ravens held the No. 14 decide, and Hamilton — an All-American from Notre Dame — was thought of a top-five expertise. However, whether or not it was his slower-than-expected 40-yard-dash time (4.59) or groups not prioritizing safeties, Hamilton slid to Baltimore, which chosen him regardless of having two confirmed starters at that place.

In his second season, Hamilton has turn into one of many Ravens’ greatest and most versatile gamers. Hamilton and Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner are the one gamers taken within the first spherical of the 2022 draft to be named All-Professional and chosen for the Professional Bowl.

The Ravens think about Hamilton one among their most misleading gamers, and it goes past him lining up as a deep security, slot cornerback, inside linebacker and even defensive deal with.

“There’s nothing that child cannot do,” Ravens secondary coach Chris Hewitt stated. “Do not let the child face idiot you. He’ll attempt to rip your face off.”

Hamilton is the primary Ravens participant in 22 years to file double-digit tackles for loss (10) and passes defensed (13) in a single season.

“I name him ‘The Avatar,'” Ravens outdoors linebacker Jadeveon Clowney stated. “He’s a 6-4 security and might run [and] can hit.”

Justin Madubuike, defensive deal with

Key stat: His 13 sacks have been probably the most by a Raven since Elvis Dumervil had 17 in 2014.

When analyzing why Madubuike has produced one of many largest breakout seasons in crew historical past, outdoors linebackers coach Chuck Smith believes the sacks elevated when he labored on other ways to get to the quarterback.

Madubuike has introduced down passers with spins, cross-chops and chop-drive strikes. He is been identified to return as much as Smith earlier than video games and ask to work on his method.

“‘Beeks’ is admittedly the type of dude that’s completely attempting to knock your head off each play,” Smith stated. “There is no such thing as a different option to put it.”

Madubuike turned the primary Ravens participant to file double-digit sacks in a season since Terrell Suggs in 2017, and few might have predicted he would turn into probably the most dominant inside pass-rusher within the league. He had 8.5 sacks in his first three years (42 video games) mixed.

Baltimore guard Kevin Zeitler stated some defensive linemen run round you whereas others run over you. Madubuike is completely different.

“He can do every little thing,” Zeitler stated.

Madubuike’s streak of 11 straight video games with a minimum of a half-sack — it ended on Christmas Day — is tied for the longest in NFL single-season historical past. His efficiency has been well timed, contemplating he is in a contract 12 months.

Professional Soccer Focus tasks him to obtain a contract that averages $23 million per season, which might rank because the fourth highest for a defensive deal with. If the Ravens are unable to signal him to a long-term deal, they’re anticipated to put the franchise tag on him.

“He is walked on this 12 months with simply mission-minded [focus] from the start,” Ravens defensive position coach Anthony Weaver stated. “I am speaking about in March, and to see all of it come to fruition has been superior.”

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Jadeveon Clowney, LB

Key stat: His 24% move rush win price was the fifth-best within the NFL.

As basic supervisor Eric DeCosta places it, the Ravens had “flirted” with Clowney for years. It simply took till this 12 months for the edges to return collectively for what has been maybe the most effective season of his nine-year profession.

“We have at all times thought his recreation translated to ours,” DeCosta stated. “It simply was actually type of the proper scenario, as a result of we had a necessity and he was accessible and he did not have the market that he is had.

“So we checked out it as type of a low-risk, high-reward, high-upside transfer. I feel he was on the stage of his profession that he simply wished to go someplace that was very secure, no drama and with an opportunity to win video games.”

At 30, Clowney did not obtain a lot curiosity final summer time after being despatched residence by the Cleveland Browns on the finish of the 2022 season for making essential feedback about his utilization. Baltimore signed Clowney to a one-year, incentive-filled $2.5 million deal in the course of August — a big drop from his $10 million payout a 12 months in the past — and there weren’t many expectations for the No. 1 decide of the 2014 draft.

Clowney’s solely aim getting into the season was to play each recreation. Not solely did he play a full season, however Clowney almost reached double-digit sacks for the primary time. He completed with a career-high 9.5 sacks.

“There’s no one on this constructing, in all probability besides Lamar Jackson, who’s had as a lot stress as Jadeveon Clowney,” Chuck Smith stated. “[Because of] the complementary items round him, he is not Jadeveon Clowney, the first-round decide, the No. 1 man. He is simply ‘J.'”

He rejuvenated his picture as a pass-rusher with a career-best 46 first pressures.

Clowney’s largest play was a strip sack of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert within the crimson zone in Week 12. His most memorable second was his extended celebration after surpassing 9 sacks, which earned him a complete of $1.75 million in incentives.

“I feel he has a few years left within the tank [with] the way in which he goes out,” Roquan Smith stated. “Folks could say he is misplaced issues in there, however I see it week in and week out. This man is harmful on the market.”

Key stat: His seven interceptions within the common season have been probably the most by a Raven since Ed Reed had eight in 2010.

Stone remembers the precise day and time — April 25 at 10:48 a.m. — that he wrote down 5 objectives for himself. One in all them was to make three interceptions.

Stone checked that off in Week 6 and completed with seven interceptions, which ranked second within the NFL.

“I feel he is a great instance of somebody that takes care of the small print on a day-to-day foundation, involves work day-after-day, does his greatest, does not complain, does not get caught up in issues [like], ‘Why is that this not taking place for me?'” Harbaugh stated. “It is a good lesson I feel for younger folks. If they are going to watch that [and say], ‘I need to be nice at one thing’ or ‘I need to be a professional soccer participant,’ watch Geno Stone and what he is been doing.”

A seventh-round decide in 2020 (the twenty first security drafted that 12 months), Stone was waived twice by Baltimore in his rookie season earlier than getting re-signed and primarily taking part in on particular groups in 2021 and 2022. He had one interception in his first 34 video games.

Then, this season, Stone made 11 begins filling in for injured safeties Marcus Williams and Hamilton, and he immediately turned a ball magnet as the middle fielder on protection. His streak of 4 video games with a decide is the second-longest in franchise historical past.

“They at all times say respect is earned, not given,” Stone stated. “I attempt to go on the market day-after-day, earn my respect, present what I can do on this league.”