Jan. 16, 2026, 3:05 p.m. ET
It seems like as soon as Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Terrell Suggs left the Ravens organization, so did the dominant era of Ravens defense. Sure, 2023 was a great season under former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, but he also had some growing pains in his first season, where fans were calling for him to be fired. Nowadays, the team is a shell of its former self, and teams aren’t afraid like they used to be when the defense is on the field.
If the organization hires an offensive-minded coach, he must hire a defensive coordinator who will bring back the bully mentality that once made teams afraid to play against. If the team hires a defensive-minded coach, they will already know in the back of their minds that a bully mentality will be one of the top goals as a coach.
The next Baltimore Ravens head coach, whomever they hire, whether it be an offensive-minded or defensive-minded coach, needs to bring back the “Bullies of Baltimore” to the defense.
Teams would end up being battered and bruised after games, but not so much anymore. M&T Bank Stadium was once known as one of the hardest places to play, but in 2025, the team was 3-6 at home and got embarrassed on primetime three times. I’m begging for the next head coach to bring back that swagger to the Baltimore Ravens defense to make teams afraid of playing the Ravens again.
It’ll be really interesting to see who the Baltimore Ravens choose to hire as their fourth coach in franchise history, because if they get this wrong, it could lead to more down years in Baltimore, a city known for winning.
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