Ravens Should Turn Attention To Defensive Line

As re-invigorating as the Baltimore Ravens' Week 8 win over the Chicago Bears was, they know as well as anybody that the NFL moves quickly, and they'd be best-suited by building off of their newfound momentum rather than coasting into the admittedly-mushier portion of their schedule.

Lamar Jackson is expected to fully return to action by their next performance, having looked like he'd have done the same last week before his plug was pulled at the 11th hour. He'll have the luxury of returning to in-game form against the underwhelming Miami Dolphins, giving his 2-5 Ravens another shot at inching closer to .500 now that they're backed by a little bit more health luck.

There was a lot to like about what the Ravens put forth in that table-setting win, with Derrick Henry stepping up as the go-to scoring option while Baltimore's red zone defense looked as stingy as it has all season. The NFL trade deadline continues to approach, though, now sitting a little over a week away on Nov. 4, and the Ravens have a lot of issues worth attempting to solve in dealing with their league-wide peers.

Chief among those position groups to tweak is their defensive line, with NFL.com's Kevin Patra delving into their need to improve as they regain control of their season's steering wheel.

"Securing a massive win sans Lamar Jackson — while the rest of the division lost on Sunday — kept the Ravens in potential striking distance," he wrote. "But even after their best game of the season, I'd expect Baltimore to attempt to bring in more front-line help.

Rookie Mike Green stepped forward, and Kyle Van Noy is getting healthier, but this D-front lacks pop. It's telling that Nnamdi Madubuike, who went on injured reserve in September after playing in just two games, still ranks in the top three on the team in QB pressures, per Pro Football Focus. If Baltimore is truly going to make a run, bolstering this unit is a must."