Sep 14, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (0) picks up a fumble and scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Ravens Star Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Sep 17, 2025 1:05 PM ET

The Baltimore Ravens provide the viewing public plenty to talk about from week to week, but their defensive turnaround prevailed as their most compelling Week 2 storyline.

The team had to bounce back quickly after blowing a 15-point lead in the last four minutes of their opening night matchup against the Buffalo Bills, looking far from the swarming pack of pass-rushers and devouring secondaries they were hyped up as. Luckily for them, they got to pivot to the underwhelming Cleveland Browns, where the offense topped the 40 points scored in Week 1 with a 41-17 victory.

Most importantly, though, their defense snapped back into form. The defensive backs shut down Jerry Jeudy after the wide receiver dismissed their formidability earlier in the week, and everyone got a turn to harass Joe Flacco.

Nate Wiggins picked off one of his passes, while Roquan SmithT loaded up the box score with 15 tackles, three for loss and a 53-yard fumble recovery, earning him AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Roquan is the AFC Defensive Player of the Week pic.twitter.com/ycgriT0M6w
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 17, 2025

The Ravens' linebacker is widely considered as the team's top up-front defensive player, captaining the defensive line while safety Kyle Hamilton calls the shots in the back. He's been named a Pro Bowler and to the First Team All-Pro for each of the previous three seasons since getting traded from Chicago to Baltimore, and naturally served as one of the players that the fans, as well as franchise legend Ray Lewis, looked to in correcting the defense.

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

He more than stepped up in the Ravens' win, scooping and scoring for his first ever fumble recovered for a touchdown and setting the season's new high-water mark for yards after the fumble recovery at 63.

The middle linebacker is usually required all around the front line in taking him away from usual fumble duties, but he was inescapable for Flacco and the Browns. He crashed the pocket to blow up handoffs, slid through holes to shut down charging running backs and hounded slot receivers to ensure that Cleveland's drives up the field were plodding and short on explosive plays.

Here are all 15 Roquan Smith tackles in his dominant game versus the Browns.

+ his touchdown for good measure. pic.twitter.com/N9cMQ2SA1B
— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) September 16, 2025

That performance was much closer to what analysts expected out of the Ravens' defense in 2025, good enough to promote the Ravens' contention odds to new heights.

They remain one of the deadliest rosters in the league due to their options on offense and pedigree on defense, putting it all together for the first time in that eye-opening Week 2 win, and Smith was recognized for his effort.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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