OWINGS MILLS, Md. — In four games, Baltimore Ravens third-year defensive tackle Travis Jones has 13 tackles, one tackle for loss, no sacks and no quarterback hits. Yet, anyone who has watched the Ravens intently over the first month of the season would probably acknowledge that Jones has been one of the team’s most impactful and consistent performers.
And it’s only a matter of time before that starts showing up on the stat sheet, too.
“The sacks are going to come,” Jones said following Wednesday’s practice. “I feel like I’ve been getting back there. I’ve just been missing them. They’re going to come.”
In 36 career games, Jones has 2 1/2 sacks. Ravens coaches, though, have seen enough of Jones’ pass-rush ability in practices over the years to know he’s capable of impacting the quarterback. He regularly found his way into the backfield during training camp this summer, proving to be a handful for Baltimore’s interior offensive linemen.
When Ravens executives, coaches and players were asked about potential breakout candidates ahead of the 2024 regular season, one of the first names to come up was usually Jones, a 2022 third-round pick out of Connecticut.
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At 6-foot-4, 338 pounds, Jones might be the team’s strongest player. He’s grown more proficient in using his size and strength. He’s also developed more of a pass-rush repertoire, working with defensive assistant and pass-rush specialist Chuck Smith and alongside defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike, who had a 13-sack season in 2023.
Jones is also getting starter snaps for the first time in his career. He averaged just under 27 snaps a game last year while playing behind veteran nose tackle Michael Pierce. He played 39 percent of the team’s defensive snaps last season. This year, he’s playing 65 percent of the Ravens’ defensive snaps. Over the past three weeks, he’s averaged 44 snaps a game.
“It might be the fact that he’s a little more mature in terms of his physical body and technique-wise, but it might be just the fact that he’s getting more reps, and he’s having a chance to showcase his skills even that much more,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday. “He’s becoming a dominant defensive tackle, no doubt.”
In the Ravens’ Week 1 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Jones’ bull rush against standout center Creed Humphrey resulted in Patrick Mahomes throwing an interception to Roquan Smith. Jones, though, may have been at his best Sunday against the Bills. He broke through the interior of Buffalo’s offensive line several times and forced Josh Allen out of the pocket.
He was credited with four pressures in the game (he has eight on the season), and that didn’t include his thunderous hit on Allen after the diving strip-sack by teammate Kyle Van Noy.
“I wish I could have hit him a little harder,” Jones said.
Like most things with Jones, there is potential for even more.
.@KVN_03 gets the ball out and @kyledhamilton_ recovers!!!
Tune in on NBC! pic.twitter.com/joofwJAxEw
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 30, 2024
Backfield production
Derrick Henry and Justice Hill have proven to be quite a one-two punch with Henry leading the league with 480 rushing yards and Hill adding 76 yards on the ground and 161 yards receiving. What happens when Keaton Mitchell is added to the mix?
That’s what Harbaugh likes to call “a good problem to have,” and it’s also one the Ravens probably won’t have to confront for a while. Mitchell, who sustained a major knee injury last December in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, was eligible to return to practice this week, but the Ravens didn’t start his practice window and may not until later this month.
That doesn’t mean that Mitchell, the 2023 undrafted rookie who added a different dimension to Baltimore’s backfield last season with his speed, had a setback or isn’t making progress. In fact, he’s considered ahead of schedule in a lot of ways. However, Mitchell sustained a multi-ligament knee injury. There was never any certainty that he would return to play this year or that he’d look like himself when/if he did. The best-case scenario for Mitchell was always the second half of the 2024 season.
Whether that’s late October, some point in November or even December, the Ravens won’t know for sure until Mitchell starts what figures to be a slow and extended ramp-up process. Mitchell almost certainly will require most of, if not the full, three-week practice window before determining whether the former East Carolina star is ready to contribute this year. The Ravens have plenty of experience in recent years with running backs returning from major knee injuries, and they won’t rush the process and risk Mitchell having a setback.
If he comes back in mid-to-late November and gives the team fresh legs and another potential playmaker on offense and perhaps special teams, that would have to be characterized as a major win for the Ravens. But as long as Henry and Hill are healthy, they still have plenty of reasons to feel good about their backfield.
They will potentially have to make a move at the No. 3 running back spot in short order. Veteran John Kelly, who used two of his three practice squad elevations, was released earlier this week. If undrafted rookie Chris Collier is in the team’s plans for Sunday’s game in Cincinnati, that will be his third and final elevation. The Ravens will have to add him to the 53-man roster the next time he’s called on.
Utilizing dime package
One clear difference between Mike Macdonald’s Baltimore defense last year and Zach Orr’s this year is how often the group has its dime personnel on the field. The dime package utilizes six defensive backs, and Orr is going to that alignment more than just about every defensive coordinator in football.
“That dime package I feel like is good for us right now,” safety Kyle Hamilton said following the Bills’ victory.
Through four games, the Ravens have had their dime personnel on the field for 58 plays, which equates to 24.5 percent of their defensive snaps. The New Orleans Saints have also used dime looks on 58 plays. The Minnesota Vikings have been in dime for a league-high 86 plays.
To put the Ravens’ numbers in perspective, they were in a dime defense for just 12 plays all of last season. That was the third fewest in the NFL.
It certainly makes sense, because the Ravens feel their strongest position group is the secondary. When they’re in dime, it allows them to get cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens and rookie first-round pick Nate Wiggins on the field along with safeties Marcus Williams, Hamilton and Eddie Jackson. The Ravens also have shown they are comfortable with nickel corner/safety Ar’Darius Washington as part of the secondary mix.
They’re about to get deeper in the defensive backfield, too. Slot corner Arthur Maulet, who was a key part of Baltimore’s defense last year, returned to practice Wednesday and could play as early as Sunday in Cincinnati. Maulet had arthroscopic knee surgery in August. The Ravens have an open 53-man spot after moving cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (hamstring) to injured reserve over the weekend, and Maulet could slide right in by 4 p.m. Saturday.
Steady veteran presence
As two of Baltimore’s highest-paid and longest-tenured players, left tackle Ronnie Stanley and Humphrey were often grouped together heading into the season. Both have also struggled in recent years to stay healthy and regain their Pro Bowl form.
That, however, has changed this season. Stanley and Humphrey have quietly been two of the Ravens’ best players, while pushing back on the questions about how much high-quality football they still have left.
“Locked down from one of the best @marlon_humphrey“
Back in action Sunday at 1 p.m. on CBS! pic.twitter.com/UgsCbWcUac
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 30, 2024
Humphrey, a three-time Pro Bowler who was limited by injuries to only 10 games last year, has allowed just 14 catches on 23 targets for 90 yards and a touchdown. His ability to win in the slot has allowed Orr to get Wiggins on the field regularly.
Stanley, a 2019 Pro Bowl selection who has battled injuries since 2020, has helped solidify a young Baltimore offensive line. Per ESPN Analytics, Stanley is the league’s top-ranked tackle in pass block win rate. Some of Henry’s top runs have come behind Stanley, too.
(Top photo: Aaron M. Sprecher / Associated Press)
