They have been showing improvement on defense, but the Baltimore Ravens should be worried about coordinator Zach Orr’s assessment of Week 15’s biggest threat, New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers.
Orr compared rookie Nabers to another former LSU great, Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowler Ja’Marr Chase. The comparison was made when Orr spoke to reporters, including ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, on Thursday, December 12.
He told Hensley Nabers is “an explosive player. He kinda, you know he’s not there yet, but he kinda remind me, just from his college tape, kinda like Ja’Marr Chase from the sense of he’s explosive, he can make contested catches. He gets the ball in his hands, he’s a good RAC guy.”
Why should Orr’s take on Nabers worry the Ravens before their game against the Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, December 15? Well, because Chase has long been a thorn in the side of the Ravens, notably humiliating Orr’s defense for 264 yards and three touchdowns in Week 10.
Malik Nabers Needs the Ball
The Giants are committed to getting Nabers the ball, but the task is made difficult by the team’s carousel at quarterback. Popular third-stringer Tommy DeVito is set to return to the starting lineup in place of expensive backup Drew Lock, according to Hensley’s colleague Adam Schefter.
Neither passer is likely to scare the Ravens, but Nabers can create big plays against an overly generous pass defense. He’s still making an impact, like this after-catch run against the New Orleans Saints in Week 14, highlighted by Dan Schneier of CBS Sports.
This type of play should have the Ravens concerned. Particularly since Orr’s unit has already given up 1,493 yards after the catch this season, per Pro Football Reference.
There have been improvements in recent weeks, but Orr will need to adjust his schemes to prevent Nabers from running wild the way Chase has done against Baltimore this season.
Ravens Need New Plan for Ja’Marr Chase-Style WR
Chase’s Bengals are only 3-5 against the Ravens, but the wideout’s individual numbers are a different story. He’s burned the Ravens for just 38 yards shy of 1,000 in eight games, including 193 back in October, followed by 200-plus in November, per StatMuse.
If Orr is seeing the same traits in Nabers then he needs a new plan because what the Ravens have done against Chase hasn’t worked. Specifically, Chase shredded zone coverage in Week 10, like when he scored from 70 yards against Cover 4, according to Next Gen Stats.
Joe Burrow’s 70-yard TD pass to Ja’Marr Chase came against the Ravens in Cover 4 coverage. Chase has gained 231 of 238 yards against zone coverage tonight.
The play added +23.1% win probability for the Bengals (from 14.5% to 37.6%).
The Ravens should employ more physical, press-man coverage against Nabers. Finding the right one-on-one matchup will be tough, even though Orr has Marlon Humphrey and Tre’Davious White available among a host of All-Pro cornerbacks on the back end.
Bolstering the cornerback room with veteran talent is starting to pay dividends. So is reshuffling the deck at safety.
Orr’s best plan for Nabers might still be to rattle and confound DeVito with pressure. The Ravens have one of the lowest blitz percentages in the league at 21.4, but this is a game to increase the number.
Increasing the pressure on an already struggling quarterback operation will prevent Nabers getting the targets he wants. That will leave the often outspoken receiver frustrated enough not to harm the Ravens too much.
