Ravens DE Yannick Ngakoue and pass rush as a whole shined against Jaguars

The Baltimore Ravens pass rush and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue finally had the big day that many fans and pundits have been clamoring for and were wondering if was ever going to come on Sunday in the team’s 40-14 blowout of the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15.

Ngakoue was the Ravens’ prized midseason acquisition but prior to this past Sunday, the Pro Bowl pass rusher had recorded just one sack in his first seven games with the team and the defense as a whole hadn’t recorded more than two sacks in a single game since before their bye week when they notched a season-high six against the Philadelphia Eagles in a narrow victory.

Against Jacksonville, Ngaokoue was a dominant force in his first time facing his former team and led the charge by recording two of the team’s five sacks of second-year quarterback Gardner Minshew.

“This is what they brought me here to do,” Ngakoue said. “They brought me here to come change the game, to be a critical part of the defense. That’s my job. That’s what I intend to do.”

His second sack of his former teammate not only ended what looked a drive destined for points by the Jaguars with a clutch forced fumble but the turnover was also the Ravens’ only of the game and extended the franchise’s single-season record for forced fumbles to 25 in just 14 games with two more left go.

Ngakoue was on the mind, in the ear and breathing down the neck of Minshew all afternoon long and as much as the sophomore signal-caller tried to tune out the trash talk during and between plays, the relentless pressure he was bringing off the edge was unavoidable

“I was talking to Yan during the game,” Minshew said. “He’s so competitive, as am I. I really tried to tune him out because he chirps a little bit, but I just know that’s how Yan is. (He’s) a guy that I have a ton of respect for, one of the great competitors in our league.”

Sack totals and/or the lack thereof are not the best or even accurate indicator of the impact a single pass rusher or unit as a whole has on opposing offenses.

Even though the Ravens are ranked in the middle of the pack in terms of total sacks, they are however, ranked in the top 10 in pressures and are in the top five in quarterback hits.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II, right, is sacked for a safety by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Pernell McPhee (90) and linebacker Matthew Judon (99) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Part of Ngaokoue’s slow start to his tenure with the Ravens from a sack standpoint and the team’s lull prior to Sunday can be attributed to a myriad of factors and often varied from week to week.

The team faced opposing offenses that either had quarterbacks with extremely quick releases including Ben Roethlisberger and the Steeler twice, possessed strong running games that used a lot of play-action passing which slows down the pass rush, or possessed superb pass-blocking offensive lines i.e. the Browns and Indianapolis.

Despite all of those hurdles, Baltimore and Ngakoue specifically were still able to generate consistent pressure during their perceived ‘lull’ even if the sack numbers did not reflect that.

“He’s definitely been harassing quarterbacks and pressuring quarterbacks,” Harbaugh said. “So, it was just a matter of time before he was going to get there and get some sacks.

Ngakoue is renowned as one of the premier edge rushers in the league and his 45.5 career sacks and 18 forced fumbles in his first five seasons support that fact.

However, an aspect of his game that often gets overlooked and has shown up on film “exceptionally well” according to Harbaugh is his ability as an edge setter against the run.

“The other thing I think bears worth noting, and I don’t think too many people have commented on this, is he’s been playing the run exceptionally well. He’s been playing the edge really well, and I know that’s something that he takes a lot of pride in. So, we’re happy with him all the way around.”

The fifth-year pro is grateful for the opportunity to be on a perennial playoff team that is a true title contender and is fighting for one of the final Wildcard spots after having just one promising season in his first four years with the Jaguars.

“Being in this league for five years [and] only getting one playoff berth, it’s not that fun,” Ngakoue said. “I’m just trying to take it week-by-week – the whole team is – so we can get to that position to where we can get to the playoffs.”

The Maryland native is excited to be a part of this journey with the Ravens and feels like not only the pass rush but the defense as a whole is still ascending which should frighten their remaining opponents as well as anyone they might face if and when their playoff ticket is punched.

“This defense can be really scary,” Ngakoue said. “We’ve got a lot of people that can play. As you can tell, we rotate, because we’ve got guys that can come fill in and not miss a beat. So, at the end of the day, I don’t even feel like we reached the peak yet – which is scary and exciting at the same time.”

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