Peter Boulware has one of the longest standing records in Ravens' history.
The former outside linebacker recorded 15 sacks in 2001, and that record has stood for the last 13 years.
Now Elvis Dumervil has his eye on it.
Dumervil has 10.5 sacks through the first 10 games of the season, and he'll soon top the franchise record books if he can keep up his pace through the final six games of the year.
"It's definitely in sight," Dumervil said about the record. "I'll be looking towards it."
The veteran pass rusher is having a standout season during his second year in Baltimore. He leads the Ravens with sacks, and is tied for second in the NFL behind Justin Houston (12 sacks) of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Dumervil is having the kind of year the Ravens expected from him when they signed him before last season, and he's starting playing with a comfort level in Baltimore. He had to go through a significant change both on and off the field when he signed with the Ravens last year, and the adjustment took its toll.
"It was a big transition for him," Head Coach John Harbaugh said.
Part of the challenge was learning a totally new defense after spending the first seven years of his career in Denver. He went from a defensive end in a 4-3 defensive scheme, and had to learn outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense that the Ravens play.
As part of that change, Dumervil went from playing every down in Denver to more of a pass-rushing expert with the Ravens.
"The snap reduction, and learning the system is very complex here," Dumervil said. "It's not an easy system, and I was obviously playing a new position. We had a lot of new things going on, and I was just getting acclimated with the off-the-field stuff."
Now Dumervil has a clear understanding of the defense, and the Ravens are putting him in positions where he thrives.
"I think he's become really accustomed to [the system], and we've become really understanding of his techniques and abilities," Harbaugh said.
