The Ravens always prefer to have Roquan Smith, but they feel ready if they need to implement Plan B.
Smith (hamstring), who's questionable for "Monday Night Football" against the Los Angeles Chargers, may miss his first game due to injury since joining the Ravens in 2022. That could leave the Ravens with a potentially huge void to fill, but their defense has embraced the challenge while practicing without Smith this week.
"We'd love to have him out there, but we've been preparing," starting inside linebacker Trenton Simpson said. "If he's not with us, we'll need to communicate well and be on the same page. I think everybody's going to be ready to step up."
Smith led Baltimore with 13 tackles against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11 before his injury forced him to leave the game early in the fourth quarter. Tied for the NFL lead in tackles (110), Smith is a commanding presence and natural leader.
After pregame warmups, the All-Pro linebacker is usually the player who breaks down the huddle, delivering a final message to the team. Once the game begins, Smith wears the "green dot" communication helmet, relaying Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr's play calls to teammates.
All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton will wear the "green dot" helmet if Smith can't go, while Simpson, Malik Harrison, and Chris Board are preparing to play more snaps in the inside linebacker rotation. Board played his most defensive snaps this season (seven) last week, and Harrison was on the field often after Smith left the game, playing a season-high 47% of the defensive snaps.
After a week of taking additional practice reps, Harrison is locked into the game plan and ready to perform.
"Getting the reps I'm getting this week, I'm going to be good," Harrison said. "I haven't been asking him (Roquan) whether he's playing or not. My mindset is that I'm starting this week.
"This is what they pay me to do. I'm a guy who can play inside or outside. Wherever they plug me in, I've got to be ready. I feel like the more reps that I get, the better I am. I think they (the Chargers) are going to test me, but I feel like I'm going to come out and have the best game of my career."
Opponents have targeted the middle of the field against Baltimore's defense this season, and the Chargers' offense will test the Ravens linebackers in a variety of ways. The Chargers are a balanced offensive team, with former Ravens J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards spearheading the running attack.
Getting Dobbins and Edwards on the ground after contact will be crucial for Baltimore's defense, because both are adept at breaking tackles. Meanwhile, Justin Herbert's abilities as a dual threat will also test Baltimore's defense.
"Justin Herbert throws a pretty ball, and it's a super accurate ball," Hamilton said. "He carries out his fakes very well.
"I think one thing that's underrated is his legs, especially last week, just watching the film. I think on second-and-long [and] third down, he was able to pick up some first downs and kept Cincinnati's defense on the field. That's something we have to be very cognizant of – just rush lanes and keeping him in the pocket – because obviously, we're worried about him throwing the ball, but at the same time, we can't let him get easy yards."
The Ravens didn't give up a touchdown in their 18-16 loss to the Steelers, which was a step in the right direction for a defense that is still ranked last against the pass and 26th overall.
However, Hamilton isn't taking for granted that the Ravens' defensive issues have been solved. After a 41-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, Baltimore gave up five touchdown passes to Joe Burrow in Week 5 and barely escaped with a 41-38 victory in overtime. Hamilton wants to see more consistency on defense before he's convinced.
"I think it's easier said than done," Hamilton said. "It's something that we kind of got caught up saying against Buffalo and then coming up the next week and not doing. I included, as well as everybody else in the building, definitely doesn't want that result again. We played a good game, but I think we can get a lot better, and I think that's kind of the mindset everybody on defense has right now."
Orr thinks Baltimore's players are poised for another strong defensive game, knowing it will take an 11-man effort to contain the Chargers' offense, with or without Smith.
"Not one person is going to replace Roquan," Orr said. "Roquan's an every-down linebacker and a top linebacker in this league and All-Pro for a reason. Not one guy's going to replace him.
"We like our guys that we have in the room – they're here for a reason, and somebody has to step up. They got to step up, and we got to step up collectively as a defense, and that linebacker room has to step up collectively as a group."
