Mike Green’s early-season surge is giving the Ravens something they badly needed: real juice off the edge. And if Trey Hendrickson comes back soon, Baltimore may be looking at a pass rush that can flip the whole feel of the defense.
Green entered the year with breakout buzz for good reason. He had a year of experience behind him, a better system in place, and Hendrickson to learn from.
So far, he’s backing that up. The second-year outside linebacker has posted two sacks, four tackles for loss, six QB hits, and nine combined tackles, putting him close to his rookie totals of 3.5 sacks and seven TFLs.
He also sits ninth in pass rush win rate per ESPN.
The best stretch might have come with Hendrickson out. In the Ravens’ Week 5 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Green turned in what may have been the strongest performance of his career, finishing with one sack and two tackles for loss. He flashed the full package there, getting after Michael Penix while also holding up against Bijan Robinson in the run game.
He was active again in Week 4, too, when Hendrickson was sidelined with a finger injury. Green finished that game with two tackles and three QB hits.
The traits were always there for him. Now he’s starting to put the pieces together in Year 2, and the run defense looks cleaner as part of that growth.
For Baltimore, the fact that he’s producing without Hendrickson on the field is a good sign all by itself.
That becomes even more interesting if Hendrickson is back this week, as it appears he could be. A return would give the Ravens two disruptive edge threats, and that’s a dangerous place for opposing offenses to be.
Baltimore’s overall pressure numbers still show room for more. The Ravens rank 18th in pressures and 25th in sacks so far this season, even after offseason upgrades.
But the picture is not fixed yet, especially this early, and Green’s recent play changes the conversation. The Ravens also just posted 18 pressures in a game, which adds to the sense that this group is starting to heat up.
Hendrickson’s presence should help everyone around him, even if he and Green don’t often share the field for long stretches because of their similar styles. At the very least, Baltimore would have one disruptive rusher on the field at all times. There’s also room for Minter to get creative and use them together in certain spots, with Hendrickson’s attention helping free up Green.
Whether the Ravens keep the snaps staggered or find ways to pair them up, the bigger point is simple: two players with this kind of pass-rush impact is a major advantage. If Green keeps climbing when Hendrickson returns, Baltimore’s defense has a real chance to turn into something much more dangerous.
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The wrinkle, of course, is that this kind of formula is hard to duplicate unless a team has the right personnel to sell it. Baltimore has the kind of offense that can keep drives alive, stress defenses with physicality and avoid giving away easy possessions, which is why the approach looked so effective in the moment. Whether it becomes something other clubs can actually copy, though, may depend less on the concept than on having the horses to run it. [Read more 🡒]