The Buccaneers are struggling lately against teams that use 3-4 defenses. Outscored 48-3 against the 49ers and 37-9 against the Texans, the Bucs are facing another blowout at Lambeau Field against the third team on their schedule employing that alignment.
The Ravens, though not to the same 85-12 margin, have struggled this year against teams that use a 4-3 front.
As pointed out by Don Banks of SI.com in his most recent power rankings, all three of the Ravens’ losses this year have come against teams that use the 4-3 defense. (Overall, the Ravens are 1-3 against that alignment, beating the Rams in October.)
And so, when the Bengals bring Mike Zimmer’s 4-3 defense to town on Sunday, the Ravens will be forced to try to figure out a defense that has vexed them of late.
It’s no surprise. Built to run a 3-4 and to beat teams like the Steelers, Jets, and Patriots (when they used to be a 3-4 team), the Ravens naturally will be less effective against a 4-3.
The separate issue is the Ravens’ tendency to play down to the level of the competition, especially after a big win. Beat the Steelers, lose to the Titans. Beat the Texans, lose in Jacksonville. Beat the Steelers, lose in Seattle. And so perhaps the best news for the Ravens this weekend is that: (1) they’re not coming off a big win; and (2) the Bengals aren’t a bad team.