The Baltimore Ravens’ defense has given fans more anxiety than swagger this season. After a 1-5 start, head coach John Harbaugh’s team clawed back with a couple of defensive masterclasses, but not everyone’s buying the turnaround. And one of the franchise’s fiercest voices laid out exactly what the real problem is.

Kevin Clark hosted Ravens legend Terrell Suggs on This Is Football, and the two-time Super Bowl champ didn’t sugarcoat anything. The legendary voice from their past says they’re losing the battle for accountability. 

“We got a couple of young corners…but you know what? You’re trying to do something special. So, you got to grow up. You’re only a rookie when you show up to the building during training camp. Once you play games and you’re starting, you’re a key role, you got to show up. And my biggest thing is you got to be accountable. You got to get in your playbook. You got to study,” Suggs said.

“I would like to see who’s going to step up. We need somebody. We can’t just have [Kyle] Hamilton up helping playing the run and in the back in coverage…So, we got to have guys like grow up. And I hate how everybody is blaming the coaches. It’s like when the players cross that line there is no perfect call. Only we can save us. I think it’s time to find out who Ravens and who not,” Suggs added. 

And honestly, he’s not wrong. Harbaugh and Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr watched their defense collapse against the Detroit Lions in September. The team gave up 426 yards, including two drives longer than 95 yards. That was ugly. But since then, the script’s flipped.

The Ravens held the high-flying Miami Dolphins to just six points, forcing three turnovers in a 28-6 statement win at Hard Rock Stadium. The Purple Pain has started to sting again, but Suggs’ point still stands: consistency isn’t built in two games.

Baltimore’s defense, from safety Kyle Hamilton to linebacker Roquan Smith, has taken hits to its depth chart. Between injuries to Broderick Washington Jr., Tavius Robinson, and Adisa Isaac, the front seven is held together by veterans like John Jenkins and Brent Urban. 

The secondary is talented but thin, and that’s where Suggs’ message carries weight. It also explains why Harbaugh went shopping for reinforcements in the secondary before the trade deadline. 

John Harbaugh reshapes defense with $18.6M reinforcements

Two trades have quietly reshaped Baltimore’s identity: the acquisitions of safety Alohi Gilman from the Los Angeles Chargers and defensive end Dre’Mont Jones from the Tennessee Titans.

Gilman’s two-year, $10.1 million deal added deep-field stability alongside rookie Malaki Starks, freeing up Hamilton to wreak havoc in the box again. And since the Oweh-Gilman swap, Baltimore’s defense has allowed just 13 points per game, third-best in the NFL through Week 9. That’s what efficiency looks like when moves actually work.

The second piece fell into place this week. The Ravens sent a 2026 fifth-rounder to Tennessee for Jones, who carries a one-year, $8.5 million contract. A proven disruptor with speed off the edge, Jones joins a front line desperate for veteran presence.

With Justin Madubuike sidelined and rookies still finding their rhythm, Jones steps in as both reinforcement and tone-setter. The timing couldn’t be better, especially with Baltimore pushing for a playoff rebound. 

Together, Gilman and Jones bring balance to a defense that’s been searching for its old bite. Harbaugh’s group now looks deeper and more versatile heading into midseason. A blend of youthful flash and veteran toughness. 

And maybe, just maybe, this version of Purple Pain is finally giving Terrell Suggs something to smile about from his couch in Baltimore, Maryland.