Brown's five thoughts on the Ravens rolling over the Broncos

From the first moment, the Ravens defense was firmly in control. Marcus Williams, back in the starting lineup after being traded in Week 8, made an excellent tackle on the first play, and Ar'Darius Washington intercepted on the next play.

The breakdowns and miscommunications that plagued Baltimore's defense against Cleveland were cleaned up. Denver isn't an offensive juggernaut, but this was a step in the right direction.

It helped that Marlon Humphrey was back in the lineup, but the Ravens were still shorthanded on the defensive line without Michael Pierce (injured reserve/calf) and Brent Urban (concussion). However, second-year inside linebacker Trenton Simpson (nine tackles, one sack) was active and second-year outside linebacker Tavius ​​Robinson led the pass rush with two sacks. The Ravens were strong in the red zone and ensured the Broncos deserved most of what they got.

The matchup with the Bengals will give the Ravens an even better indication of whether their defense is on the rise. Meanwhile, general manager Eric DeCosta could still make moves to bolster the defense before Tuesday's trade deadline.

“Ravens defense – we met the challenge that everyone gave us this week,” nickel cornerback Arthur Maulet said. “We have to build on this.”