The secret behind the Baltimore Ravens recent defensive revival is no mystery to Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. He knows 75-year-old senior advisor Dean Pees has played the key role.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, December 19 (h/t Ravens Vault co-host Bobby Trosset), Tomlin credited Pees with being a “quality, veteran defensive coach. We’ve competed against him a lot over the years, we’re highly familiar with his schematics. And to be quite honest with you, man, a lot of what they’re doing more recently, specifically since our game, looks a lot like Dean Pees football.”
Getting into the nuts and bolts of what Pees is doing, Tomlin said the Ravens “keep a lid on things. They mix up a variety of two-high safeties and so forth. They don’t give up big plays. They were 32nd in the league in the passing game going into our last game, and since our last game they’ve given up two passes of 20 yards or more.”
Tomlin has called the transformation of what was the worst pass defense in the NFL “a sea change.” He views Pees as a “significant component of it.”
A couple of things stand out from Tomlin’s detailed response. First, the obvious respect the Steelers have for the Pees-engineered Ravens defense.
That respect could influence the Steelers gameplan when the two teams renew hostilities with the AFC North title on the line at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday, December 21. The Steelers won the first meeting, 18-16 at Acrisure Stadium in Week 11, the start of a run during which the Ravens have allowed less than 25 points in four-straight games.
Second, Tomlin’s omission of Baltimore’s first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr from his over two-minute answer may resonate in the Ravens locker room.
Dean Pees and Position Switch Key to Ravens Defense
Pees’ experience can’t be undersold as a key factor behind the revival of the Ravens defense since he joined the staff in October. He’s a 20-year veteran of NFL coaching circles, 14 of those years spent as a coordinator, including a six-year stint with the Ravens that helped the 2012 team win a Super Bowl.
Few assistant coaches are as adept at disguising pressure and mixing up coverages. A great example of Pees’ creativity is this cornerback blitz from his days as DC for the Tennessee Titans in 2019, highlighted by Nate Tice of Yahoo! Sports.
