Mike Preston: Ravens need a steady hand. Enter Calais Campbell.
BALTIMORE — There are a few players who can motivate and inspire. The Baltimore Ravens had one for 17 seasons in middle linebacker Ray Lewis. Another was Reggie White, the great defensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers.
Then there’s defensive end Calais Campbell, whom the Ravens re-signed to a one-year contract last week. Campbell turns 40 on Sept. 1, but this isn’t about age.
It’s about leadership, which has been lacking in Baltimore since Campbell was last here in 2022. Last season, the Ravens ranked 30th in pass defense (allowing 247. 9 yards per game), 18th in points allowed (23.
4) and 24th in total yards allowed (354. 5). They also recorded only 30 sacks, their worst total in 15 years.
But here was the most troubling sign: By the end of the season, the secondary was in total disarray, with cornerbacks Nate Wiggins and Chidobe Awuzie appearing lost in coverage, along with safeties Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks. It’s one thing to have those miscues happen early in the season, not in Week 18 in a 26-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which kept the Ravens out of the playoffs. The Ravens needed a calming influence.
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