More Prudence With Blitzing
Macdonald certainly utilized the blitz at Michigan, but not as frequently as Brown or Martindale. Macdonald preferred to keep quarterbacks off balance by showing the blitz less frequently and mixing up zone and man-to-man coverage in the secondary. When the Ravens blitzed last season, they often they didn’t get a sack or quarterback pressure and left themselves vulnerable against the pass.
Both Head Coach John Harbaugh and Macdonald believe in being aggressive defensively, but Ravens cornerbacks may not be left on an island as frequently.
“The aggressiveness – absolutely – is going to carry over, but I think you’ve got to look through the lens [of], ‘What does aggressiveness actually mean?