Ravens defense at peak for clash with Steelers

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP)

There came a point this season when Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis had to defend the play of the team's defense.

Now he's bragging about it.

Heading into Saturday's showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens are coming off two straight games in which they allowed only seven points - including a 30-7 rout of Kansas City last week in the wild-card round.

Only two months ago, however, Baltimore's renowned defense was a work in progress.

Buffalo's Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for four touchdowns and 382 yards passing on Oct. 24, and two games later, Atlanta's Matt Ryan accounted for 316 yards and three touchdowns in a 26-21 victory. The problem then, according to Lewis, was that the Ravens had just gotten back injured safety Ed Reed, cornerback Josh Wilson had just taken over as a starter for Fabian Washington and defensive back Lardarius Webb was working his way back from a knee injury.

''A lot of us have played with each other for a long time, and then you add young pieces here and there,'' Lewis said at the time. ''You start to fit your pieces in. I think this defense has the ability to do whatever we want to do once we finally start solidifying those pieces.''

Lewis was right. Only Pittsburgh and Green Bay allowed fewer points than Baltimore this season, and the Ravens' defense ranked 10th overall - its eighth straight season in the top 10.

''For you to end up 12-4, for you to end up (third) in scoring defense and in the top 10, that's why you play the game,'' Lewis said this week. ''We've done what we're supposed to do.''

Linebacker Terrell Suggs had two sacks against the Chiefs, and the Ravens forced five turnovers. Clearly, the Baltimore defense is peaking at just the right time.

''It's not where you start, it's where you finish,'' Suggs said. ''You all gave us some grief early in the year, and yet we finished 12-4. Once we got Ed back, we started getting a lot of turnovers. We always consider ourselves a December- and January-type team, and we just started playing really good.''

Defensive tackle Kelly Gregg added, ''As a whole, we've been very successful in what we tried to do and what we got done. When it all comes down to it, it's how many points you've given up. That's the stat that should be taken to heart.''

Cory Redding joined the Ravens as a free agent during the offseason and needed a few weeks to get adjusted to the scheme of defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. After spending six years in Detroit and last season in Seattle, Redding can't express the delight he's experienced with Baltimore.

''This is by far the best team, best organization, best defense, best year, best everything I've been a part of,'' he said. ''It's great to play on a team with high-caliber players. It makes it fun, because you never know who's going to make a spectacular play.''

When Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger drops back to pass Saturday, he will be looking for Reed, who has eight interceptions despite missing the first six games following hip surgery. But Roethlisberger knows that Reed is only one facet of a defense that broke his nose in the Steelers' 13-10 win in Baltimore last month.

''The thing about it is, you can't get caught up on Ed because then you forget about Gregg or (Haloti) Ngata or Ray Lewis or Suggs,'' Roethlisberger said. ''It's their whole defense. You can't get caught up in one guy because they're all so good.''

Especially lately.

''Everybody's been getting better and playing consistent,'' cornerback Chris Carr said. ''We're feeling fresh, and we're starting to have fun. Last week was the loosest we've been all season, because this is what you've been playing for all year.''