OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens are bringing back a familiar face to their defensive coaching staff.
On Wednesday, Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr told The Athletic longtime NFL defensive coordinator Dean Pees will be returning to the Baltimore staff in a senior advisor role. Pees, who coached Orr as a player and was the Ravens defensive coordinator from 2012 to 2017, will start this week. He will be on the practice field and attend defensive meetings.
“If you get a guy I’m real close with and a guy who knows the culture and is a great football mind, and he’s down for it, to me, it’s a no-brainer,” Orr said.
Orr, a first-year defensive coordinator, said he spoke to Pees over the summer and discussed a potential role on his defensive staff. They decided this week that the timing is right.
Pees, 75, has been retired since serving as the Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He’s also had defensive coordinator stints with the Tennessee Titans (2018-19) and New England Patriots (2006-2009). Pees was the defensive coordinator for the Ravens during their last Super Bowl win in 2012.
“I stayed in contact with Dean throughout the season and I said, ‘Hey, it would be good if you wanted to come up here and be an advisor, be another set of eyes, just be a help to us,’” Orr said. “Ultimately, all I care about is us performing the best we can to help us win.”
The Ravens, who are preparing for Sunday’s game against the surging Washington Commanders and rookie phenom quarterback Jayden Daniels, are coming off a 41-38 overtime victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. In that game, the Ravens allowed Joe Burrow to throw for 392 yards and five touchdown passes.
After the Ravens became the first team in NFL history last year to lead the league in points allowed, sacks and takeaways, Baltimore’s defense has struggled in the team’s first five games of 2024. Baltimore has allowed the 13th-most yards per play (5.6) this season while forcing just five turnovers. The secondary, which features several former Pro Bowl performers and first-round draft picks, has been an issue.
The Ravens currently rank 31st against the pass, 25th in the red zone and 26th in points allowed per game. Orr replaced Mike Macdonald in the offseason after Macdonald was hired as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. The Ravens also lost defensive line coach/assistant head coach Anthony Weaver (who became defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins) and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson (defensive coordinator of Titans) from last year’s staff, along with key players Jadeveon Clowney, Patrick Queen, Geno Stone and Ronald Darby.
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