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Sitting at 7-2 and practically a shoo-in for a playoff berth for the second consecutive season, the Baltimore Ravens look like one of the most complete teams in the entire NFL.

Things weren’t always this sunny this year.

The Ravens got off to a fast 2-0 start but quickly faltered against good teams, which dropped them back down to earth. Following Week 5, the Ravens sat at 3-2, and doubts were starting to creep in. It took overtime in Week 5 to beat a hapless Pittsburgh Steelers squad that needed to turn to their third-string quarterback after Baltimore knocked out backup Mason Rudolph.

In spite of a winning record, the thought of the schedule getting significantly tougher was a real worry for anyone looking closely at what Baltimore was doing. The Ravens were being questioned as pretenders, and many expected that tougher opposition would put them in their place. But quick thinking by general manager Eric DeCosta and great performances from new players have helped turn the team around and now have pundits questioning whether there’s any team in the league capable of slowing them down.

For as much praise as the Ravens offense as gotten — and rightfully so — it’s the defensive turnaround that has sparked this team. The additions of linebackers L.J. Fort and Josh Bynes in Week 5, as well as the trade for cornerback Marcus Peters, have had immediate effects on the stat sheet.

Through the first five games of the season, Baltimore’s defense had given up an average of 370.2 yards and 24.6 points per game. In the subsequent four games — all wins — the Ravens have given up just 311.5 yards and 16.5 points per game, with a margin of victory of 18.25 points.

And it’s not like the competition has gotten any easier. Baltimore’s opponents through Week 5 now have a combined 19-27-1 record, while their last four opponents have included the best team in the AFC (New England Patriots) and one of the best in the NFC (Seattle Seahawks).

While improvements were expected as the new-look defense — featuring five new starters and 10 new players — jelled over the course of the year, the biggest difference has been the midseason additions. Combined, Bynes, Fort and Peters have 56 tackles and one sack. Peters has three interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. They’ve helped solidify troubled positions and allowed defensive coordinator Don Martindale to be more creative with his schemes and how he manufactures pressure.

The end result is a five-game winning streak and the improvement of a defense that was among the worst in the league but now sits at 14th in yards and points allowed. Not too shabby for two guys that were midseason free agents and a trade that cost a backup linebacker and fifth-round pick.

If the Ravens continue on their current pace and get a first-round bye in the playoffs, it’d be easy to point to the offense as the difference. But in typical Baltimore fashion, the catalyst will have been a hot defense led by midseason roster changes.

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