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Many coaches and NFL minds believe that turnover ratio is the statistic that best predicts a team's success.
When you win the turnover battle, more often than not, you'll get the win. If not, you're likely to see an "L" next to your team name in the box score the next morning.
Through nine games, the Ravens are minus-one in the turnover ratio department, yet they have a 6-3 record. So, how have they been so successful so far this year when they've come out on the losing end in the turnover battle the majority of the time?
The answer might be the Ravens' sudden-change defense.
While the Baltimore offense has turned the ball over 13 times this season, the defense has yet to allow a touchdown on the ensuing possession all season.
The ability to prevent TDs after a sudden change of possession has been huge in keeping points off the board and getting momentum back on the Ravens' side of the field.
"Sudden change is huge," head coach John Harbaugh said. "It's an emphasis. It should be. It speaks to the fact that we have a good defense, first of all. Our guys don't cave in - ever. We make mistakes. We don't play things right all the time. We can be a lot better at a lot of things, but that's a reflection of the heart and character of our guys and their mental toughness."
Not only have the Ravens avoided allowing touchdowns following a give-away, they've only given up a handful of field goals as well.
Baltimore's opponents have only scored 18 points (six field goals) off turnovers this entire season.
When talking about strong sudden change defense, the Jets game back in Week 1 comes to mind. Twice during that game, the Jets had the ball inside the Baltimore 31-yard line following Ravens turnovers.
One of those possessions, the Ravens held tough on three straight plays inside their own 11 and forced a chip shot field goal. On the other, the Ravens recovered a Jets fumble just two plays after New York had gotten the ball at the Baltimore 31, and Joe Flacco and the offense immediately had possession back.
I asked Terrell Suggs about the defense's ability to hang tough following a turnover, and pointed out the sudden-change statistic to the linebacker.
Suggs, who is always wary of a reporter jinxing a positive trend, cracked a smile before delivering his response.
"I really hope we don't get six'd-up this week," Suggs said. "Football is the ultimate team sport, and sometimes you've got to give your offense some help and you've got to bail them out if they have a miscue or a mistake. But, as you can clearly see in the Buffalo game, sometimes your offense has got to bail your defense out.
"Like I said, this is the ultimate team sport, and you've just got to help the offense out as much as you can."
