Dean Pees should be fired

I'm usually not among the Fire Pees crowd. Actually I find myself  on the other side of those arguments. Pees' bend but don't break defenses were never popular with Ravens fans who missed the blitz-happy, make-you-pay-for-every-yard defenses of the past, but they were usually able to live up to their name by holding the opponent to a field goal in the redzone. In games like Houston in 2014 and Buffalo in 2013, the defense was able to keep the Ravens alive when they should've lost by at least 20. Only a few losses in the recent years could be pinned on the defense.

But it's not doing that anymore. The defense is breaking and bending now. Joe Flacco is playing at a high level and the Ravens still aren't winning games because the defense can't hold it. The 2012 unit was at least capable of getting a stop when they needed to.

This can't be blamed on Terrell Suggs getting hurt. The Ravens were able to survive in 2012 with Terrell Suggs hurt, they were still 5th in points allowed in 2014 when Jimmy Smith went down, and the Ravens had to start everyone outside of fans in the stands at corner, and the defense didn't miss a beat when Haloti Ngata was suspended for four games.

This defense has talent. Elvis Dumervil is an elite pass rusher, Courtney Upshaw is a quality edge setter, Brandon Williams, Timmy Jernigan, Carl Davis, Lawrence Guy, and Kapron Lewis-Moore are all talented defensive linemen, Daryl Smith and C.J. Mosley are two of the best inside linebackers in the NFL, Will Hill III is an elite safety, Jimmy Smith is a borderline shutdown corner, Kyle Arrington is a serviceable nickel corner. The cupboard is stacked, the cupboard is OVERFLOWING. A defensive coordinator shouldn't have these sort of issues with this kind of talent.

Would a mid-season firing have the same effect that it did in 2012 and lead the Ravens to the Super Bowl? Maybe not, but it couldn't hurt.

Whether it happens now, after the bye, or at the end of the season, Pees should go.