Roquan Smith named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for resurgent performance vs. Browns

Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after a stellar performance against the Browns on Sunday.

Like the rest of the Ravens defense, Smith didn’t play up to his usual standards in Week 1. And like the rest of the Ravens defense, he rebounded with a vengeance in Week 2, stuffing the stat sheet with 15 tackles, three tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits, one of which led to Nate Wiggins’ interception. Smith capped his day with a 63-yard fumble return touchdown in the fourth quarter, the first of his career.

The eight-year veteran hit a number of other milestones on Sunday that underscore his impressive game:

• Smith’s fumble return touchdown was the second defensive score of his career and first as a Raven after recording a 53-yard pick-six in 2021.
• Sunday was Smith’s first game with multiple quarterback hits or three tackles for loss since arriving in Baltimore. The last time he hit either mark was in 2020 with the Bears.
• Smith’s 92.9 grade from Pro Football Focus was his highest since Week 13 against the Broncos in 2022, his fourth game with the Ravens. His PFF grade also ranked fourth among all NFL defenders (min. 10 snaps) in Week 2.
• This is the first time that Smith received such recognition in either conference, though he did with AFC Player of the Month in December 2022, his second month in Baltimore. He is also the first Raven since Kyle Hamilton in 2023 to be named AFC DPOW.

Smith earned first-team All-Pro recognition in 2024, but early in the regular season, he wasn’t the same force-multiplier as his first two-and-a-half years in Baltimore. On Sunday, that level of impact was on full display, even alongside rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan making his first NFL start. At times, Smith seemed to know the Browns’ exact run call, often signaling pre-snap and surging through traffic to attack the ball. Even when Cleveland’s blockers got their hands on him, he still caught running backs as they went by.

The 28-year-old also improved on two clear issues that showed up in Buffalo with better depth in his zone drops and quick and consistent tackling after the catch. There have also been questions about Smith’s athleticism as he nears 30 years old, but he looked as fast as ever on his 63-yard scoop-and-score.

When Smith is playing his best football, the sky is the limit for Baltimore’s defense. That was the case on Sunday against the Browns, but the Ravens will face a much stiffer test when the Lions come to town on Monday night.