Awuzie's three seasons with the Bengals gave him familiarity with AFC North football. He also has playoff experience as a starting cornerback with the Bengals during the 2021 season when they reached the Super Bowl before losing to the Los Angeles Rams.
Starting 1-5 was a test for the Ravens, and the defense struggled before finding its footing during the current four-game winning streak. Awuzie sees similarities between this year's Ravens and the 2021 Bengals prior to their playoff run.
"When I was on that team, everybody bought in," Awuzie said. "There was a camaraderie and closeness, trust you have for your brother, especially on the field, but also in the locker room, that we're all in this together.
"In the NFL, that can get downplayed, and you don't really see it that often, a team where we all have each other's back. Do I see that here? For sure. When you go through what we went through at the beginning of the season, it forces you to look to your left, to your right, and do it together."
Awuzie has been part of the reason why things have come together for the Ravens, but he thinks the defense can reach another level. He's not looking back, wondering why the team started slowly. He's moving forward, happy that the best move he made this offseason was signing with Baltimore.
"Now the challenge is to keep doing it," Awuzie said. "We've put some good stuff on film. Now that's the standard. We have to keep that standard."