Ravens coach John Harbaugh defends O-line amid adversity: ‘Very good’

The Ravens won Sunday’s war in Cleveland, rallying and then holding on to beat the Browns, 23-16. But along the way they lost the battle – at least in terms of their offensive line.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson was sacked five times and pressured 23 times, according to Pro Football Focus.

Some of this is expected. The Browns enter the critical AFC North matchup with the NFL’s second-ranked defense and are led by league sack leader and All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett, who now has 15 sacks in 10 games after scoring four more touchdowns against Baltimore.

However, it doesn’t look like coach John Harbaugh is ready to make any changes to the offensive line.

When asked Monday if he saw necessary progress in his group, he said yes.

“You put in the five best players, the five players who play the best,” he continued. “That’s what you do. It’s not even a difficult answer.

“So the question is yes, put the five best players in and they played really well. Can they play better? Absolutely.”

However, against a Browns team, they were often exposed.

Right guard Daniel Faalele, in particular, struggled. He had a pass-blocking grade of 23.2, per PFF, and allowed three pressures. On one play late in the second quarter, rookie defensive end Mason Graham charged, hitting Faalele so hard that he spun him around completely and ran at Jackson before Garrett chased the quarterback from behind for a sack. Then, on a third-and-1 from Cleveland’s 35-yard line with 3:17 left in the game and the score tied at 16, Faalele slowed his drive and then pushed back a yard, helping cause Derrick Henry to get caught on the play.

Tight end Mark Andrews then saved the day with a spectacular 35-yard touchdown run one play later.

Faalele isn’t the only Ravens quarterback struggling, either.

Left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who was a Pro Bowl selection last season but hasn’t been as sharp this year due to an ankle injury, allowed a team-high four pressures and had a season-low PFF pass-blocking grade of 33.9. Right tackle Roger Rosengarten, who Garrett once threw to the ground with one hand, 57.5 and two pressures.

Of course it’s not all bad.

Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum and left guard Andrew Vorhees, who has often been the weakest point in the group this season, both graded out well. Faalele was also one of the players who assisted on Derrick Henry’s 59-yard run.

But almost every week, the offensive line is a topic of discussion.

Jackson has been sacked 23 times this season, which is more than last season. Some of that happens because he relies on the ball looking for receivers to open or complete routes or by rushing back when he’s trying to buy time, as happened at least a few times on Sunday.

However, at other times, the guys accused of blocking have worked hard to do so, especially in the passing game, with Baltimore ranking 24th in pass block win rate, according to an ESPN analysis, before the Browns game.

In a Week 3 loss at home to the Lions, Detroit pressured Jackson 30 times. That led to him being sacked seven times, a career-high, in a 38-30 loss.

On two other occasions this season, he was sacked at least three times in one game. Jackson also exited in the third quarter of the Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with a hamstring injury after being sacked by George Karlaftis and missed the next three games.

But if there was a better option up front – especially at one of the guard spots – it’s clear Harbaugh didn’t see it.

Among the options on the 53-man roster are veteran and former third-round draft pick Ben Cleveland, former second-year Maryland standout Corey Bullock and third-round rookie Emery Jones Jr. But Cleveland has failed to capitalize on opportunities in recent years, Bullock may lack experience among other traits while Jones missed the entire spring and summer due to shoulder surgery and was only activated late last month.

The only other offensive linemen on the roster are veteran Joseph Noteboom and sixth-round rookie Carson Vinson, both tackles.

The Ravens signed former first-round pick Kenyon Green to join 25-year-old Jared Penning on the practice squad last month. But what’s clear is that the coaches don’t see either as an option.

So for now, the Ravens will continue with the same offensive line they’ve had all season, with Harbaugh adding that continuity also played a role in that decision.

What will it take for change to take place?

“You evaluate game by game,” he said. “Every position you evaluate play for play for play for play. And some games are good, some games are good, some games need to be better and you need to try to improve them. So that’s how it is in every position. There will always be areas from one game to the next [we] can play better.

“You put your team out there and you compete. All of our players, including our offensive line, fight and compete and get after it. None of our positions are perfect.”

Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 And x.com/brianwacker1.

News
Berita
News Flash
Blog
Technology
Sports
Sport
Football
Tips
Finance
Berita Terkini
Berita Terbaru
Berita Kekinian
News
Berita Terkini
Olahraga
Pasang Internet Myrepublic
Jasa Import China
Jasa Import Door to Door