Ravens remain high on current offensive line configuration; don’t plan on making changes

The unit has been much-maligned this season despite showing signs of improvement and isn’t expected to be altered.

After moving on from three veteran starters in the offseason, the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive line was the subject of widespread concern and skepticism heading into the 2024 regular season.

After an 0-2 start, the main scapegoat in both losses was the offensive line, which struggled to block elite pass rushers and pick up twists and stunts. It featured a rotation at right tackle between a rookie (Roger Rosengarten) and a versatile career backup (Patrick Mekari) with a second-year pro who missed his rookie season due to a torn ACL (Andrew Vorhees) at one guard spot and an oversized converted offensive tackle (Daniel Faalele) at the other.

The only two returners were center Tyler Linderbaum and left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who have anchored the offensive line this year. The unit weathered some rough growing pains before rounding into shape in eight of their 10 games following the team’s winless start.

However, over the past month, Baltimore’s O-line has struggled against some of the better defensive fronts in the league. They’ve committed penalties, failed to execute their blocking assignments, and flat-out lost at the point of attack. These recent developments have contributed to them losing two of their last three heading into the bye while dredging up some of the early doubts by fans and pundits.

But the Ravens coaching staff hasn’t lost faith.

“I think we’re pretty well set there,” said head coach John Harbaugh on Monday when asked about changes to the offensive line coming out of the bye. “I think those guys could come in – the other guys that are working hard can come in – and help us, but I’m not down on anybody on the offensive line.”

When they’re firing on all cylinders, Baltimore’s current starting unit has helped pave the way for one of the most dangerous and well-balanced offenses. Lately, they’ve faltered too frequently in the trenches.

Widespread concerns about the O-line have returned to early-season levels after the Eagles dominated the Ravens in the trenches in Week 13. Baltimore struggled mightily to prevent an elite defensive front from wrecking the game, failing to set terms on the ground while allowing consistent pressure when Jackson dropped back to pass.

“That’s a really good [defensive] front we played against,” said Harbaugh. “I think we could have played better, especially in pass protection. Those guys would tell you that it could have been better, even in the run blocking sometimes, for sure, but I don’t think it merits any drastic changes right now.”

Harbaugh added that Josh Jones and Ben Cleveland could play in six-OL packages, before concluding, “I like the way the offensive line has played over the last number of weeks.”

Cleveland and second-year pro Andrew Vorhees who opened the season as the starting left guard after winning it in training camp, have been the two most polarizing players among Ravens’ Twitter and the fan base at large this week and most of the season. An ankle injury opened a door for Mekari to seize the opportunity to be a full-time starter and Cleveland has performed well whenever called upon during his first three seasons in the league but has been relegated to special teams and jumbo packages in the final year of his rookie contract.

Harbaugh is the only member of the coaching staff who is impressed with how far the unit has taken shape and improved over the course of the season thus far. Offensive line coach George Warhop who came on board during training camp following the tragic passing of Joe D’Alessandris has also liked what he has seen and is encouraged for what they can help the team accomplish down the stretch and into the postseason.

“I think [the offensive line has] done a nice job of every week trying to gain what we need to gain and staying focused on what’s important,” Warhop said. “It’s not always perfect, but they’re striving for that, and I think for the most part between the schemes we use schematically to help them and how they go about their business has been pretty good to this point.”

Prior to this season, Mekari had been an integral piece of the offensive line as the ultimate depth given whose value lies with his versatility to play all five positions at a moderate-to-high level when called upon as a result of injury or ration. The former undrafted gem had struggled to stay healthy in seasons where he has been needed to play more snaps but that hasn’t been the case this year as he has started all 13 games and has played 100 % of the offensive snaps in each of their last 11.

“I feel like [it’s a] great accomplishment by [Mekari],” Harbaugh said. “[For] 13 straight weeks, he’s played pretty much every snap. That’s an accomplishment, because that had been a challenge for him in the past, so I think he deserves a lot of credit for that. He’s played very good football. [It’s been a] big plus.”

Faalele is in his first year of playing guard after playing tackle exclusively before this summer and has some glaring ebbs and flows in positive and negative directions. Nevertheless, his upside and potential at the position is as immense as his mountainous 6-foot-8 and 380-pound frame in the eyes of his coaches.

“I think Daniel’s doing a great job. I am excited about him,” Warhop said. “Every week he gets a little bit better. He’s a big, physical dude. What truly is impressive is his pass [protection]. What’s really impressive is to watch him change direction in short area and get his hands on guys. That’s still a work in progress – his hands. But the way he moves laterally, and the things he can do in pass [protection] I think is pretty impressive, so I’m excited about him and his future.”

A lot of fan and analyst complaints and gripes when it comes to Faalele is how he doesn’t always play up to his size as a physically imposing presence as both a run and pass blocker but Warhop says that it comes with the territory sometimes.

“He’s a big man, [and] sometimes it’s hard to uncoil your hips when guys are right on top of you,” Warhop said. “It’s a matter of also adjusting where you are at the line of scrimmage. We tend to crowd the ball sometimes, which negates our power at the point of attack in the run game. Really, if you want to get technical about it, all your power is generated on your second or third step. If you’re crowding the ball, and you don’t get your second step in the dirt, you’re not generating enough power, so that’s part of his issue is getting his feet in the dirt to go forward.”

After several years of dealing with one injury after the other dating back to his first career major setback in 2020, Stanley is having a resurgent season in his ninth season. He appears to have recaptured his Pro Bowl and First Team All Pro form and is the unquestioned veteran leader of the entire unit and on the team overall.

“We don’t do much for him, so that says a lot,” Warhop said. “I think Ronnie approaches each week with fresh eyes. I think he has a plan going into the game. I think he practices his plan. I think on the sidelines, he’s very intuitive – great communication [and] talks about what’s going on [and] talks to the other guys. I’m just excited to have him here and have him doing what he’s doing physically. The other thing is – I think he’s in his ninth year – we don’t give him veteran days. He practices all the time. I think that’s [a] huge part of how he’s playing.”