The Ravens are only two weeks into the season, and already the roster is putting them on the spot in a few ugly places. The offense, in particular, is showing the same familiar cracks, and there doesn’t appear to be a simple fix waiting around the corner.
That was on display again in the 24-17 loss to New Orleans, a game in which Baltimore blew yet another double-digit lead. Now the Ravens head to Brazil to face the Cowboys, and the trip will change their practice schedule and workflow over the next two weeks. But the bigger issue is what the game itself exposed: this team cannot afford to act like it can just power through personnel problems that were already there before kickoff.
Up front, the tackle situation is already a concern. The Ravens did nothing to reinforce that spot in a meaningful way, even with Ronnie Stanley’s medical history and a record $365M payroll on the books.
Stanley’s toe injury matters because of the kind of player he is and the kind of job he has to do. A man of his size needs power, but he also has to move with real footwork, and when he couldn’t finish Sunday’s game, that created an obvious problem for a team about to play on a bad and soft field in Brazil.
If Stanley is out, undrafted rookie Gerad Lichtenhan becomes the swing option, along with the tackle eligible. That’s not exactly a reassuring setup for a roster that is already short on fullbacks and blocking tight ends outside of “Joker” Durham Smythe. The Ravens also leaned on 11 personnel Sunday, even though a heavier approach might have made more sense, and Lamar Jacskon had a 48.7 rating when dropping back 20 times with that personnel on the field.
The line’s problems go beyond the tackles. The interior has been shaky, and not just in this latest game.
It was bad in pass protection against the Colts in a win, when the group posted a 49% pressure rate. If the Ravens want to keep pretending Jovaughn Gwyn is a starting center, that’s their choice, but the reality is the interior looks vulnerable to just about any kind of pressure up front.
John Simpson is already dealing with a guard injury, and Ethan Pocic, coming off an Achilles and pushing 6000 snaps, better be ready soon.
There are also issues at receiver that leave Jackson with too little he can trust. Rashod Bateman made a few plays Sunday, but Jackson also added to his career-high total of picks thrown when targeting him.
Beyond Zay Flowers, there just isn’t much security there, and Flowers has been working through a hamstring issue dating back to the summer. The Ravens drafted four project pass catchers, but none of them gave the offense anything Sunday when Baltimore was in a personnel bind.
That’s why the list of possible answers gets thin fast. There are at least a few options available, and if the Ravens think Brandin Cooks has something left after a workout last week, they’d better move on it. Mark Andrews, meanwhile, is described as a dink-and-dunk tight end at the end of his career.
Special teams has its own mess. Tyler Loop has not been good at home, and while the blocked kick early in the game can’t be laid entirely at his feet, he has also been missing kicks at home.
The Ravens are early in this regime and still working with green coaches, so they need at least one phase of the game to hold steady. Instead, the kicking game has become another source of stress.
The short kickoff at the end of the half made things worse, whether that was the call or just how the ball came off his foot. That long return flipped the momentum late in the second quarter and helped New Orleans trim the lead to 14-9 by halftime.
And with limited practice time, a long flight, and Jake Moody no longer on the practice squad, the Ravens are not likely to make a move this week. Still, if anyone wants to claim the kicker problem is solved, they probably only watch this kid kick in a dome.
In Other News...
Ravens Cowboys Situation In Rio Just Took A Telling Turn
The Ravens are still headed to Rio de Janeiro for next Sundays matchup with the Cowboys, even after concerns surfaced about the condition of the field at Maracan Stadium. The NFL has confirmed it will not move the game and says it has a plan in place to make sure the playing surface meets league standards before kickoff.
For Baltimore, that means the international spotlight stays on a game that was already drawing attention for its setting as much as the matchup itself. Soccer players have recently criticized the quality of the field, but the league appears determined to push ahead as scheduled, leaving the Ravens to prepare for a trip with a little more uncertainty around the venue than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Home Collapse Brings Back The Same Painful Questions
The Ravens had the kind of afternoon that can linger well beyond the final whistle, letting a 14-3 lead slip away in a home loss to the New Orleans Saints. It was another reminder of how quickly a promising start can turn sour when the offense loses its footing, especially with pass protection breaking down and the line taking hits along the way.
Ronnie Stanleys late injury only sharpened the concern around a unit that was already under pressure, and rookie head coach Jesse Minter was left trying to steer through the chaos as the game tilted. Beyond the sideline decisions, the result also feeds the larger unease around Eric DeCostas roster construction, because losses like this keep reopening the same questions about whether Baltimore has enough margin to survive when games get tight. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Face A Troubling Field Issue Ahead Of Brazil Opener
The Ravens first regular-season game in Brazil is already drawing attention for reasons beyond the matchup itself. Baltimore is set to meet the Cowboys on Sept. 27 at Maracan Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, and the spotlight has quickly turned to the field after local soccer players and the stadiums CEO raised concerns about the quality of the grass.
Weather and heavy use have taken a toll on the surface, and the NFL along with both teams is working to address the problem before kickoff. For Baltimore, it is one more wrinkle in a trip that already comes with the usual adjustment to an unfamiliar setting, and the condition of the pitch could become a major storyline long before the opening snap. [Read more 🡒]