Alex Lewis Out 6 Weeks With Ankle Injury
By Joe Schiller
Baltimore Ravens offensive guard Alex Lewis will miss up to 6 weeks with a high ankle sprain.
The Baltimore Ravens offensive line has struggled all season with injuries and they continue to pile on. Rookie offensive guard Alex Lewis suffered an ankle injury in the teams 28-7 win over the Browns last Thursday. He was carted off the field in the 3rd quarter and did not return to the game.
In a press conference on Monday coach John Harbaugh announced that Lewis will miss up to 6 games with a high ankle sprain. This comes as a sigh of relief. At the time the injury occurred, it looked like Lewis had broken his ankle. While 6 games is a significant amount of time, he could be back if the Ravens make it into the playoffs.
This comes as a major blow to the offensive line, who has struggled with injuries all season. The 4th round pick impressed in the four games that he has started this season. Lineman Marshall Yanda, Ronnie Stanley, and Jeremy Zuttah have all dealt with injuries. John Urschel is expected to start in place of Lewis in Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Pro Bowl guard Marshall Yanda may also miss Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury. The Ravens have already started six different offensive line combinations this season and this is very concerning. In amidst of a playoff push, the Ravens are going to need the line to step up more than ever.
A big test on Sunday
The offensive line is going to be a major key to victory on Sunday against the Cowboys. It all starts down in the trenches between the big men. Back-ups John Urschel, Ryan Jensen, and Valdimir Ducasse are going to have their hands full against the Cowboys defense. The Cowboys do not have the most star-studded defensive line, but that does not matter. This is the team’s biggest game of the season and they will need to play almost in every aspect to win.
If the offensive line can open up holes and give Flacco time in the pocket, then the Ravens could put up some big numbers. When Flacco has time in the pocket, he has shown that he can throw touchdowns and make big plays. On the flip side, under pressure he has forced balls into areas with high coverage. He is only 1 year removed from a torn ACL and the team could not afford to lose him again.
Down the road
The Ravens have one of the toughest schedules to end the season. They travel to Dallas on Sunday and have to travel to New England the next weekend. If the Ravens want to have any shot at making the playoffs, they need to keep the offensive line healthy. These two games will show the Ravens true colors this season.
An injury to another offensive linemen would be catastrophic and it is the last thing the Ravens need. The team came into this season confident that they would have some depth on the line and that has diminished due to injuries. I believe they are severely missing former guard Kelechi Osemele, who is having a fantastic season with the Oakland Raiders.
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If I know anything about this team it is that they are resilient and tough. I expect the line to struggle Sunday, but play well enough for the Ravens to win.