Just as Ravens fans everywhere are celebrating a dominant defensive win against the Cleveland Browns, we receive some devastating news. Marshal Yanda fractured his leg during the game and will miss the rest of the season. This is awful news for the Ravens’ already battered offensive line.
Marshal Yanda is the best guard in the league so it’s obvious how important he is to this Ravens offensive line. The line has already lost several players to either season-ending injuries or retirement this offseason. When I first read the news it felt like I had been punched in the gut. Coach Harbaugh announced after the game that both Yanda and rookie linebacker Bam Bradley will miss the rest of the season.
Yanda and Bam Bradley are both out for season. Yanda fractured his leg. Bradley tore ACL. Yanda injury devastating for Ravens.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) September 17, 2017
Bradley was an undrafted rookie who ended up making the 53 man roster, mostly for his special teams play. This is a very sad and unfortunate injury, but it’s sadly being overshadowed by an even worse one. Marshal Yanda is the leader of the offensive line and by far the best player on it. Losing him is something the Ravens simply could not afford.
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The run game could suffer in a big way, and Flacco will find himself taking more hits now. The excitement over the win against the Browns was short lived today. Football is a cruel sport sometimes.
Yanda’s injury appeared not to be too serious at first, as he walked off the field on his own and even swatted away the hand of a trainer. That just goes to show how tough he is. His skill, leadership, and mentality cannot be replaced. At this point, late in his career, it is truly awful to see Yanda suffer an injury like this. He was already playing one of his years probably and now it has been cut short.
Try to remain optimistic Ravens fans.
I know, it’s impossible to remain optimistic after hearing such news. The fact is though that the Ravens still have a relatively healthy and dominant defense. Super Bowl MVP quarterback, Joe Flacco, looks to be long past his back injury which sidelined him from all of training camp and the preseason. Jeremy Maclin and Benjamin Watson look to be weapons in the passing game. There is still much to be excited about after this game against the Browns.
Tony Bergstrom who the Ravens acquired via trade from the Arizona Cardinals will now fill in at right guard for Marshal Yanda. Let’s be thankful the Ravens made these moves for line depth right before the season started.
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We will all miss Yanda, but he will be working hard on a comeback already and we should all remain positive and support the next man up in his place. Let’s all hope that these serious injuries will come to an end soon for the Ravens this season. It’s not fair how many players the Ravens have lost already. What makes a team great is how they respond to such adversity. I believe in Coach Harbaugh, General Manager Ozzie Newsome, and Owner Steve Bisciotti to have this team in the best possible shape to win.