Baltimore Ravens: Assessing the offensive line thus far
Pass Blocking:
The pass blocking this year has been excellent by the Ravens’ offensive line, especially from James Hurst. He hasn’t given up a sack or a holding so far, making him statistically the best tackle in the AFC North. There were doubts about his abilities coming into this year, but he’s silenced the doubters. Hurst looked like a good back-up and now seems to be a decent starter in this league.
On the other side of the line, Ronnie Stanley has quietly been good. Despite giving up more sacks this year alone than he has in all of his career, Stanley is playing like a solid left tackle. His biggest issue is consistency in the mental aspect of blocking. Sometimes he can make some great blocks that pop out on tape, but when he gets beat Stanley seems a step behind mentally.
The issue in pass blocking has been the interior of the line, specifically Matt Skura. Skura is a bit undersized and needs more time developing. Unfortunately, that’s hard to do for the Ravens due to the lack of depth. Skura seems a step slow during the transition from snapping to blocking. He has 2 holdings, 2.5 sacks, and a false start. He knows that he has to bend the rules to be successful, but he still under-performs.
As a unit, the Ravens’ offensive line is fifth in adjusted sack rate at 4.5%, while ranking tied for 10th in total sacks with 17. On average, the Ravens have 46 pass plays a game, with 6 being deep balls, but only give up about two sacks! It’s such a luxury to have the second most pass plays a game, but have the fifth most efficient o-line. Our passing offense can get and stay in rhythm with this line, and a lot of credit should go towards James Hurst and Ronnie Stanley.
Run Blocking:
Now for the issues with the Ravens offensive line. They are ranked 22nd in the ability to make yards. The Raven’s running backs are getting tackled behind the line 22.9% of the time, spending three seconds, on average, behind the line looking for a hole, and Alex Collins covers the most distance on a play in the league. Collins still averages 3.7 yards per carry with an ineffective run blocking offensive line. The offensive line fails to create space for Collins to get into the second-level and open-field, ranking in the bottom seven for both.
This offensive line is too nice and can’t move defenders on the line. There hasn’t been a game yet where the Ravens have dominated with their offensive line and at best its neutral with the defensive line. There have been eight defenders in the box a third of the time, but that’s only the 13th highest percentage in the NFL. That’s no excuse to be the 22nd ranked offensive line in the league.
Next. Ravens must seriously consider starting Lamar Jackson after bye week. dark
The one aspect of the line that has been outstanding is their short yardage situations as they rank second with an 81% success rate. They know how to move a line out of the way when it’s for two yards, but can’t for a normal running play. It may be a mentality issue, but it’s likely due to the way they approach their blocking. They can’t put themselves in a position to make holes, but they can shoot the defensive lineman right back after the snap.