The Baltimore Ravens' 27-19 Week 10 win over the Minnesota Vikings was largely positive. However, the offensive line continues to be a problem; the Ravens aren't offering Lamar Jackson stellar protection, and it's hurting their explosive run game from reaching its ceiling. Daniel Faalele is at the crux of these problems, and the time has come to bench him.
Frankly, since the Ravens made Faalele the full-time starting guard last year, fans have been begging John Harbaugh to reverse this decision. As the Ravens try to make a playoff push, the Faalele experiment can no longer continue. Part of this isn't even Faalele's fault, as he is better suited to play tackle, as he did in college and during his first two NFL seasons as a backup.
Nevertheless, it's time to give rookie Emery Jones Jr., veteran Ben Cleveland, or even Corey Bullock a shot. This would be a bold move, but Super Bowl-winning teams aren't afraid to take risks. With the defense getting back on track, Baltimore's offensive line is its clear flaw.
It might not happen but benching Daniel Faalele is the right call
Listen, I understand the chances of this happening are slim to none. Harbaugh has remained loyal to Faalele on multiple occasions. In fact, Faalele has played in every single snap for the Ravens thus far. With the Ravens on a three-game win streak, it would be a true shocker if Harbaugh makes a change. That doesn't mean that benching him wouldn't be the right move, though.
Here are two bad plays from Faalele on Sunday. The first one resulted in a sack on Jackson (which was later overturned to a roughing the passer call) while the second one shows Faalele failing to block on a screen pass, resulting in a loss of yards.
Daniel Faalele gets beat by Dallas Turner for a would-be Lamar Jackson sack
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) November 9, 2025
However, Turner was called for roughing the passer on the play pic.twitter.com/rwEB7G9DOp
Daniel Faalele with a rough play here on this Derrick Henry screen pic.twitter.com/TvMLRpB8K1
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) November 9, 2025
These are types of poor plays that Faalele makes on a weekly basis. For the season, Faalele has an underwhelming 56.2 PFF grade, which is the lowest among Ravens' linemen and ranks 52nd among eligible guards. Furthermore, he has allowed 13 pressures and has committed four penalties.
The time is now for the Ravens to make a change before it costs them in a significant way.
Baltimore's offense is in a good spot overall. With the likes of Jackson, Derrick Henry, and Zay Flowers, it's hard not to be. However, they are succeeding despite not being part of their offensive line. Guard play is the Ravens' clear fatal flaw, and it could be exposed in a possible playoff matchup.