Stop me if you've heard this before: the Baltimore Ravens are having offensive line troubles. It's been an all-too-familiar problem for the Ravens over the past several seasons. And it's not all because of a lack of effort from Eric DeCosta. After the Ravens lost their top three centers, DeCosta traded for Philadelphia Eagles lineman Cam Jurgens, parting ways with a second-round pick in the process.
Unfortunately, Jurgens has been sidelined in the past two weeks with a concussion. The impact of his absence was felt during the Ravens' 13-10 Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Ravens' offense straight up looked lethargic. They rushed for just 87 yards, and backup quarterback Tyler Huntley was constantly pressured.
It's fair to say that Derrick Henry could've performed better. Of course, Lamar Jackson was sorely missed. Still, the offensive line did the team no favors. Both in the run and pass game, the Ravens' poor line play was central to their shortcomings. That was the story of the game in my eyes.
The Baltimore Ravens need Cam Jurgens to return
While it was a rocky game all-around for the line, Jurgen's potential return could be a game-changer, particularly since the Ravens' problems were primarily on the interior line. With a crucial Week 7 showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals looming, it'll be vital for Jurgens to return.
Rookie Vega Ioane has held up well at center. He has been the least of their problems.
Second-year guard Emery Jones Jr. has been straight-up disastrous. In fairness, he's a third-string guard who has been forced into action due to the center injuries and Andrew Vorhees' injury. Still, he has struggled with run blocking, failing to create openings for Henry, and he has been overpowered at times in pass protection. Jurgens return will push Vega back to the guard spot, which will, in turn, eliminate the weakest link of their offensive line.
John Simpson has also been overpowered and struggled to block in the run game. Simply put, he doesn't look like the trusty veteran that the Ravens paid for this offseason. When Jurgens returns, the Ravens will have to live with his struggles, but not having two bad guards will be a game-changer.
There was some controversy about the Jurgens trade. He struggled mightily playing guard this season, but returning to his natural position should change things. Last season, Jurgens was a quality starting center. A quality interior lineman is all Baltimore needs. Plus, his forte is run-blocking, which is where the majority of the Ravens' struggles were on Sunday. By all accounts, Jurgens will be a massive boon to the Ravens.
If Jurgens (and Jackson) return next week, the Ravens' offense will be back to firing on all cylinders. Unfortunately, if Jurgens doesn't return, the Ravens' offensive line problems will persist, especially as they prepare to take on Dexter Lawrence and the Bengals.
Simply put, the Ravens desperately need Jurgens to get healthy.
Add us as a preferred source on Google