Amid their two-game losing streak, the Baltimore Ravens’ fatal flaws have been back on full display. The offense is still failing to find a rhythm and is as cold as can be, and the defense is once again showing cracks.
In their most recent loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14, the two key issues with this team were loud and clear: poor blocking and lackluster pass rush. While Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr has drawn up schemes to apply pressure, the offensive line is not showing much progress. Moving forward, it does not sound like it will get any better.
In his Monday press conference, Head Coach John Harbaugh spoke about the state of the line, specifically regarding rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr.’s role moving forward. Given his stance on the 21-year-old’s development right now, it does not sound like he will provide any help to the increasingly bad protection problem.
“[Jones] played okay in [Week 13],” Harbaugh said. “He wasn’t better than any one of the other two guys in the first game. He didn’t outplay those guys, so you go into the game with your best guys that you feel are playing the best…Based on that performance, you couldn’t say it was better, or even the same.”
John Harbaugh provides less-than-encouraging update on Emery Jones Jr.
Harbaugh made it known that he likes where Jones is at, but evidently, he is not ready to take the field with the starting unit. With how bad the offensive guard duo is playing, it is concerning that the Ravens do not have an upgrade in their third-round rookie waiting in the wings.
Jones missed a ton of time leading up to his NFL debut. He left rookie minicamp with a labrum injury, which kept him on injured reserve. He did not suit up for his first career game until Week 12 and finally got a taste of game action in Week 13. There is still plenty of development to do, and, understandably, he is not ready yet. However, given not only the state of Baltimore’s offensive line but their season, they desperately need someone to step up.
There is still time for Jones to prove he is ready down the stretch. However, the team’s back is against the wall. They fell to second place in the AFC North after losing to the Steelers on Sunday, and it was that contest that reignited the crowd of fans calling to bench right guard Daniel Faalele. Faalele posted a 54.2 overall grade, per Pro Football Focus, for that performance, and has a 57.6 grade for the season.
If it is not Jones to replace Faalele, which it sounds like he will only play left guard anyway, then there is really no option to start in Faalele’s spot at this point. Veteran offensive guard Ben Cleveland was suspended for three games on Monday for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. That leaves Jones, Joe Noteboom, and Corey Bullock as depth options on the interior.
There is undoubtedly a ton of hope for Jones. It is unfair to expect so much from a rookie third-round selection, who missed over half of his rookie campaign due to injury, but that is where the offensive line is at. Baltimore needs reinforcements, and although it does not appear that it will be Jones for now, maybe he will be ready in another couple of weeks.