It is early in the NFL season, but it is already clear that the Baltimore Ravens have an offensive line problem. Through two weeks, several starters up front have failed to start the year on the right foot. While Baltimore’s offense ranks the best in the league in terms of scoring thus far, it is clear that without a quarterback like Lamar Jackson and a running back like Derrick Henry, the offense would rank near the bottom.
Among the five starters, no one appears to have found consistency between their run and pass blocking assignments. While elite starters Tyler Linderbaum and Ronnie Stanley have been dominant in run blocking, their pass protection has lagged behind at times. For guards Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele, both have had abysmal starts to the year. Together, the unit is one of the worst entering Week 3.
Run block and pass block composite ratings
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Vorhees and Faalele may quickly find themselves on thin ice if this slow start continues. In Faalele’s case, though, the coaching staff still has the utmost faith that he can get it done in the trenches.
During Thursday’s press conference, Head Coach John Harbaugh went to bat for Faalele. While he admitted the 25-year-old has shown flaws in the early going, he believes the best is still to come.
“I think [Faalele’s] been doing a good job in pass protection for the most part. Run blocking has been good, but he needs to be more consistent in both areas,” Harbaugh said. “He’s had some bad plays, but he’s a good football player. He’s getting better, he’s young, and hopefully he’ll continue to improve…We expect him to go out there and play his best football game on Monday night.”
John Harbaugh's loyalty to Ravens' polarizing starter could cost them big
For now, Faalele is the best option the Ravens have. If anyone were to get benched, Vorhees would likely lose his left guard job to veteran Ben Cleveland first. Vorhees carries a 35.4 overall grade, per Pro Football Focus (PFF), and has been below average in both phases.
For Faalele, he has registered an overall grade of 58.8, according to PFF, but has also added a pass-blocking grade of 80.4. To his credit, he was the best pass blocker on the team against the Cleveand Browns, but he was not free from his weaker moments. Yes, he is young, but it is also his fourth year in the NFL, and we have yet to see him truly take over a game.
Faalele is perhaps the most inconsistent player on Baltimore’s roster, and if he cannot find a rhythm, the front office may have to search for upgrades. Cleveland and Corey Bullock are the only options currently on the roster who could replace him, but they are both unproven. The smart choice would be to approach the trade market, and if any starters are available by the time the deadline comes, General Manager Eric DeCosta should move quickly to improve the protection up front.