The Baltimore Ravens will be resting plenty of starters, but all that means is that there will be chances for the depth players on the roster to get their chance to start. Which players could walk away from this game in a much better spot regarding their future if they play well this weekend?
Can the Baltimore Ravens get consistent play from Ben Cleveland?
The Baltimore Ravens started Ben Cleveland against the Miami Dolphins, and he looked good; with Kevin Zeitler still injured and the Ravens clinching the one-seed, it is an obvious decision to give him the reigns to start again.
This was supposed to be a game-changing year for Cleveland. He was in his third NFL season, and the left guard job was wide open for his taking. However, the Ravens slotted John Simpson and hardly gave Cleveland a chance to earn that spot, as Sala Aumavae-Laulu backed up Simpson in the preseason.
So, Cleveland was stuck at right guard behind Zeitler. On one side, it meant that Cleveland had little chance of playing this year. On the other, Zeitler is at the age and contract position where he may not be here next year. A good year on the bench with shown improvement could cause the Ravens to start Ben Cleveland next season.
Cleveland was great in his first start and now gets a strong Pittsburgh defensive line that will be having their starters go all-in. If Cleveland can string together a second straight strong start, the Ravens could have themselves a starter moving forward.
The Baltimore Ravens should give Tavius Robinson a lot of work
It has been an up-and-down season for the fourth-round rookie from Ole Miss. Tavius Robinson was praised when he was drafted because he was more mature physically and was expected to make an impact right away. However, he has played just 27% of the defensive snaps and has just one sack this year, along with eight pressures.
He has played sparingly and has been the fourth rusher. Still, he also has shown special teams value, and he has flashed in moments that make you think he could continue to be a depth rusher in the NFL. Sunday may be a chance to get the most snaps of his career.
He played 55 snaps against the Colts before Kyle Van Noy was in the mix and when Odafe Oweh was injured. Now, the Ravens will not make either rusher inactive, but they would love to rest those two as much as possible. That should mean that Robinson gets a full workload. What type of flashes can we see?
The Baltimore Ravens rookie linebacker may start for the first time
The thought all year was that Baltimore Ravens rookie Trenton Simpson would spend a year behind Patrick Queen, and then next year he would be involved in the defense as the Queen replacement. However, when he failed to beat out Del’Shawn Phillips as the backup to Queen in the preseason, it did cause some concern.
Still, with Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith both expected to have their snaps limited, the Ravens may be starting both Phillips and Simpson. This is a big game for Simpson.
Simpson was also banged up in the preseason, so this is a good chance to at least show he brings more potential than Phillips, who is a journeyman in the NFL.
If Simpson struggles after a year of learning and full health, can the Ravens trust him to start next year? At the same time, if he plays well, he may have locked down a starting job or at least cooled off the Ravens' desire to replace him this offseason.
The Baltimore Ravens will start two big defensive lineman
The Baltimore Ravens have leaned on two big rushers upfront with Justin Madubuike and Michael Pierce. However, both are at career highs, and it may be smart for the Baltimore Ravens to give them both a week off. That should mean giving strong roles to Travis Jones and Broderick Washington.
Travis Jones has taken a step forward. He looks improved from his rookie year and is up from 34.5% of the snaps to 37.7%, and that number will grow with a big snap share this weekend. Broderick Washington has not been nearly as good in year four after signing an extension this offseason.
He went from 30.2% as a rookie to 31.9% and then was at 44.2% last year. Now, he is at 36.9% of the snaps. His pressure rate has plateaued, and his run defense has regressed. The Ravens would love to see him show more in a bigger role this weekend.
It would just be nice to have the depth in the playoffs. Still, more than that, both are locks to make the 2024 roster as well, so the future is in the mindset as well.