[Baltimore Sun] Ravens offensive line could look different vs. Cowboys: ‘It’s still a competition’
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Change is coming along the Ravens’ much-maligned offensive line.
After the group struggled mightily in a pair of losses the first two weeks, coach John Harbaugh acknowledged Friday afternoon that the unit will likely look different for Sunday’s game against the host Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
“I think it’s still a competition,” he said when asked about any possible changes. “It’s still up in the air for certain spots.
“You probably will see some different guys in different spots. That’s just part of it.”
Though Harbaugh did not get into specifics, one of those changes could involve replacing right guard Daniel Faalele with versatile veteran Patrick Mekari.
Mekari, 27, has been Baltimore’s starter at right tackle the first two weeks of the season but has experience playing all five positions up front.
Through the first two games, Mekari has shared some snaps with rookie second-round draft pick Roger Rosengarten. But moving him inside would likely be an upgrade over current starting right guard Daniel Faalele.
At 6-foot-8 and 380 pounds, Faalele’s size is unusual for the position, which he is also playing for the first time after spending his first two seasons and his entire college career at tackle.
It would also allow the Ravens to give the agile Rosengarten, who has played well in limited action, to get more snaps, something that could be a boost against a Cowboys defense led by one of the NFL’s best pass rushers, outside linebacker Micah Parsons.
Ravens offensive linemen walk off the field after practice Thursday in Owings Mills. (Kevin Richardson/Staff)
Through the first two games, Baltimore’s offensive line allowed 14 pressures against the Kansas City Chiefs and five against the Las Vegas Raiders. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been sacked three times, but one of those resulted in a fumble, and Baltimore has struggled to get its running game going as well.
Faalele in particular has bore the brunt of the criticism, with a 60.6 Pro Football Focus grade against the Chiefs and a 53.5 mark against the Raiders.
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Mekari, meanwhile, has played all five spots up front over the course of his five-year career with the Ravens. That includes 75 snaps at right guard.
“That’s a valuable thing,” Harbaugh said. “That’s all part of why he’s [been] at right tackle the first two games.”
Whether Mekari remains there, however, remains to be seen, though Harbaugh’s blunt and grating assessment of Ben Cleveland earlier in the week indicates that he’s likely not an option to replace Faalele.
“We’re definitely a work in progress,” Harbaugh said of the line. “There’s no question about that.
“I’m very confident that were gonna be the kind of offensive line that we need to be. We’ve been down this road before in the offensive line … we’ve gotta work at it.”
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