BALTIMORE — In a perfect world, Ravens coach John Harbaugh would have named his starters on the offensive line.
However, that unit remains a work in progress and there are still questions about who will be atop the depth chart for the regular-season opener against the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on September 5th.
“There were some good plays and some bad plays,” Harbaugh said about the offensive line after a 13-12 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the second preseason game.
The starters against the Falcons were left tackle Josh Jones, left guard Andrew Vorhees, center Patrick Mekari, right guard Daniel Faalele, and right tackle Roger Rosengarten.
Incumbent starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley did not play. Starting center Tyler Linderbaum is sidelined with a neck injury.
The Ravens had some hiccups.
Vorhees got beaten for a sack on the first drive by rookie defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro. Then, Ben Cleveland, who took over at center on the third series, snapped the ball before quarterback Josh Johnson was ready. The ball sailed over Johnson’s head and the Falcons recovered on their own 43.
“That was just a miscommunication,” Cleveland said. “We were trying to go fast, and I was trying to get guys lined up, and everybody was talking and talking. You hear something from this side and something from that side, and I thought I heard the cadence. That’s completely my mess-up, and [it’s] on me, so we’ve just got to figure out how to differentiate that – the quarterback’s voice to everybody else’s voice – and move forward and not let it happen again.”
The Ravens were able to overcome the mistakes by the offensive line against the Falcons. However, they can’t afford those types of miscues when the regular season begins.
Harbaugh will have an opportunity to get more clarity on the offensive line next week when the team travels to Green Bay for a joint practice before playing the final preseason game at Lambeau Field.
The players are also still getting used to new positions. Cleveland is a guard but has played center with Linderbaum out. Faalele moved from tackle to guard and that has been an adjustment.
“I feel like the more we play together, the more we mesh,” Faalele said. “I just keep my head down and keep working. [I’m] still competing for that spot [at right guard], and I just feel like I just [want] to come to work every day and try to get better at my position. I don’t really think about [what’s] too far ahead; I just think about each day and how I can get better each day.”
