The Baltimore Ravens lost 28-24 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in an extremely tough and physical game in Week 8. That physicality played a part in a number of injuries that took place throughout the course of the contest, none bigger than left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who left the game in the first quarter with what has been confirmed as a season-ending ankle injury.
Stanley got rolled up on by Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt and went down to the ground in serious pain. The cart was brought out and Stanley’s leg was put in an air cast. While he was in good spirits leaving the field, the precautions the trainers were using pointed to it being Stanley’s last time on the field in pads this season.
Stanley, who just signed a massive five-year extension with the Ravens a few days ago, is a massive loss for Baltimore. He is one of, if not the best left tackle in the league. For a unit that was struggling even with Stanley on the field, his subtraction will be felt immediately. The question is just how much will it impact the Ravens, both on the ground and through the air.
Stanley was dominating in 2020 and showed why the Ravens invested a lot of money into him. What makes Stanley so valuable is his elite run blocking as well as amazing pass protection. He’s a versatile player who doesn’t have many weaknesses, as ESPN analytics writer Seth Walder pointed out.
Ronnie Stanley's win rate ranks among tackles entering today:
Pass Block 1st
Run Block 9th(ESPN stats, Next Gen Stats data)
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) November 1, 2020
During the game against Pittsburgh, Baltimore moved starting right tackle Orlando Brown Jr to left tackle while inserting backup tackle D.J. Fluker on the right side at right tackle. It was the plan they used in Week 4 when Stanley missed the game against the Washington Football Team.
Moving forward, Baltimore will most likely keep things in-house when looking to replace Stanley. The Ravens were able to still find room on the ground with Stanley out, rushing for a combined 265 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers. Like we saw today and in Week 4, Baltimore will most likely roll out Brown at left tackle and Fluker at right tackle for the remainder of the season. Fluker is a good run blocker who’s physical at the line but can struggle at times in pass protection.
Fluker will be relied upon to fill a big spot on the Ravens’ offensive line. Against the Steelers, he played well, although there were a few times where he struggled to sustain blocks. However, going up against a very stout Pittsburgh front four, some struggles were to be expected. However, Baltimore has games against the Indianapolis Colts (third-fewest rushing yards-per-game allowed heading into Week 8), Steelers (2nd-fewest), Cleveland Browns (5th-fewest), and New York Giants (8th-fewest) remaining on their schedule.
Baltimore’s offensive line is in trouble right now. Center Matt Skura looks nowhere near the player he was in 2019 and is struggling badly. There is a revolving door at right guard that has seen Tyre Phillips, Patrick Mekari, and Ben Powers all get playing time. With Phillips suffering an ankle injury of his own against Pittsburgh, it’s unclear if he’ll be able to play next week or beyond. Left guard Bradley Bozeman seems to be the only one playing their normal position at a high level with Brown Jr. now moving to the left side.
The loss of Ronnie Stanley hurts and there’s no wishing that away. The Ravens have lost their best two offensive linemen from 2019 in a span of about eight months with Marshal Yanda’s retirement and now Stanley’s injury. Baltimore will have to weather the storm and work with what they have, although yet another position of depth at the beginning of the season is beginning to fall apart alongside the team’s injury woes at cornerback.
However, just because the Ravens lost Stanley doesn’t mean the season is over. Baltimore has an extremely talented roster and their offense is still capable of big things. There are issues that need to be sorted out after losing an All-Pro-caliber talent like Stanley, but this injury doesn’t define their season . . . It’s how they respond to it that will.
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