Another hit that short-downs the Baltimore Ravens team,as they have just dismissed one of their most valuable players due to…
After just one week of the 2023 regular season, the Baltimore Ravens already have a number of players at critical positions who are already missing time and others who will likely miss even more because of the severity of their injury.
Some absences will be felt more than others depending on how long they are expected to miss, who will be filling in for them, and the caliber of the team’s upcoming opponents on the other side of the ball.
Based on the totality of those important variables, what effect will the Ravens’ primary injuries have on the team?
The Pro Bowler is among the best blindside defenders in the game when healthy. Sadly, he has not been able to continually demonstrate that he remains one of the league’s best players due to injuries and surgical recovery setbacks. It will be painful to lose a player of his caliber for any length of time, even with versatile utility lineman Patrick Mekari as a reliable backup. Stanley’s knee sprain couldn’t have come at a worse time for a new offense that is still getting settled in, working out kinks, and planning to pass the ball more often than in previous years, given the roster of edge rushers the Ravens have scheduled for the upcoming month.
Three of the league’s most skilled and formidable edge tandems will be up against the offense over the course of the next four weeks. First up in Week 2 are Cincinnati Bengals’ Sam Hubbard and two-time Pro Bowler Trey Hendrickson. The Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett and former Raven Za’Darius Smith will go to the Pro Bowl in Week 3, while the Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, three-time All-Pros, will do so in Week 5. For however long their best pass blocker is out, Mekari and right tackle Morgan Moses will need to step up to the plate. Even at full health, Stanley would have his hands full with any of these formidable pass rushers.
The center of the Ravens offensive line, which many think is ready to explode this season, is anchored by the second-year player. Linderbaum ended as the highest-graded center in Week 1 despite his team’s general struggles, and his absence will be felt greatly. There will be a drop-off when the 2022 first-round pick is in the starting lineup, even though the Ravens have a reliable and experienced backup plan in veteran Sam Mustipher, who has 40 career starts under his belt, to cover for him while he’s sidelined with an ankle sprain.
The Ravens may be without their best interior offensive lineman for a while as they play two games against well-known run-stuffing nose tackles, DJ Reader in Week 2 and Dalvin Tomlinson in Week 4, with a Week 3 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts’ two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
The three-time Pro Bowler was still recovering from foot surgery when he missed the season opener against the Texans, but head coach John Harbaugh told reporters on Monday that he “has a shot” to play in Week 2. It would be extremely beneficial for the Ravens defense if he could make a comeback when they go to Cincinnati to play the Bengals, who will be eager to get back on track after being humiliated by the Browns in Week 1.
The team turned to third-year pro Brandon Stephens to fill in for him as their starting cornerback. Stephens was extremely physical in both run support and coverage, and he gave the team’s best impression of Humphrey. Considering that he was just over a year away from having his ACL torn, veteran Ronald Darby performed admirably, although he dropped a few passes that led to third-down conversions.
Humphrey and Stephens would give the Ravens their best chance to contain the dynamic duo of Bengals wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase if Humphrey could make a full recovery in time for Sunday. They may face a more difficult test in a crucial divisional early-season game if he misses the first two games of the season and the pass rush does not replicate its strong showing from Week 1.
