Ravens Veteran Responds to John Harbaugh's Comments

One Baltimore Ravens guard appears to be in John Harbaugh's doghouse.

Jan 8, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Zach Carter (95) attempts to catch the tipped ball against Baltimore Ravens guard Ben Cleveland (66) in the second half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Being in a coach's doghouse is never a good feeling, as Baltimore Ravens guard Ben Cleveland can probably atest to.

Cleveland, a 2021 third-round pick out of Georgia, started seven games over his first three seasons but lost the starting right guard job to converted tackle Daniel Faalele this season. With Faalele struggling to start the year, many observers want Cleveland to at least get a look as a starter. However, head coach John Harbaugh shut that idea down with an uncharacteristically blunt response.

"If Ben [Cleveland] had earned the job at right guard, he'd be the starting right guard," Harbaugh said. "So, [when] you look at the tape, he didn't beat out Daniel [Faalele] or anybody. I think Ben is a good player. I like Ben. I want Ben to take the next step." 

"He's in his fourth year. Ben knows what he needs to do. If he wants playing time, he knows how he needs to play, and he knows how he needs to practice when he gets that chance. So, our evaluation right now is that Daniel outplayed Ben – just a fact, straight up, matter of fact. If we had thought Ben had outplayed Daniel, he'd be the starting right guard."

Despite Harbaugh's comments, Cleveland didn't really get many reps at right guard. Thanks to an injury to Tyler Linderbaum, Cleveland actually found himself playing center throughout the preseason, and he feels like he did a solid job.

“I feel like I’ve been my most consistent and most proactive throughout camp,” Cleveland told The Baltimore Sun. “It’s been a struggle having to move around positions with injuries and stuff like that. But as far as adapting to other positions and just playing where I’m asked, I feel like I’ve been extremely consistent and competitive.”

Through two games, the offensive line has looked the part of a group in flux. The Week 2 performance was slightly better than in Week 1, but the right side especially struggled and allowed Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby to cause chaos. For the Ravens to get back on track, the offensive line simply has to improve, no matter who's starting.

“We did some things a lot better this past game than we did in Week 1,” Cleveland said. “It’s just gonna take us working together and grinding through the bad plays, the good plays and just keep on rolling with it.”

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