Ravens Offensive Line Change Could Continue Into Playoffs

Will the Baltimore Ravens carry their tweaked offensive line into the postseason?

Sep 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Ravens guard Andrew Vorhees (72) lines up during the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

For better or worse, the Baltimore Ravens stuck with the same offensive line combination for the majority of the regular season, until external factors forced their hand.

Patrick Mekari started at left guard in Saturday's game against the Cleveland Browns, as he has in every game since Week 4, but only played the first series after battling illness earlier in the week. In his stead, both Andrew Vorhees and Ben Cleveland saw extended action at left guard, the former playing 47 offensive snaps (67 percent) and the latter playing 18 (26 percent).

Additionally, both took advantage of their opportunities. Vorhees earned a 69.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, and was especially strong in run-blocking. Cleveland earned a 61.6 overall grade and 68.6 in run-blocking, although he did surrender two pressures in pass-blocking. For comparison, Mekari has an overall grade of 60 on the season (70.3 in pass-blocking, 58.1 in pass-blocking) and has allowed 27 pressures and one sack.

That begs the question, will the Ravens make this a permanent change, or have it just for this game? Well, based on head coach John Harbaugh's comments, it sounds like he and his staff are leaning toward the latter.

"Patrick wanted to go," head coach John Harbaugh told reporters post-game. "He insisted on going. He did a good job of fighting through that, but he was really sick. ... We just felt like, I just felt like, he just wasn't at full strength. He tried, and I just made the decision to let those other guys play who were at full strength. Pat is all heart. He's all heart. He's tough as nails, and he'll be fine [and] ready to go next week."

Harbaugh added on Monday that Mekari is "trending well" to play in Saturday's playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, further insinuating that he'll be back in the starting lineup.

That decision will certainly cause some controversy within the fanbase. Mekari has drawn some ire not only for his pressure rate, but for his high number of penalties (PFF credits him with 14 but other outlets have different numbers). Still, it seems like the Ravens' coaching staff has full confidence in him, so barring any unforeseen changes, he'll likely be out there on Saturday night.

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