Not long before the Ravens went to Green Bay in the preseason, Lamar Jackson harped on his offensive line for not being up to snuff during a hot training camp practice.
Jackson has set a high bar for his teammates this summer, holding them accountable as they try to get over the hump and reach the Super Bowl that has eluded them. Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley gets that and agrees. But he stood up for his guys, too.
"I was like, 'Get on them, but then remind them they can do it,'" Stanley said. "I've just been lately trying to keep everyone's spirits up every day, just trying to keep everyone optimistic and confident, reminding everyone about their abilities."
The Ravens' offensive line is undergoing a rebuild, with new starters at three spots. Judging by the first depth chart, the news starters will be left guard Andrew Vorhees, who hasn't played an NFL regular-season game after sitting out his rookie year with a knee injury; right guard Daniel Faalele, who is in a new position; and veteran right tackle Patrick Mekari, who has started 36 games over his five-year career but never the season-opener.
Then their beloved longtime offensive line coach, Joe D'Alessandris, the man who has groomed many an offensive lineman and treated them all like sons, tragically passed away on Aug. 25. Training camp was physically grueling enough. That was like a weight dropped on their hearts.
It's been a tough summer full of challenges, grief, and doubters for the Ravens' offensive line. As they head into Thursday night's season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, many pundits point to Baltimore's offensive trenches as the place where their championship aspirations will either take root or be crushed. It's a lot of pressure.
"A lot of these guys, it's their first time being starters in the league," Stanley said. "There's a lot of questions in their head, a lot of second guessing. I'm just trying to reinforce that confidence that they can block anyone, no matter who it is. You've got to believe before it happens."
At 30 years old, Stanley is the Ravens' eldest and most accomplished offensive lineman. He too feels the pressure coming off a season in which he was once again injured and didn't play up to par.
After practices, Stanley is spending extra time on the field working with his teammates. After that, he heads inside for a lengthy post-practice stretching routine to try to maintain his flexibility. He's gone from a lead-by-example kind of a guy to a more vocal leader.
Vorhees said Tyler Linderbaum, the Ravens' returning Pro Bowl center, has been an "absolute rock" as a leader too. Even though Linderbaum missed a large chunk of training camp due to a neck injury, he's been a steadying force off the field and in the classroom.
Leadership took on new meaning after D'Alessandris' passing. After D'Alessandris went to the hospital with an acute illness on Aug. 14, the Ravens hired George Warhop to start coaching the offensive linemen. Eleven days later, D'Alessandris passed away.
Stanley said having that buffer helped, but it was tough. The next day, their first after D'Alessandris' passing, the offensive line meeting started with an emotional video slideshow of D'Alessandris.
"That's when everyone kind of broke down," Vorhees said. "Saw a lot of grown men cry, typically stuff you don't see in this profession. He touched a lot of lives and he was a great man. It's our calling now to go and honor him with the way we play and the way we conduct ourselves throughout the season."
Stanley said Warhop gave the players their time and space to grieve, and continues to do that when they need it.
"We're keeping his spirit alive by the stories we tell. So many stories," Stanley said. "We start talking to each other and all these stories start coming up, the things he said or did, and we can't stop laughing about it."
Vorhees remembers D'Alessandris saying just several weeks ago during a hot training camp practice that it was going to feel just like that in Kansas City. It's a "weird feeling," Vorhees said, that he's not with them now, but the Ravens believe D'Alessandris will be watching his blockers from above Thursday night as they take on All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones and the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
As General Manager Eric DeCosta said last week, the Ravens expect some “hiccups” as the young offensive line grows with experience. Baltimore needs it to be good enough from the start, with big-time games against the Chiefs, Cowboys, Bills, and Bengals all within the first five weeks of the season.
Jackson is Houdini, but if he's going to have another MVP-worthy campaign or even better, he's going to need adequate protection. If Derrick Henry is going to be the difference-maker the Ravens envision, he's going to need holes to rumble through.
"At every age level, it starts up front. How the offense goes is how we go," Linderbaum said. "We take pride in that. We're going to do everything in our power to protect Lamar, block for D. Hen and Justice [Hill] and play as hard as we can with intensity. We'll take it one game at a time."
Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken said Thursday that he's excited to see the line play.
"I feel real good about those guys," Monken said. "Every one of them, besides Andrew at left guard, those guys have been with us – and Andrew was with us last year. They've had a great camp, so we're real comfortable with them playing"
Jackson and Henry expressed their faith a day earlier.
"I'm very confident in our guys," Jackson said. "They've been busting their behinds each and every practice. [In the] preseason, they've been battling. I believe our guys are ready."
"I'm excited for them to go and showcase them as a group and us as a whole," Henry added. "[We're] going to do our job and executing. It's all tied in together, and we all trust one another. Just go out there and put it all together."
And how does Stanley think it will turn out Thursday night?
"I think it's going to go great," he said. "I have full confidence in these guys. Full confidence, full trust."
