With All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley (shoulder) inactive Sunday, the Ravens did some offensive line shuffling that worked well.
Orlando Brown Jr. moved from right tackle to left tackle. Veteran D.J. Fluker made his first start of the season at right tackle and Lamar Jackson was sacked just once during Baltimore's 31-17 victory.
Coming off a short week, Stanley did not practice Friday and missed his first game of the season. Playing without Stanley is not a scenario the Ravens want, but they adjusted well against Washington. Head Coach John Harbaugh was pleased with how the offensive line adjusted, and he hopes Stanley will return in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
"D.J. and Orlando did a tremendous job. [They] adapted on the fly and it speaks volumes for the type of football players they are," Harbaugh said.
"Ronnie has an upper body issue. It's more of a strain that anything. He was really close to going. We actually thought he would be able to go, but those things are dicey sometimes. He just wasn't able to do it, and he tried. So, hopefully he'll be back for next week. We'll see."
It was the first start for Brown at left tackle, but he's an All-Pro right tackle who is extremely athletic for a player his size. Brown played left tackle in college at Oklahoma and used some of that muscle memory to adapt.
Fluker has been a right guard in the NFL since 2015, but he entered the league as a right tackle and the Ravens believed Fluker could play both guard and tackle effectively when they signed him as a free agent.
Jackson appreciated the protection he got from both tackles and the entire offensive line.
"They do their thing, they take their job very seriously," Jackson said. "He (Brown) did a great job playing Ronnie's spot today."
