Mink: I wouldn't rule out Ben Cleveland entering a rotation at right guard, but he's going to have to earn it based on how he's playing now, not nine months ago.
Cleveland started two games at the end of last season and got good grades from Pro Football Focus (64.5 vs. Dolphins and 91.1 vs. Steelers). Faalele has started two games this season and his grades are 60.6 vs. Chiefs and 53.5 vs. the Raiders.
But between those games was months and months of practices, and during that time, Head Coach John Harbaugh and his staff came to a clear determination that Faalele outplayed Cleveland.
Could that evaluation change with a large sample size of Faalele starts? Yes. The Ravens believe that Faalele will improve, in part because he's just a young developmental player, but also because he's now only played two regular-season games in his life at guard.
The fact is that while Faalele has a lot of room to improve, he's played better than many other starting guards around the league. Among full-time guards, Faalele's PFF grade through the first two weeks ranks 45th in the league. There are 64 starting guards, so Faalele ranks at about the top of Tier 3.
Is that good enough? Well, it depends on whether the Ravens feel Cleveland would be better. If they thought he would be, he would already be in the starting lineup.
At some point, if Faalele's struggles keep hindering the offense, the Ravens will be forced to look at other options. I'm not sure they're at that point after just two games, but we'll see.
Mink: I have no idea who other teams might be willing to trade, but it wouldn't happen anytime soon. The trade deadline isn't until Nov. 5 – after Week 9.
The Ravens need a solution well before that point, especially as they're in an 0-2 hole. Either that's Faalele continuing to improve or some other in-house option. If it's not Cleveland, the Ravens could consider Sala Aumavae-Laulu, Josh Jones, or even Patrick Mekari if second-round rookie Roger Rosengarten were to take over full-time right tackle duties.
Brown: More than identity, I think the Ravens are searching for offensive consistency.
The Ravens have committed too many pre-snap penalties. Meanwhile, the offensive line's struggles have made it difficult to avoid negative plays, to protect Lamar Jackson, and to establish Derrick Henry as a dominant force.
The Ravens lead the NFL in total yards but rank just 14th in scoring (21.5 points per game) and are the league's third most penalized team. In Year 2 with Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken, the Ravens need to be more efficient, versatile, and explosive. They need to have answers every week, whether that means Jackson throwing it 30 times or more, or Henry running it at least 20 times.
I think multiple tight end formations will continue to be a key element of Baltimore's offensive identity. Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely are a unique tandem who cause matchup problems, and both have terrific chemistry with Jackson. I also think it will be important to utilize Henry's physical running as a tool to close games when the Ravens are protecting a lead.
Brown: I wouldn't pin the Ravens' defensive issues on a drastic increase in man-to-man coverage.
According to Next Gen stats, the Ravens played man-to-man seven times and zone 36 times against the Raiders on Gardner Minshew's 43 dropbacks. Against the Chiefs, the Ravens played man-to-man 11 times and zone 19 times on Patrick Mahomes' 30 dropbacks.
Whatever the coverage, it's been shocking to see the Ravens surrender the most passing yards in the NFL through two games with the talent they have on defense. Mahomes is a great quarterback and Davante Adams of the Raiders is a great receiver. However, Orr and the players know the defense must improve for the Ravens to win consistently.
I believe Baltimore's defense will right itself quickly. The Ravens gave up 42 points in Mike Macdonald's home opener as defensive coordinator in 2022 and lost a 21-point lead to the Miami Dolphins. By the end of the season, Baltimore's defense was playing great football. I think Orr and the Ravens' players are fully capable of rising to this challenge. Don't judge them too quickly.
