Ravens rookie left tackle Ronnie Stanley was a game-time decision for his first career preseason game.

Stanley had a "soft-tissue issue" that forced him out of practice five days earlier. He missed one day of practice and participated in one lighter, non-helmet session during the week.

But when Head Coach John Harbaugh went to ask Stanley if he was playing Thursday night against the Panthers, he got a clear answer.

"He looked at me like, 'Are you crazy? Of course I'm going," Harbaugh said with a laugh. "That's a good sign for him."

Over the past two years, the Ravens have had inconsistency at left tackle because former starter Eugene Monroe struggled to stay on the field due to injuries. So far, Stanley has shown that he's going to be durable.

After Thursday's game, defensive tackle Kapron Lewis-Moore shouted across the locker room to Stanley, asking if he was alright. Stanley just looked up, smiled and gave him a nod.

"I was very much looking forward to playing today," Stanley said. "I really didn't want anything to stop me from playing and definitely wanted to be a part of this. I knew this was going to be a big moment of my life, and it was.

"I enjoyed it a lot. The fans, the whole experience, the atmosphere, was really fun. And it was really nice to be out there with the whole team."

Not only did Stanley get off to a good start simply by being on the field, but he played well too.

On Terrance West's first run of the game, he bent around the left edge behind a big block from Stanley, who kicked the Panthers' starting defensive end far off the line of scrimmage. Stanley didn't give up any sacks and the running game was strong out of the blocks.

Stanley got the highest grade of any Ravens starter from Pro Football Focus (plus 1.6).

Harbaugh said he'll have to watch the tape to evaluate Stanley's performance, but "it seemed like*he *did OK."

"I think I played well, but there's always room for improvement," Stanley said. He had nearly identical grades in run and pass blocking.

"I know [being the lead blocker is] something I'm good at doing, and I'm able to do and something that our offense calls for sometimes. I'm definitely able to execute on those types of plays."