Ravens’ Starting LG Goes Down in First Half

Ravens Tyre Phillips

Getty Ravens offensive guard Tyre Phillips is carted off the field after a knee injury against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Baltimore Ravens left guard Tyre Phillips went down clutching his left knee late in the second quarter of tonight’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Ravens announced on Twitter that Phillips is doubtful to return.

Phillips had to be carted off the field, adding to the already-long list of injured Ravens this season.

The Mississippi State product started eight games last season after the Ravens shuffled their offensive line following Ronnie Stanley‘s season-ending injury in November. He struggled due to injuries and a stunted offseason due to COVID-19, only earning a 47.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

Phillips entered the season competing with Ben Powers and Ben Cleveland for the starting left guard position, winning the job despite limited snaps in the preseason.

Powers, a 2019 fourth-round pick, came in to replace Phillips, who was drafted in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Cleveland was listed as a healthy scratch ahead of tonight’s game after a concussion prevented him playing a full preseason slate. If Powers gets injured in the second half, the Ravens will have to rely on Patrick Mekari or Trystan Colon at left guard.


Ravens’ Injury Woes Continue

The Ravens can’t seem to catch a break, with Phillips’ injury coming less than a week after the Marcus Peters and Gus Edwards tore their ACLs in the same practice.

The Ravens were already without two of their three most-experienced running backs when Edwards went down, with J.K. Dobbins suffering a torn ACL against the Washington Football Team on August 28 and Justice Hill rupturing his Achilles in practice the following week.

Veteran linebacker L.J. Fort also tore his ACL against the Carolina Panthers on August 21, bringing the Ravens to a whopping five season-ending injuries before the regular season even began.

If Phillips’ injury sidelines him for multiple weeks, the Ravens will have to turn to Powers or Cleveland at left guard.

Powers has the edge over Cleveland for now, as he started seven games for the Ravens last year, while Cleveland is still getting accustomed to the NFL.

The Ravens drafted Cleveland with the hopes that he would be a pillar of their offensive line for years to come, so they may give him a chance to start once he’s fully up to speed.


Oweh Records First NFL Sack

The Ravens’ new look edge rushing group consistently got pressure on Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, notching two sacks in the first half.

2021 first-round pick Odafe Oweh chased down Carr late in the second quarter for his first career sack.

The rookie out of Penn State was initially stymied by the Raiders’ right tackle, rookie Alex Leatherwood, but utilized an effective spin move to break free and catch Carr from behind.

After failing to record a single sack during the 2020 season as a Nittany Lion, Oweh got what the Ravens hope will be his first sack of many as a Raven.

Justin Houston has already made an impact in his first game as a Raven, blowing by Leatherwood with a slick hesitation move and forcing Carr backwards into Pernell McPhee, who finished off the sack.

The early pressure from the Ravens’ offseason additions on the edge are encouraging for a team that saw its top two edge rushers from last season leave in free agency.

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