The Baltimore Ravens celebrated their massive 34-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Brazil, but they ran into a major injury problem.
At center, the Ravens saw both Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic get injured and be knocked out of the game. Gwyn had an ankle issue, while Pocic had a knee injury. Rookie first-round pick Vega Ioane finished the game at center after playing guard this season.
This certainly puts the Ravens in a bad spot moving forward if the injuries are serious at center. Apparently, it won’t be good.
Baltimore Ravens Facing Massive Issues at Center
Ravens head coach Jesse Minter provided a media update after returning home from Brazil. The news wasn’t good.
“#Ravens rookie 1st-round pick Vega Ioane will prepare to play center after Jovaughn Gwyn (ankle) and Ethan Pocic (knee) suffered long-term injuries on Sunday in Brazil, per HC Jesse Minter,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov said. “Baltimore lost Tyler Linderbaum in free agency and has now lost its next three centers (Pinter, Gwyn and Pocic) to injuries. The team will likely look to add another center.”
Baltimore lost Tyler Linderbaum in free agency and has now lost its next three centers
This season at guard, Ioane has allowed 6 pressures and 1 sack in 101 pass-blocking snaps. Pro Football Focus graded him 62.7 overall, ranking him 34th out of 73 eligible guards in the NFL.
Ravens Will Need Help at Center Moving Forward
That is now three centers the Ravens have lost over the last month before they even got to Week 4. Baltimore is dealing with issues on the offensive line right now.
They were already without starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley for the Cowboys game with his toe injury. Now they will need to figure out what to do at center.
For now, it looks like Ioane will handle it, but they may need to bring in veterans. Baltimore would much prefer Ioane to start at guard, as they intended when they drafted him.
Everything has been flipped on the offensive line, and there will be a lot of discussion this week about what they will do. The move could change how the Ravens offense operates, even though it has done well so far.
For now, Baltimore seems to have a plan for the rest of the week. There should be some activity with workouts and signings in the next few days.
Baltimore can stay focused on grabbing a big win over the Cowboys and moving to 2-1 this year. They next face the Tennessee Titans in Week 4 action, who have yet to win a game this season. It should be an easy win for Baltimore if things work out well.
Jesse Minter Announced Bad Ravens News After Wave of Injuries in Win Over Cowboys