The Sports Xchange

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The offensive line is supposed to be one of the main strengths for the Baltimore Ravens entering the regular season. The Ravens have every starter returning from last year and the group is embracing the game plan implemented by offensive line coach Juan Castillo.

After a brutal training camp, however, the team is now just looking to find healthy bodies for practice and the third preseason game against the Washington Redskins on Aug. 29. In the previous game against the Philadelphia Eagles, tackles Eugene Monroe (hand) and James Hurst (concussion) and guard De’Ondre Wesley (knee) left with injuries. Six other offensive linemen, including expected starters guard Kelechi Osemele (Achilles) and tackle Rick Wagner (leg), were held out because of various ailments.

The Ravens did get some good news when backup tackle Jah Reid (back spasms), guard John Urschel (concussion) and Wagner were available to practice Monday following the game. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh does not appear overly worried about the number of players who have been out.

“It was definitely a concern Saturday,” Harbaugh said. “It’s not really how you plan it. But sometimes you’re forced into finding out that some guys can do more than you think they can do. Maybe we built some versatility into our group. Sometimes it’s a painful method.”

The inexperience on the offensive line showed as the unit committed eight of the team’s 21 penalties.

Quarterback Joe Flacco struggled mightily against the Eagles behind a pieced-together offensive line and threw interceptions on the opening two drives. While the regular-season opener at Denver is still more than two weeks away, Baltimore has plenty of time to get everyone in sync.

“Obviously they’re a big part of the football game and you want your best guys to play and you want to have a lot of guys that you can play,” Flacco said. “And we do. We have a lot of guys that we can really rely on up and down the lineup, but getting them all hurt is obviously not ideal. Hopefully they’re all alright and it’s nothing too, too serious.”

On the positive side, Marshall Yanda, one of the Ravens’ most heralded players, has managed to stay healthy. His versatility is a major bonus. When numerous players went down against the Eagles, Harbaugh was able to move Yanda to right tackle. Marcel Jones, a former practice-squad player, played right guard with first-team offense.

“I looked out there and saw Marcel with the ones,” Harbaugh said. “And you know what? He stepped up and acquitted himself very well.”

Harbaugh said this week the team will not bring any extra offensive lineman for added depth. He is confident most of the injuries among his players are not serious enough to make drastic changes.

“It’s not going to be concerning if we get those guys back,” Harbaugh said. “Those guys all are slated to come back, to my knowledge. We’ll see about Wesley. I don’t think there’s anybody else off the top of my head that wouldn’t be slated to come back. So the key is getting them back. At one point, we had three guys playing out of position who had never practiced before. I thought they did a pretty good job with that. That’s the preseason. That’s how it works.”

Several marquee players around the league have already gone down with season-ending injuries. Harbaugh, however, does not plan to alter his style.

“Sometimes guys get hurt out here in half-speed drills as we’ve seen before, and sometimes they get hurt in full-speed games. It’s just so unpredictable,” Harbaugh said. “So, as a coach you really have to make sure you’re focusing on if your team’s good enough, making sure they’re the best they can be and you come out and practice.”

–After shining for much of training camp, Flacco struggled against the Eagles. Flacco threw interceptions on the Ravens’ opening two drives.

The veteran quarterback, however, said the team will learn from the mistakes and get better.

“I think they’re easily analyzed though,” Flacco said. “You can’t turn the ball over if you want to play well. And the first one I was taking a shot there with one-on-one coverage and just thought we might have a good play. The second one, we had a guy wide open and I made a terrible throw. So decision-wise, as of right now, I would say I think we had shots, I just didn’t make the throw that I needed to.”

Even though Flacco played only three series, he was behind a makeshift offensive line because of injuries. However, he was quick to credit the players that filled in.

“It’s a credit to our guys in the fact that they can just step in there and not really blink an eye,” Flacco said. “They just do what they’re told and go out there and do a good job. It’s something we’ll look at and, like I said, hopefully the guys get better and nothing is too serious, but it’s just part of the game.”

–Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs was criticized for his first-quarter hit on Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford. Some Philadelphia players called it “cheap” and said Suggs was going for Bradford’s knees. Suggs denied the allegations, saying the hit was the product of the Eagles’ read-option offense where the quarterback becomes a runner. Suggs’ coaches also defended him.

“It didn’t surprise me the way Terrell reacted to the play as he saw it,” linebackers coach Ted Monachino said. “We understand what we ask our guys to do in that situation and I think he did it exactly the way we would want it.”

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh took exception to the way some of the Eagles questioned Suggs’ intentions.

“When you start popping off about somebody’s character, you’ve crossed the line,” Harbaugh said. “That’s not really something that we respect. But most of their guys over there understood the play and understood he was playing hard and trying to get stops.”

Notes: Cornerback Rashaan Melvin took over a starting role in the second preseason game against Philadelphia with Lardarius Webb out with a hamstring injury. Melvin was solid in coverage and had two tackles, including one for a loss. Melvin, a third-year player out of Northern Illinois, appeared in three games last season, but is pushing for more time. He will be a player to watch entering the regular season. … Linebacker Arthur Brown has been one of the most scrutinized players. He had an uneven training camp, prompting some speculation he might not even make the final roster. This would be a disappointing development for the Ravens, who drafted Brown in the second round (56th overall) out of Kansas State in 2013. Brown, however, has played better over the past week and had a sack in the second preseason game against the Eagles. He also took snaps with the first-team defense, which should be a boost to his confidence. Baltimore, however, is deep at linebacker so Brown will need to stand out to earn a roster spot. … Cornerback Kyle Arrington was the No. 3 corner against the Eagles. However, Arrington has shown he can also play safety and the Ravens value that type of versatility. He had a pair of tackles in the preseason game against the Eagles.

Guard Ryan Jensen played all 92 offensive snaps against the Eagles in the second preseason game. Jensen alternated between guard and center because the Ravens’ offensive line was decimated with injuries. Jensen certainly earned his coaches’ respect and put himself in position for one of the final roster spots because of his work ethic and versatility. “For Ryan Jensen to play two and three spots the way he did,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. “It’s not really how you plan it, sometimes you’re forced to planning out the guys can do more than sometimes you think they can do.”