Heading into the game against the Cowboys in Dallas, I was very concerned about the right side of the Ravens offensive line. What would Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken do to slow the Cowboys pass rush, particularly Micah Parsons, if the Ravens were forced into 3rd and long situations? And of even bigger concern, how would right guard Daniel Faalele respond (assuming he started) if Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer schemed up stunts to force Faalele into one-on-one situations with the Dallas’ 3-time All Pro edge defender?
Fortunately, the Ravens were able to run all over the Cowboys. Third-and-long situations were rare, so opportunities to expose the offensive line project were few and far between.
Faalele didn’t have a stellar game and there’s a way to go before we can all be regularly comfortable with him as a starter, but as RSR’s Cole Jackson highlights in the video below, the behemoth interior lineman corrected a few flaws that we’ve seen during the first two games and consequently, contributed to the Ravens overall offensive output.
One of the best qualities any player possesses, is the willingness to put in the work to improve for the benefit of his team. If Week 3 is any indication, Daniel Faalele has taken a step forward. Now it’s time for him to stack similar performances and make the necessary corrections to take his game to the next level.
Our Week 3 recipient of The Big Crab Cake (in this case, the Colossal Crab Cake) is none other than the second-year offensive lineman from the University of Minnesota via Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, is Daniel Faalele.
One Response
Yup give credit, progress is progress. I have to admit I was hoping to see Cleveland get some snaps but Faalele showed improvement. Let’s hope that continues against the Bills. Dallas ranks last in opponent rushing yards. Bills are 16. (Ravens are 1). So next week should be a next-step challenge in terms of run blocking. I never worried extensively about pass blocking with this group. It was more the lack of push.