OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens' plan at center continues to evolve nearly seven months after three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum departed in free agency.
Baltimore lost another option at the position when Danny Pinter suffered a season-ending injury during training camp. Jovaughn Gwyn then won the starting job out of training camp but sustained an ankle injury against the Dallas Cowboys that is expected to sideline him for an extended period. His backup, Ethan Pocic, also suffered a knee injury in the same game, forcing Vega Ioane into action at center.
Ioane, a first-round draft pick who was selected to play right guard, was moved to the middle of the offensive line last week and is now preparing to make his first NFL start at center.
Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said the adjustment will require support from the entire offense, including quarterback Lamar Jackson.
"We are going with a guy who has never really played center at a high level yet," Doyle said. "Everybody else has to lift their communication [and] their level of play. We all are responsible to cover for where the shortcomings are. Whether that is Lamar [Jackson], whether that is myself and being able to ask him to do things that he can handle, or the rest of the players elevating their play, we all have a hand in picking each other up and trying to make sure that what we put out there on Sunday is something that is our brand that we are proud of."
On the defensive side of the ball, the Ravens are looking to clean up tackling issues that surfaced in key moments against Dallas.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver acknowledged that tackling opportunities are limited outside of games but said the team must improve, especially in crucial situations.
"You’re constantly trying to preach the little things in practice in terms of angles, approach, not slowing down and just shooting your gun when the opportunity presents itself," Weaver said. "I don’t think we’ve been terrible. We’ve just had, in some critical moments, we’ve missed tackles, particularly on third down, that could have gotten us off the field. So, if we can improve there, which we will, I only see us growing and continuing to get better each and every game."
The Ravens will host an 0-3 Tennessee Titans team that has struggled offensively through the first three games of the season.
Baltimore is also aiming to reverse a troubling trend at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens have dropped their last four home games dating back to last season, something safety Kyle Hamilton said has been a point of emphasis for the team.
"That's a big thing coming into the season that Jesse [Minter] talked about, protecting our home turf," Hamilton said. "That's something that we have failed to do in recent history. We want the stadium rocking. We want fans that support us and have confidence in us and believe in us and give them a reason to come out and be loud and have stuff to cheer for at the game and leave that stadium happy."
Kickoff between the Ravens and Titans is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
