John Harbaugh discusses Ronnie Stanley’s struggles this season

The Baltimore Ravens are sitting pretty as the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a 9-3 record through 12 weeks of the season.

It is hard to find many weaknesses on such a talented roster, but if there is one glaring spot of concern for a Ravens team with Super Bowl aspirations, it would have to be the level of play at the left tackle position. Veteran left tackle Ronnie Stanley has been in and out of the lineup with injuries this season, and his play while on the field has left much to be desired from a player with a $23.6 million cap hit this year.

Stanley returned to the lineup in Week 12 to face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football after missing the previous game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a knee injury. Stanley allowed a team-high six pressures against a Chargers’ pass rush that was missing their top edge rusher Joey Bosa. Stanley also collected two penalties during the game.

During his Monday press conference, Head Coach John Harbaugh was asked how beneficial the upcoming bye week would be for Stanley as he continues to nurse a knee injury.

“I do think that it’s going to be beneficial for him,” Harbaugh said. “It’s something that’s been … It’s not been great. I think he’d probably be the first person to tell you it’s not been great. He needs to get stronger and get his technique right. He needs to get out at practice and keep growing back into … He’s a great player. We want to get him back into playing at that high level.”

According to PFF, Stanley has allowed 28 pressures and four sacks in his eight games this season. This level of play is a far cry from the elite pass blocker Baltimore inked to a five-year, $98.7 million contract extension in 2020 — mere days before Stanley suffered a career-altering ankle injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With a slate of elite edge rushers on the horizon to finish the regular season, the Ravens will need more from their highly-paid left tackle. If Stanley cannot improve as he gets healthier down the stretch, Baltimore may need to turn to backup swing tackle Patrick Mekari.