Mink: The Ravens did try out a different left guard. They gave rookie Emery Jones Jr. a shot there during the Thanksgiving game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Jones played 16 snaps in a rotation with Andrew Vorhees.
The Ravens dove into that tape afterwards and determined that Jones did not play better than Vorhees or Daniel Faalele did at right guard. Head Coach John Harbaugh said Jones played "OK."
"It wasn't better than either one of the other two guys in [his] first game – he didn't outplay those guys," Harbaugh said Monday. "So, you go into the game with your best guys that you feel are playing the best, you have to meet players where they're at.
"That's not to say he couldn't get more time this week, based on what happens in practice or how guys are doing health-wise and those sort of things, but that's where it was at. Emery's doing great. He's in a great place; I love where he is at. I think if he went out there, he'd compete like crazy, and I think he'd play great. I would trust him to go play great. But, based on that performance, you couldn't say it was better or even the same."
Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades back up Harbaugh's evaluation. Faalele had a 72.9 grade against the Bengals, Vorhees had a 63.3, and Jones scored a 47.9.
It was Jones' first game of his career, so there's no doubt that he'll get better with more experience. Like Harbaugh said, maybe that could happen this week against the Bengals again.
But the Ravens are not in experimental mode. They're not going to insert Jones in and say, "Let's see what happens." They're going to determine who plays based on what they see both in games and practice. Perhaps veteran practice squad addition Laken Tomlinson could become a factor, though he's most likely a depth replacement for suspended Ben Cleveland.
There's room for improvement at both guard spots. There were some rough moments against the Steelers and there were some good moments, too. You have to go with the best combination that you have, and the Ravens have felt that's Vorhees and Faalele. It's going to take someone playing better than them to replace them.
Brown: That's an excellent question, and Harbaugh wasn't satisfied with the explanations he received from the NFL office on Monday.
"It's about as clear as mud right now. That's how I feel about it," Harbaugh said on Monday.
Likely’s potential go-ahead touchdown that was overturned could have changed the outcome of Sunday's game, but we'll never know.
It's not often that you see three pivotal calls go against the same team in one game. But that's what happened to the Ravens when Likely's catch and Teddye Buchanan's interception were overturned, and Jones was wrongly whistled for an unnecessary roughness penalty that led to a Steelers' touchdown on the next play.
The league admitted on Monday that the unnecessary roughness penalty on Jones should not have been called. I believe the NFL will take a harder look at its catch, no-catch rules during the offseason. Unfortunately for the Ravens, that's not going to change what happened on Sunday.
Brown: You're right, all three are important, but Zay Flowers still has a year remaining on his contract after this season, and Baltimore can pick up his fifth-year option to tack on another year. The sense of urgency with him is not as great because he can play in 2026 under his current deal.
However, Tyler Linderbaum and Travis Jones are pending free agents who are deserving of long-term contracts. I'm sure the Ravens would love to re-sign both, but they've earned lucrative deals and it will be difficult for the Ravens to keep either if they hit the free agent market.
Linderbaum is one of the league's top centers, a two-time Pro Bowler, entering his prime years. His departure would heighten concern about the interior offensive line.
Jones is having his best season and has played a career-high 67% of the defensive snaps. He's proven he can handle a heavier load after Nnamdi Madubuike's season-ending neck injury, and defensive tackles with his talent aren't easy to find.
I'd love to see the Ravens re-sign Jones and Linderbaum - hard-working, talented, and durable players. But if Linderbaum departs, the Ravens might be able to find a reliable center via free agency or the draft if second-year player Corey Bullock doesn't develop into a starter. I think Jones' departure would leave a bigger void because of his versatility at the position he plays. With the uncertainty surrounding Madubuike's future, that makes Jones even more critical to re-sign.
