Welcome to Baltimore Beatdown Week 12 Mailbag! Please keep sending in your questions and comments on this and other posts. Do not worry if your question isn’t listed. It is likely that we will use your question in a future Mailbag. Continue reading to find out what our staff has to say about the Ravens.

How can we fix the O’line problem? Harbaugh will he change anything someday? What’s Ben Cleveland doing at practice that’s so bad that he won’t make the starting lineup? Jack AKA Potato Jones: Is it possible for Cleveland to look even more lost than Faalele in practice? Do you know how Emery Jones looked during practice? Does his play justify the Ravens’ decision to not replace Faalele with him? (Thezone27)

It’s not surprising that there are so many questions regarding the offensive line. The Ravens have been unable to overcome this weakness, particularly the interior trio of pass protectors. You alluded to this in your questions. The most obvious solution is a personnel switch. This would mean replacing Daniel Faalele by Ben Cleveland and Emery Jones.

Faalele is best at blocking. His inability to lock onto defenders is the main problem. I think that continuing Faalele’s play with its high variation is counterintuitive for the rest of the offensive. The offensive will run more smoothly if the right guard can consistently perform.

Cleveland is a player who has always been able to deliver when asked to play. These opportunities often came off the bench which is a difficult situation for offensive linesmen. He also has shown to be a player who is reliable in terms of executing his tasks and acquiring different pressure packages. I like that he loses very slowly. In my opinion, however, he’s not had a chance to start in years. Cleveland’s best play has been at right guard, so he deserves a chance.

Jones’ situation has become a little more complex. The Ravens hoped that Jones would be able to recover much faster from his shoulder surgery and compete for the starting guard position. He didn’t start practicing until Week 5, and he needed time to get acclimated with the new offense, as well as to ramp up his physical strength. He may progress quickly enough to earn playing time but in the end, it feels unlikely. Faalele is still with the Ravens at this stage, and it’s possible they are hoping that he can make some late-season improvements like he did back in 2024. – Nikhil Mehta

Why is Aeneas in Harbaugh’s doghouse so deep? (Phkiernan)

I am a firm believer that Harbaugh’s doghouse is still there. But I will say that Fub doesn’t belong there. Harbaugh’s explanation of Peebles is logical to me. The Ravens’ pass rush right now is largely a scheme. It involves lining up defensive backs like Trent Simpson, Trente’Mont Jones and Kyle Hamilton in odd spots, while sending others to the quarterback. The Ravens must set up third-and-long to make this work. To do this, you must stuff the run. This defense will be successful if it can keep a large number of linemen who stuff the run fresh and healthy. In 2024 they had a natural running stuffing unit, so they didn’t require much extra help. In 2025, that’s not going to be the case. It’s important to make a concerted effort to stop the run. Peebles is left on the outside, as he’s not a great run defender. – Zach Canter

How can the Ravens improve the red zone offense, besides a change in the offensive line to enhance the inside running? (Spruce35)

Spreading it out is something the Ravens don’t seem to do a lot in the red area. Henry or sprint-out plays are their favorite. Ravens fans have been annoyed by the sprint out play, but I remember that they used to be very effective. Right now I don’t believe they work well because teams aren’t focusing on Jackson’s legs and staying at home. I think the Ravens are deliberately not using Jackson’s leg in the red zones, so my next option is to spread the offense out. Red zone targets such as Andrews, Bateman and Likely outside the box while Henry is an option.

Lamar Jackson, to me, is the best quarterback I’ve seen in red zones. Remember that he started his career with an incredible streak of not having intercepted a pass in the red area. My head would go to spreading it out, and letting him choose what he wants to do. – Zach Canter

Does John Harbaugh have a job if the Ravens win AFC North/make it to the playoffs? (RavensDylan)

I believe so. Harbaugh’s departure is only possible if he leaves on his terms, or if he has a total disaster (such as missing the playoffs). I think that as long we continue to make the playoffs, he won’t be leaving. Mark Myers