It seemed like a scene from a really good football movie. Two veterans go down with injuries, both the starter and the backup, and the rookie must swoop in and save the day. The Baltimore Ravens suddenly found themselves navigating a most unusual situation during Sunday's dramatic victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro.
Starting center Jovaughn Gwyn exited with an injury. Backup center Ethan Pocic followed him to the sideline.We learned later that both will be out for a while. That left Baltimore with few options and forced rookie offensive lineman Vega Ioane to move from right guard to center in the middle of a tightly contested game.
The circumstances could have rattled an inexperienced player. Instead, Ioane stepped in and helped
the Ravens finish a thrilling 34-31 victory.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Ioane revealed the message Lamar Jackson delivered when Baltimore's offensive line situation became chaotic. The rookie expressed that Jackson's calm approach helped steady Baltimore during one of its most chaotic moments of the season.
"It is not really much of what Lamar did. It is what he did not do. He came in, and he said, 'All right, let's go play ball.' He kept it cool and calm. It is a good thing for somebody, especially like me, a rookie, in a moment like that with a lot of things going wrong, but there is no need to hype the moment up. He just kept it calm and said, 'Let's go play ball.'"
The Ravens could have easily unraveled, but they didn't. Instead, they adapted on the fly and found a way to win. Ioane credited offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford and his teammates for helping him survive the transition. He admitted center presents a significantly different challenge than guard because of the communication responsibilities, protection calls, and defensive identifications required before every snap.
"I would say making the calls, IDs and things like that [are most difficult]. Center is definitely a hard job to do."
Fortunately for Baltimore, the rookie had at least some prior experience. Ioane explained that his college offensive line coach regularly had him work on quarterback-center exchanges before practices, a habit that helped prepare him for Sunday's emergency.
Now, instead of being thrown into the role unexpectedly, Ioane has an entire week to prepare. He's working at center during practice this week.
"It is a big thing. I have a full week of trying to learn center, going into it and making sure that I have my calls right with all four guys across the line, including myself."
With Gwyn reportedly expected to miss significant time and Pocic also sidelined, Ioane's versatility may become one of Baltimore's most valuable assets moving forward. If Sunday's performance was any indication, having Jackson calmly telling everyone to "go play ball" is a good place to start.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Vega Ioane reveals Lamar Jackson's reassuring message in win
