The Ravens left Brazil with a victory and potential serious injury concerns at the center position.
Starting center Jovaughn Gwyn suffered an ankle injury and was carted to the locker room during Baltimore’s 34-31 win over Dallas. He was listed as questionable to return but did not reenter. Backup center Ethan Pocic subsequently went down, forcing Baltimore to turn to first-round rookie Olaivavega Ioane. The Ravens’ starting right guard practiced snaps on the sideline before moving to center for the final offensive possessions.
Baltimore managed to survive. Lamar Jackson connected with Matthew Hibner for the go-ahead touchdown while Ioane was handling the snaps, and Tyler Loop eventually delivered the winning field goal.
The larger concern extends
beyond Sunday. Moving Ioane to center weakens two positions because Baltimore would have to replace him at right guard. The Ravens also entered the game without starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley, adding stress to an offensive line that struggled in several short-yardage situations.
The severity of Gwyn’s and Pocic’s injuries will determine Baltimore’s next move. If either is expected to miss time, Eric DeCosta could explore the free-agent market or add a center to the practice squad.
Baltimore hosts Tennessee in Week 4, leaving little time to reconstruct the interior of the offensive line.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens may need to add a center after injuries devastate depth chart
