Bryant McKinnie’s time as the Ravens starting left tackle may be drawing to a close, but he’ll have one more Sunday on quarterback Joe Flacco’s blind side.
Eugene Monroe, acquired in a trade with the Jaguars this week, is inactive for the Ravens on Sunday. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Friday that Monroe’s comfort level with the offense would help guide the decision, so the new Raven may not yet feel comfortable with the new scheme. That means McKinnie will start and play the entire way, barring injury, against the Dolphins.
McKinnine will spend most of the day tussling with Olivier Vernon and Dion Jordan off the edge for the Dolphins. Right tackle Michael Oher’s dance card will feature a lot of Cameron Wake. The Dolphins defensive end is active after missing last week’s game with a knee injury and being listed as questionable for this week.
If Wake’s close to full speed, Flacco may need to get rid of the ball quickly to avoid getting hit. With just three healthy wide receivers, the Ravens may also make running back Ray Rice the target for more of those passes than he was in last week’s loss to Buffalo.