Ravens Continue To Lead The League In Offensive Penalties, Creating Issues For New Offensive Line

if they keep falling behind the sticks with their issues at the line of scrimmage, it's going to cost them more than just yards over time

Sep 20, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) and defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd (93) sack Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) in the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Ravens issues with penalties on offense this week is actually more acute than ever. Worse even than a year ago.

Head coach Jesse Minter hasn’t mentioned the problem himself this week and is probably okay with not being asked about it for once, but it must be driving him mad in the meeting rooms.

The transition to rookie offensive coordinator Declan Doyle’s system has not been smooth, we were banking on being flag-filled, and now, with another brand-new, first time offensive line against one of the most powerful defensive tackles in football, in Jeffery Simmons, there is reason for the concern to be heightened heading into Sunday. About the health of two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson and otherwise.

The center, rookie guard Vega Ioane, has never snapped a full game before and isn’t really a center, one of the guards is threatening to lead the league on false starts (highly-paid John Simpson), while the other wasn’t deemed good enough to play anymore on last year’s poor offensive line. Doyle is still sorting through a lot, the clutch operation and execution (goal-to-go, short-yardage situations) has been iffy, and given the injury and personnel situation, the margins are getting slimmer.

Lest you forget, Minter was probed about the rash of injuries a week ago – they remained a problem on offense against Dallas in Brazil – and wasn’t in the mood to use all the newness as an excuse.

"I would say it is a major point of emphasis,” Minter said heading into the Dallas game.” Right now, we have too many — I would say — operational penalties on offense. To have the lazy excuse of, 'Well, it is a new offense, and we have all these new things, new players, new cadences' — that would be a lazy excuse.

“So, it is a major, major point of emphasis. We are not getting set sometimes when we are going quicker; so, a receiver is moving his feet, we are snapping the ball and it goes from second-and-1 to first-and-15 — [there were a] couple instances like that.”

Still A Problem

Against the Cowboys, the Ravens committed six offensive penalties, second-most in the NFL in Week 3, continuing a disturbing trend. Getting into first-and-15 and second-and-20, given the construct of this offensive and it’s limitations in pass protection even before the injuries struck, is a recipe for disaster and the perfect scenario for Simmons to wreck the game.

On the season the Ravens have 26 penalties, fourth-most in the NFL. But, again, this is really a problem on one side of the ball. Their 18 offensive penalties are tied for the most in the NFL and explain why, as a team, Ravens have a +10 penalty differential, 3rd highest in football in a category you do not want to lead in.

Their offensive total penalty Expected Points Added is -4.19 (29th in the NFL) and its been most acute on passing plays (-5.28 EPA, third-worst in the NFL). It’s only natural to expect some jitters from this group on Sunday, even with the game at home, but another half-dozen penalties on that side of the ball is a great way to keep a heavy underdog like the Browns in the game.

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