Ravens must evaluate center position

The Baltimore Ravens now sit at 5-5 after a loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon.

There are many reasons why the Ravens dropped this game, such as a defense that ultimately couldn't hang with a dynamic young offense, and their offense that simply couldn't get anything going for much of the contest. However, there is a big reason why the Ravens offense played so poorly: the fact that they kept beating themselves with penalties.

Specifically, center Jeremy Zuttah seemed hell bent on sending his unit backwards, individually killing three separate drives with two holding penalties and a personal foul. It isn't only Zuttah’s reckless approach that is costing the offense; his play on the field hasn't exactly been stellar either.

Going all the way back to Week 1, his performance against the Buffalo Bills was shaky at best. Since then, his poor play has been masked by the offensive line regressing as a unit, but on a day when the left and right sides both were solid, Zuttah’s struggles were on full display.

If he can't turn it around soon, the Ravens may want to look for some fresh blood at the position in order to protect Joe Flacco, and also find some consistency in the running game. In the meantime, head coach John Harbaugh would be wise to challenge Zuttah to play with some more discipline.

If he doesn't, the Ravens can expect more of the same from what is proving to be a pitiful offensive unit.