Ravens: Should There Be Major Concerns Surrounding Eugene Monroe's Concussion?

Baltimore Ravens left tackle Eugene Monroe suffered a concussion in the first half in week 1 against the Denver Broncos and hasn't returned to the field since. Now with the Ravens preparing to play a very important AFC North showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals, Monroe's status to play in week 3 is still up in the air.

Monroe did not practice on Wednesday or on Thursday which means the Ravens are likely planning for backup left tackle James Hurst to start in place of Monroe this Sunday. Hurst over the last season with the Ravens has shown some skills in pass protection but he has also shown tendencies to be dominated by superior pro bowl caliber pass rushers, as was the case in week 1 against Denver. Facing the Bengals front four on defense this week, Hurst again will be facing superior talent, which will present an another challenge for him.

Since Hurst is most likely going to start in week 3, it would be nice to see if the Ravens learned their lesson from week 1 against the Denver Broncos where they didn't bother to chip a pass rusher with a tight end or running back. They really didn't bother to use screens to slow down the pass rush against the Broncos either, or even use max protection. The Ravens really don't have a choice but to open up their playbook a bit more offensively against the Bengals.