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Baltimore Ravens: 5 Matchups to Watch vs. Buffalo Bills

By Joe Serpico

Dec 6, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy (25) looks on as quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) runs the ball during the second half against the Houston Texans at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Buffalo beat Houston 30-21. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy (25) looks on as quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) runs the ball during the second half against the Houston Texans at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Buffalo beat Houston 30-21. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ronnie Stanley vs. Rex Ryan’s Defense

Jun 14, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens tackle Ronnie Stanley (79) sets up to block during the first day of minicamp sessions at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 14, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens tackle Ronnie Stanley (79) sets up to block during the first day of minicamp sessions at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

For all the grief that fans gave the team for choosing Ronnie Stanley with the No. 6 pick, he has been the best first round rookie of the preseason. Don’t take my word for it. This comes from Pro Football Focus themselves:

“If I had to pick one first-round pick who’s looked the most impressive this preseason, it would have to be Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley. We’ve seen over the past few years how difficult it is making the jump from college to the pros along the offensive line, but Stanley has been as clean as can be. In three games, he allowed one lone pressure, and that’s running against first-team defenses. Obviously it’s a limited sample size, but it looks like the Ravens picked themselves a good one.”

Baltimore better hope Stanley us up for the task because the regular season is a different beast, and Rex Ryan is going to attack the rookie early and often. He has a tendency to overload parts of the offensive line and hope to force linemen into mistakes. For a rookie protecting the blind side of a quarterback coming off a knee injury, that could be a recipe for disaster.

The Ravens figure to keep a tight end alongside Stanley in his first NFL action to chip pass rushers as left guard could be manned by rookie Alex Lewis. Rex is going to bring pressure to cause confusion and we will see how Stanley holds up in his first regular season game.

Next: Who Makes the Big Plays?

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