Ravens shuffle offensive line, starting Patrick Mekari at center and Ben Powers at right guard

The Ravens benched center Matt Skura, who struggled with snaps for two consecutive games, in favor of Patrick Mekari in Sunday’s 30-24 overtime loss at home to the Tennessee Titans.

Mekari started his first game at center since last season’s playoff loss to the Titans. Last season, he started six games, including the playoffs, after Skura was lost for the season to a severe knee injury in Week 12. Mekari had started three games at right guard this season and shifted to right tackle in place of D.J. Fluker in the second half of last Sunday’s loss to the New England Patriots.

Second-year player Ben Powers got the start at right guard, the first of his career. Powers, a 2019 fourth-round draft pick, played the entire second half at right guard against the Patriots.

Fluker returned to start at right tackle, while Orlando Brown Jr. and Bradley Bozeman got the start at left tackle and left guard, respectively. Skura played several snaps Sunday, lining up as an extra blocker.

On the Ravens’ third possession, Will Holden, who was elevated to the active roster, took Fluker’s place at right tackle and the two split snaps. The 27-year-old Holden, a 2017 fifth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals, entered Sunday with seven starts in 11 games.

The Ravens, using their fourth starting offensive line combination this season, rushed for 129 yards on 33 carries, an average of 3.9 yards per attempt. Quarterback Lamar Jackson was sacked just once, but it came at a pivotal point during the team’s sole possession in overtime, a three-and-out drive that led to running back Derrick Henry’s game-winning 29-yard touchdown run.

“It’s really hard to say without seeing [the tape],” coach John Harbaugh said of the offensive line’s play. “I wasn’t watching them specifically the whole game in terms of evaluation. I think they played serviceable, at the least, and then we’ll see on tape and we’ll find out.”

Against the Patriots, Skura sent an errant fourth-down snap to running back Mark Ingram II, who was unable to corral the ball. Skura also misfired on a late fourth-quarter snap to Jackson as the Ravens were attempting to mount a comeback. Skura had similar problems early in the team’s Week 9 win over the Indianapolis Colts. The TV broadcast noted that Skura had a cut on his thumb but Skura was never listed on the team’s injury report.

In his return from the knee injury he suffered in November 2019, Skura has struggled to regain his form. Entering Sunday, he graded out as the sixth-worst center among 39 qualifying players, according to Pro Football Focus.

“It is a little different,” Brown said of the changes along the offensive line. “It’s something that we obviously practiced with all week so we were prepared for it. I think Will Holden and D.J. Fluker — I didn’t get a chance to obviously watch the film yet — from what I’ve seen, I think they handled their own really well.”