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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Baltimore Ravens dropped to 4-3 on Sunday with a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
They blew a 13-0 lead at halftime in a shocking 35-13 defeat to a division rival, leaving them now 0-2 against AFC North opponents this season. More concerning, the Ravens are still without Lamar Jackson and have been outscored 48-0 in the second halves of their last two games, both of which resulted in losses. Their next challenge is a crucial AFC clash against the Bills in Buffalo on Sunday.
Baltimore's loss against Cincinnati came with another setback on the offensive line as well. First-round rookie guard Vega Ioane suffered an MCL sprain against the Bengals and is expected to miss some time, according to NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. The injury is considered short-term, but an exact return date has not yet been established.
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Ioane was the Ravens' first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, selected 14th overall out of Penn State. The 6-foot-4, 326-pound guard was expected to strengthen the interior of Baltimore's offensive line, a unit that struggled last season, and he's quickly lived up to those expectations. He started the year at right guard but moved to center after injuries to Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic. Ioane returned to guard on Sunday after the team traded for Eagles Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens, and he hasn't missed a game yet this season, playing 89% of the team's offensive snaps, with just two penalties on the year.
Ioane left the Bengals game near the end of the first quarter and didn't return, adding another injury to the Ravens' offensive line, and potentially the most damaging, as the star rookie had become the team's most reliable lineman.
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The timing is far from ideal for Baltimore. After the Bills on Sunday, the Ravens will host the Jaguars just four days later. Those are games against two of the best teams in the league this season, and both games will be crucial for Baltimore to keep pace in a competitive AFC. Losing Ioane could make it harder to get the running game and pass protection back on track, with pressure mounting on Jackson to return from his ankle injury.
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