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Read on for the full wrap of all our countrymen playing in the NFL right here!<\/p>\n
DANIEL FAALELE (Right guard, Baltimore Ravens)<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with Daniel Faalele, who has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons recently and whose poor play is creating a storm on social media.<\/p>\n
The Ravens right guard has been a constant target of criticism this season and while honestly some of it on social media has bordered on bullying, the actual analysis has for the most part been accurate. <\/p>\n
There have been countless moments where Faalele has either looked lost out on the field<\/a>, missed his blocking assignment or been beaten by either speed off the line<\/a> or pure physicality<\/a>, with a string of examples often going viral online.<\/p>\n He hasn\u2019t been helped by the fact that the Ravens offensive line as a whole has struggled all season long, but Faalele in particular has come under scrutiny.<\/p>\n It was warranted on the weekend, with Faalele credited by Pro Football Focus with four pressures allowed while he scored the offensive line\u2019s lowest grade (45.3) in pass protection.<\/p>\n Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he thought both guards Faalele and Andrew Vorhees played \u201cexceptionally well\u201d in the run game but that they were \u201ctoo consistent\u201d in the pass game.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery player has plays they want back,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cI can think of one where Daniel was hard-setting, like a hard-play action where it was more of a drop-back pass type of protection, he got overextended and got beat like that. <\/p>\n \u201cThat really shouldn\u2019t happen. He should be setting a different way there \u2014 he knows that. So, that was a mistake, (but) lots of other times, it was good.\u201d<\/p>\n Rodgers inspired Steelers beat Ravens | 01:29<\/p>\n Harbaugh is right that Faalele has had some nice moments in run blocking throughout the year, but his pass protection in particular has left a lot to be desired at times. <\/p>\n It has left an injured and underdone Lamar Jackson scrambling to extend plays or sacked in the backfield for a loss, with the Ravens quarterback even spotted having a heated discussion with the Australian in their latest loss to the Steelers.<\/p>\n \u201cSome frustration brewing on the Ravens sideline after that interception,\u201d Tracy Wolfson reported.<\/p>\n \u201cLamar threw his helmet, he then had a talk with Daniel Faalele, who said \u2018They know it\u2019s coming every time\u2019 and then Zay Flowers came over as well and added to the discussion. It\u2019s all hands on deck to try get this offence going.\u201d<\/p>\n Baltimore Banner columnist Kyle Goon, meanwhile, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that there was a crowd of reporters waiting by Faalele\u2019s locker after the Steelers game but that the media policy is that the media generally can\u2019t talk to players before they are fully dressed.<\/p>\n According to Goon, a shirtless Faalele took his shirt in his hand and nodded to reporters before walking off and not returning for questions. <\/p>\n The Athletic\u2019s Baltimore beat writer, Jeff Zrebiec, recently wrote<\/a> that Faalele is \u201cby far the most-maligned\u201d player on the Ravens roster.<\/p>\n So, is it fair? Well, it depends who you ask. As Zrebiec went on to point out, if you asked most Ravens fans you would be told \u2014 among other things \u2014 that Faalele is \u201cthe sole reason the Ravens will not win the Super Bowl, the sole reason Lamar Jackson has battled a litany of injuries for the past two months and the sole reason this Ravens offence bears little resemblance to the highly productive ones from the recent past\u201d.<\/p>\n Chiefs stars bulllied in Texans loss | 04:01<\/p>\n Zrebiec wrote that \u201csome\u201d of the criticism of Faalele, who was an incredibly raw prospect when he first entered the NFL, is fair.<\/p>\n \u201cFaalele, a converted tackle, has had his fair share of struggles since becoming a starter last year,\u201d Zrebiec added.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has some really good reps, but those are glossed over in favour of the plays where he\u2019s on the ground, a step behind or blocking air. It\u2019s just a mixed bag with him and the lows are really low. <\/p>\n \u201cHowever, it also needs to be said that the entire offensive line has not played up to its potential this year and that includes the accomplished duo of Ronnie Stanley and Tyler Linderbaum. And really, the criticism is better directed toward the front office, which hasn\u2019t found a guard they believe is better than Faalele and Andrew Vorhees.\u201d<\/p>\n That is a very valid point as while Faalele has struggled, some of the blame has to go towards Harbaugh and the rest of the coaching staff for continuing to play him and not exploring other options.<\/p>\n Daniel Faalele has become a punching bag. Rob Carr\/Getty Images\/AFPSource: AFP<\/p>\n Admittedly, there aren\u2019t many options and that is a major issue the Ravens will need to address in the offseason while reserve offensive lineman Ben Cleveland was just suspended three games for violating the league\u2019s substance abuse policy, further limiting the alternatives available to Harbaugh. <\/p>\n There was never a guarantee when Faalele first entered the league that he was going to be a success despite his size and while he still has the physical make-up to continue developing into a better player, he is now in his fourth season and the Ravens are desperate to capitalise on their Super Bowl window with Jackson and Derrick Henry at running back.<\/p>\n