Mike Preston: Ravens' Jesse Minter still learning on the job

BALTIMORE — This season has gone as expected, even in only three games.

The Ravens beat Indianapolis convincingly in the season opener, were upset by New Orleans in Week 2, and then survived a poorly coached Dallas Cowboys team, 34-31, last weekend in Brazil. Baltimore is 2-1, but that’s much better than 1-2.

The “shake-up,” which was suggested nearly a month ago, continues as the Ravens host Tennessee on Sunday. The Titans are scary because they haven’t won yet. They’ll eventually win two, maybe three games.

But it’s less about Tennessee than it is about the Ravens. First-year coach Jesse Minter is still going through a growth spurt, which is part of the process.

“I don’t really like the word comfortable, because I don’t think you’re ever comfortable,” Minter said. “I challenge the coaches every week to be better in our processes of how we get guys ready to play, be better in our processes of how we game plan. I think especially when you have new coordinators with new position coaches that haven’t worked together, it does take time for that to really gel and to make sure that the process of preparing is the best that it can be. That’s what we’re chasing.

“I do think we have a bunch of really good players. I think we’re figuring out where guys fit best and what they do best as we go, which is going to obviously be an ongoing thing. But yes, I don’t think there’s ever a comfort in any of that stuff.”

Maybe after five or six games, Minter will have more definite plans, but he is still shuffling players and devising schemes. While he chooses to speak more about the Ravens’ offensive problems, it’s the defense that has been exploited.

The Cowboys have explosive weapons in receivers George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb, and Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott completed 25 of 40 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown against Baltimore. The Ravens are ranked 14th in both total and rush defense, allowing 398.7 total yards and 167.3 rushing yards per game. Dallas running back Javonte Williams rushed 19 times for 98 yards.

That’s embarrassing.

So one of the major focuses this week will be tackling, which has been atrocious so far.

“If you miss, it’s OK. Your other guys are going to be there. Right now, we’re playing in a way where [there is] one missed tackle, and other guys are reacting to that, rather than like, ‘Man, we need 11 hats at the ball every play,' ” Minter said. “I feel really good about the direction that’s going. We’ve had a couple of good meetings to shake some things out with the defense. But again, it will be how we play on Sunday. It’s easy to talk about what we’re going to do. It’s an action-based solution that we’re looking for right now. [We are] just one day in. [I am] happy with the way the guys responded and how we practiced that today.”

It’s been a season of ups and downs, with more of a positive upswing. But safety Kyle Hamilton questioned the Ravens after the game, suggesting the offense shouldn’t have to score 30 points to win.

He was correct, and maybe some of the former first- and second-round draft picks in recent years need to step up, like safety Malaki Starks, the first-round pick out of Georgia in his second season, or outside linebackers Mike Green (second season) and Zion Young (rookie).

They have time to grow, but the Ravens need them to step up fast. The same can be said for veteran middle linebacker Roquan Smith, who leads the team in tackles with 28 but is more of a free-roaming, fast-runner type than Ray Lewis, who could shock and shed as well as run. The Ravens have to find ways to keep opposing offensive linemen off Smith and get more out of veterans like outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson (four tackles) and safety Jaylinn Hawkins (14).

Time has become more important now with every team in the AFC North sitting at 2-1 through Week 3. The season is down to 14 games.

Offensively, quarterback Lamar Jackson looks comfortable, and the Ravens got a big jolt Sunday with the return of slot receiver Zay Flowers, whose speed opens up space over the middle. But injuries have hampered the offensive line, with three centers suffering long-term injuries: Danny Pinter, Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic.

At least veteran left tackle Ronnie Stanley was on the practice field Wednesday, and rookie right guard Vega Ioane is expected to start at center, where he played just 17 snaps at Penn State.

“No matter where it is, it is just like we will never stop putting in that work getting ready for the game,” Ioane said. “It is nonstop hours of coaching on little things of this and that. I would say making the calls, IDs, and things like that. Center is definitely a hard job.”

But if receiver Rashod Bateman steps up, it will make it easier for Flowers. If the Ravens could find a blocking tight end, they might be able to run both Jackson and running back Derrick Henry off the corner or the edge. But it still comes down to the learning curve.

The Titans are in that state with new coach Robert Saleh, 47, even though he compiled a 20-36 record as New York Jets coach from 2021 through 2024. Tennessee hired new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who coached the New York Giants from 2022 through last season.

“If we can stay out of our own way, how good could we be, really, in all three phases?” Minter said. “That starts with me and just the plan and our processes of how we get to everything.”

Minter never becomes comfortable, and maybe that’s a good thing.

Of course, like everything else in the NFL, it all comes down to wins and losses.