Story by
Can Carson Vinson Hold Up in His First NFL Start?
- Story by
- Can Carson Vinson Hold Up in His First NFL Start?
Ronnie Stanley has been ruled out of Sunday's Week 3 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys , leaving sophomore offensive tackle Carson Vinson in line to take his place. Vinson made a brief appearance against the New Orleans Saints , allowing two pressures on 13 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus writer Gordon McGuinness.
Dallas' defense has been bad to start the season, ranking 30th in defensive EPA per play, 28th in yards allowed per game and 29th in sack rate, according to NFL Savant. That should give Vinson an excellent chance to settle into his first start and improve on what was an uneven showing against New Orleans .
Advertisement
Outmatched In His First Opportunity
Jan 28, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; American team offensive lineman Carson Vinson of Alabama A&M (76) spars with American team defensive lineman Kyle Kennard of South Carolina (9) during Senior Bowl practice for the American team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
Vinson had a difficult assignment after stepping in at left tackle, with Chase Young lined up across from him on many of his snaps. One rep in particular ended poorly. With 56 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Lamar Jackson took the snap from shotgun as Young attacked Vinson with a bull rush and powered through him toward the quarterback. Pete Werner arrived first, but Young was not far behind. To Vinson's credit, he got his hands extended early in an attempt to slow the rush. The problem was his placement; his hands landed too high, allowing Young to wrench them out of position and continue driving through him.
Advertisement
Another rep where Vinson struggled came with 1:21 remaining in the fourth quarter. This time, he started with better hand placement and got both hands into Young's chest. The problem was sustaining that leverage. Young worked his arms around Vinson's shoulders, walked him back toward Jackson and disengaged with a swim move to give chase. Jackson was forced to scramble and rush a throw on the move that sailed incomplete out of bounds.
It is difficult to put too much blame on Vinson for these reps. Chase Young is a high-level NFL pass rusher, while Vinson has very little experience dealing with defenders of that caliber. That does not completely excuse the mistakes, though. If Vinson continues to struggle with power or maintaining proper hand placement against a less imposing Dallas pass rush, Baltimore will have even more reason to hope Stanley can return quickly.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
