Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken is standing firmly behind his starting right guard Daniel Faalele after a preseason play drew criticism on social media.
The backlash stemmed from Thursday night’s preseason opener, when Indianapolis Colts DT Adetomiwa Adebawore knocked Faalele to the ground before sacking quarterback Cooper Rush during Baltimore’s 24‑16 win.
It didn’t take long for the clip to circulate online and attract backlash from fans.
Monken dismissed the overreaction and lashed out at those targeting his player on social media.
“One shot on the internet doesn’t make a man, or a great play doesn’t make a man,” Monken said, according to Ravens writer Clifton Brown. “If the internet posts someone walking into church, it doesn’t make him a great Christian. It just means they walked into church. They picked out one clip of it. That’s not Daniel. Daniel’s been outstanding throughout all of camp and has played his rear end off.”
According to Brown, Faalele, who was one of the NFL’s biggest players at 6‑foot‑8, 380 pounds, has put in notable offseason work. After shedding about 20 pounds, he has impressed the coaching staff throughout training camp.
“I’m so proud of Daniel. He worked hard in the offseason, came in great shape,” Monken said. He added that he is excited about how far Faalele has come and is confident about the growth still ahead.
