The Ravens’ Thursday practice featured an absence from the defender they can least afford to lose.
The Ravens’ injury report on Thursday featured good news, bad news, and borderline-ridiculous news.
Let’s start with the good: Tyler Linderbaum, Ronnie Stanley, Kyle Van Noy, and Nate Wiggins were all upgraded on Thursday.
Linderbaum and Van Noy were full participants and should be able to play against the Texans on Sunday. Stanley and Wiggins were limited after missing Wednesday’s practice, so participation on Friday will still be a major factor in their availability.
Linderbaum and Stanley will be crucial to the Ravens offensive line against a dangerous Houston front seven. If Cooper Rush starts as expected, every other player on the offense has to step up their game to have a chance. Devontez Walker was also upgraded, and while he hasn’t played a major role as a receiver so far this season, he will be needed on special teams.
The Ravens’ young group of edge rushers has not been able to pick up the slack in Van Noy’s absence, so getting him back in any capacity will be a boost. He returned to practice last week, so his ramp-up to full participation could have him ready for a full workload on Sunday. Wiggins’ elbow injury in Kansas City did not look good, but quickly returning to practice, even in a limited capacity is a sign that he is unlikely to miss significant time.
Here’s the bad news, and this could be very bad: Kyle Hamilton missed Thursday’s practice after injuring his groin during Wednesday’s session. The defense would struggle without him if the rest of the unit was healthy; now that it is decimated at all three levels, it could collapse outright if Hamilton is sidelined. Fans will be anxiously awaiting a status update and his final injury designation on Friday.
And now for the borderline-ridiculous news: Odafe Oweh suffered an eye injury, presumably in practice on Thursday. Given everything else that the Ravens are dealing with, especially on the defensive side of the ball, losing Oweh for any amount of time to an eye injury would be an absurd twist to an already-horrifying season.
Here is the Ravens’ full injury report for Thursday (* denotes change in status)
Full participation
- C Tyler Linderbaum (calf) *
- DL Brent Urban (finger) *
- OLB Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) *
Limited participation
- OL Emery Jones (shoulder)
- NT Travis Jones (knee)
- OLB Odafe Oweh (eye) *
- OT Ronnie Stanley (ankle) *
- WR Devontez Walker (oblique) *
- CB Nate Wiggins (elbow) *
Did not participate
- CB Chidobe Awuzie
- S Kyle Hamilton (groin) *
- CB Marlon Humphrey
- QB Lamar Jackson
- FB Patrick Ricard
- ILB Roquan Smith
Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. returned to practice on Wednesday in a limited capacity, so it looks like the Ravens will not be lucky enough to avoid him this weekend. Wide receiver Nico Collins was upgraded to full participation and will look to capitalize on Baltimore’s weakened secondary on Sunday.
Category: General Sports
