Baltimore Beatdown
The Baltimore Ravens got star quarterback Lamar Jackson back at practice on Thursday, but three players were listed with new injuries.
Jackson has been getting consistent rest on Wednesdays, and a minor illness was even more reason to keep him at home. He returned to practice as a full participant and will likely be off the injury report altogether by the end of the week.
Wide receiver Zay Flowers, center Tyler Linderbaum, and John Jenkins were all added to the injury report on Thursday. Flowers has a neck injury, which is always cause for concern, though it did not stop him from practicing in full. Linderbaum was limited by a knee injury, while Jenkins was absent due to an illness.
Absences from Flowers and Linderbaum would be huge losses for the Ravens offense, especially heading into a matchup with the Patriots’ top-10 defense. Both will be important to monitor on Friday’s injury report.
Here is the Ravens’ full Thursday injury report (* denotes change in status):
Did not participate
Limited participation
Full participation
The Ravens have not yet placed Buchanan on injured reserve. That move should come later in the week; the team may be waiting to see if Higgins is ready to be activated from his own IR stint. The undrafted rookie is in the first week of his 21-day return window and may need some more time to ramp up.
An absence from Awuzie is a real possibility after two straight missed practices, which would put T.J. Tampa in a bigger role. The second-year cornerback has held up when asked to play this year, though he has only seen extended time in two games.
Harbaugh said that veterans like Stanley, Smith, and presumably Van Noy were dealing with the typical late-season wear-and-tear and needed some extra rest on Wednesday. The returns of all three on Thursday bodes well for their availability this weekend.
Bateman is on track to return from his one-game absence, while Keondre Jackson and Okoye are unlikely to miss any time at all.
The Patriots’ injury report featured upgraded statuses for two players. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore (non-injury related/other) and linebacker Christian Elliss (illness) both returned to practice after missing Wednesday’s session. Cornerbacks Carlton Davis (hip) and Marcus Jones (knee) and linebackers Harold Landry (knee) and Robert Spillane (ankle) all logged their second absences in a row. All four starters could miss Sunday’s matchup in Baltimore, which would be a major boost to an offense that has struggled against elite defenses this year.
