Ravens HC John Harbaugh gives update on injured players heading into bye week
The Baltimore Ravens were originally supposed to have their bye week after a Week Seven bout with their arch AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers but after COVID-19 caused the NFL schedule to get reshuffled, they are taking their week off a week early and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
The Ravens had a pair of starters declared out before their Week Six road matchup with the Philadelphia Eagle and had another two, as well as a primary backup, leave the game in the first half with injuries and not return.
The most notable injury from the team’s 30-28 win in the ‘Battle of the Birds’ was the ankle of starting running back Mark Ingram who limped of the field after running the ball effectively for 20 yards on five carries in the first half.
Head Coach John Harbaugh believes that after a week of rest and treatment, his stud veteran back will be ready to lead the backfield charge against Pittsburgh in two weeks.
“I think he probably will be back for the Steelers game,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll have to see.”
Unfortunately, his update on the health and availability of third-year cornerback Anthony Averett for the foreseeable future wasn’t as good.
“He’s going to be out five or six weeks,” Harbaugh said. “He has a slight fracture in one of the bones, clavicle, shoulder, somewhere in there. [There will] be some sort of an IR there. It won’t be season-long.”
Averett had taken on an increased role on defense following the season-ending injury to star nickel back Tavon Young early in the Ravens’ Week Two game against the Texans.
With him out of commission for nearly two months, Baltimore will need to lean on undrafted rookie Khalil Dorsey and third year pro Terrell Bonds at cornerback if they don’t bring in any reinforcements.
“I’m very confident in Khalil,” Harbaugh said. “He’s playing really well in practice and he’s playing well on special teams. Terrell Bonds is another guy who’s in the mix there. He’ll get his opportunity. Those guys are ready to roll.”
The Ravens were without two of their starting defensive tackles in their decisive win over the Eagles. Starting three-technique Derek Wolfe was held out due to a concussion and neck injury and starting nose tackle Brandon Williams was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday.
Williams never tested positive for the virus according to Harbaugh and expects both to be back after the bye. Starting right guard Tyre Phillips left the game with a hand injury and didn’t return but the rookie isn’t expected to miss time either.
“Derek Wolfe had a concussion protocol Wednesday in practice,” Harbaugh said. “He says he feels great. Tyre Phillips had the hand, I don’t think it’s anything serious.”
