3 years ago
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OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — When the Baltimore Ravens mislaid moving backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards to preseason genu injuries, it felt similar a situation — and the team’s wellness concerns person not precisely gone distant since then.
Through it all, the Ravens person kept winning.
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“I conscionable deliberation our guys, we support faith. We bash a bully occupation of that, and guys measurement up,” manager John Harbaugh said recently. “Those 2 things, that’s what has happened. Guys person kept the faith, and guys person stepped up and played good — that’s truly what it boils down to.”
The Ravens aren’t successful the wide yet. After a 41-17 nonaccomplishment to Cincinnati past weekend, they’re successful a four-way necktie for the champion grounds successful the AFC astatine 5-2. But Baltimore has arrived astatine its unfastened day this week successful acold amended signifier than seemed likely, particularly aft losing its play opener astatine Las Vegas.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson deserves overmuch of the recognition aft engineering pulsating prime-time victories implicit Kansas City and Indianapolis. As agelong arsenic helium is healthy, the Ravens person a accidental to flooded injuries to different players.
“Coach ever says that: ‘Next antheral up.’ Those guys cognize that. I cognize it,” Jackson said. “My occupation is to conscionable people points, determination the shot downfield, and that’s what we do. We’re not disquieted astir the guys who are retired and worldly similar that.”
If the Ravens bash decorativeness atop the AFC North, Harbaugh volition astir apt beryllium a superior manager of the twelvemonth candidate. His squad continues to look similar a exemplary of stableness adjacent erstwhile adversity arises.
Last season, the Ravens were 6-5 and dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak aft a nonaccomplishment astatine Pittsburgh. They rebounded with 5 consecutive wins to adjacent the regular season, past won a playoff crippled astatine Tennessee.
Call it resilience, telephone it extent — oregon conscionable chalk it up to the franchise’s culture. Whatever the reason, Baltimore is dealing with its wounded problems with little play than galore healthier teams.
“Injuries happen. In a interaction sport, you’re going to person injuries,” violative enactment manager Joe D’Alessandris said. “That’s wherefore you person to hole players passim your roster to get acceptable for abrupt change, and erstwhile that happens, you springiness them a chance. Here’s what I’ve ever seen with players that person injuries — erstwhile you assistance them an opportunity, they instrumentality vantage of it, and they bash well.”
Here’s a presumption by presumption look astatine Baltimore’s wounded issues, and however the Ravens person tried to negociate them:
RUNNING BACK
The injuries to Dobbins and Edwards appeared to make an accidental for Ty’Son Williams, but helium has lone 11 carries implicit the past 5 weeks. The Ravens brought successful veterans Latavius Murray, Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman. Murray missed past weekend’s crippled with an ankle injury, and Bell hasn’t looked peculiarly effectual successful constricted duty.
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WIDE RECEIVER
Rookie Rashod Bateman missed the archetypal 5 games with groin problems, but he’s contributed since returning and has shown committedness befitting a first-round draught pick. Now the Ravens are without Sammy Watkins, who had 18 catches successful 5 games earlier missing the past two.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Tackle Ronnie Stanley played successful lone 1 crippled and went connected injured reserve earlier this period due to the fact that of a lingering ankle problem. Now tackle Patrick Mekari is dealing with an ankle injury. Offensive lineman Tyre Phillips (knee) came backmost from IR successful the mediate of this period and fundamentally has to beryllium acceptable for anything.
“Started disconnected arsenic the starting near defender — helium and Ben Powers were moving together. Then helium got injured, right?” D’Alessandris said. “Then we got him backmost for the Chargers crippled connected constricted enactment arsenic his archetypal clip back, and past past week, we started cross-training him backmost astatine tackle. And then, each of a sudden, helium had to play 3 quarters of the crippled (at tackle). For the archetypal clip backmost astatine that presumption and going with unrecorded bullets, helium did a bully job.”
The Ravens person the league’s fifth-best tally blocking people from Pro Football Focus and are tied for 13th successful walk blocking.
DEFENSIVE LINE
The apical players connected Baltimore’s antiaircraft beforehand person mostly remained healthy, and this week the Ravens designated antiaircraft extremity Derek Wolfe (back) for return, allowing him to commencement practicing.
LINEBACKER
Even earlier Dobbins and Edwards went down, the Ravens mislaid linebacker L.J. Fort to a torn ACL. Fort started 8 games past season. Veteran Josh Bynes has played a bigger relation lately astatine mediate linebacker, and that’s taken immoderate of the unit disconnected Patrick Queen, who started antecedently astatine that spot.
SECONDARY
This whitethorn beryllium the spot wherever the injuries person been toughest to overcome. The Ravens mislaid cornerback Marcus Peters to a genu wounded earlier the season, and they’ve already allowed 3 quarterbacks to walk for 400 yards.
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