Preseason game 2 means more to the Ravens and their fans because there will be more starters and potential starters involved in the first half.
Seems like half the veteran team was out of action last week against the Redskins.
It will be a longer list of top-of-the-depth-chart guys who will play in Miami, but there are still some lingering injury issues causing some guys to miss the game.
The biggest question mark facing the Ravens right now is the state of their offensive line—which is not good. Starting guard Alex Lewis is now lost for the season with a shoulder injury. They’re still looking for an experienced starting center, too.
They are also without Alex Lewis’ top backup, rookie Nico Siragusa
, because of a season-ending knee injury. On Tuesday, left tackle Ronnie Stanley missed his third straight practice. There is no indication of any major injury, but no update on his status either.
The addition of Austin Howard is huge, especially given Lewis’ injury. The big, tough–to–move veteran tackle is still picking up the Ravens’ terminology (OC Marty Mornhinweg said it’s very different from what Howard previously had), but he’s looked good so far.
Meanwhile, QB Joe Flacco is still not practicing as he nurses a sore back. As Mornhinweg said, the Ravens “would love” to have Flacco on the field now, but they aren’t concerned yet that he won’t have enough time to get back in a groove before the season opener in September. That remains to be seen.
Stanley has missed three-straight practices, and the nature of his injury has not been reported.
“No season-ending thing or anything like that,” HC John Harbaugh said. “He’s got something he’s working through. There are two or three guys like that that are working through some things that we’d like to get them back sooner rather than later, but you don’t want to push them too much.
Rookie WR and PR/KR Tim White is ruled out for the season with a thumb injury suffered in PS1 against Washington. That’s a shame, because it looked liked White had a shot to make the final roster.
Then there’s WR Breshad Perriman still out with a hamstring issue.
Perriman has been sidelined since the first week of training camp because of a hamstring injury. He hasn’t been on the practice field since sustaining that injury, and Harbaugh said the third-year receiver is making progress behind the scenes.
“Nothing has changed with Breshad,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a long-term hamstring guy, in terms of when he did it. It’s a pretty good hamstring he had. He’s making progress. Everything is on schedule and they’re happy with the way he’s progressing.”
Cornerback Jimmy Smith didn’t practice, so rookie first-round pick Marlon Humphrey got the first-team reps. Humphrey will make his NFL debut Thursday after an injury sidelined him during the preseason opener.
The Ravens have improved their backup quarterback situation, signing veteran Thaddeus Lewis and waiving Dustin Vaughan.
Lewis will step in as the team’s No. 3 quarterback and No. 2 right now. With Joe Flacco still out of practice, Ryan Mallett has been taking all the first-team reps in training camp and preseason.
Lewis is entering his seventh NFL season. Originally undrafted in 2010 out of Duke, Lewis started five games for the Buffalo Bills in 2013.
That season, he threw for 1,092 yards, tossed four touchdowns and had three interceptions, good for a solid 81.0 quarterback rating. Lewis struggled with ball security, however, fumbling seven times.
Lewis hasn’t played in any regular-season games since 2013. He spent last year on injured reserve with the San Francisco 49ers after suffering a knee injury. Lewis impressed the Ravens in a workout Sunday, which was key as he’s coming back from the knee injury.
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