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The big story for the Lions on Wednesday was the return of Mikel Leshoure. The running back took part in individual drills, but still sat out the team portions of practice. He is not expected to play against the Ravens.
Also returning to the practice field was offensive tackle Jeff Backus.
Among those Lions sitting out were defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (knee), defensive Sammie Hill (back), wide receiver Ryan Broyles (knee), CB Drew Coleman (concussion) and safety Louis Delmas (knee).
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As is customary with the second week of the preseason, the Ravens starters are expected to play more than the first game, where they were in for about a quarter. Head Coach John Harbaugh didn’t have an exact time frame for the starters, but said they could play the entire first half.
“We will play it by ear right now,” Harbaugh said. “It could be as much as a half, it might not be. We’ll just play it by ear, see how it’s going, and see how many reps we get.”
The amount of playing time each player gets will be based more on the individual, Harbaugh said, rather than lumping everyone into groups based on where they fall on in the depth chart.
Optimistic About Upshaw, Jimmy Smith — The Ravens’ top draft picks of the last two years both had to sit out last week’s game against Atlanta because of injuries.
Outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw is dealing with a shoulder injury and cornerback Jimmy Smith is fighting through a back injury. Both of them practiced throughout the week and were able to participate in 11-on-11 drills, which could be a good sign for the game.
“We are looking forward, hopefully, to seeing them play Friday night,” Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees said Tuesday. “That’s valuable experience that they need to get. So, hopefully that will come through.”
However, Smith left Wednesday’s practice early, so it is unclear if he re-aggravated his back or left for another reason. Teams do not have to provide an injury report in the preseason.
Second-year wide receiver Torrey Smith missed practice on Tuesday and Wednesday as he is dealing with a tweaked ankle that he suffered against Atlanta. He did practice earlier in the week before sitting out the last two days.
Harbaugh said that the Ravens “will just see how it goes” with Smith.
In the preseason, players that typically don’t practice in the days prior to the game are held out of action, and that could be the case for Smith.
Doss Won’t Rush Hamstring— Wide receiver Tandon Doss was back on the practice field this week after dealing with a hamstring injury earlier in training camp.
He was a full participant during Wednesday’s practice, which could be a good sign for Friday, but Doss said that he’s being patient with the process.
“It’s a plan and program. Obviously you can’t rush hamstrings,” Doss said on Monday. “They gave me the opportunity this year to play. I feel bad that they gave me the opportunity and then this comes along. But I’m trying to make the most of it and get healthy as quick as possible.”
Pierce Practiced All Week— Rookie running back Bernard Pierce also battled through a hamstring injury earlier in training camp, which held him out of the Atlanta game.
But Pierce was able to participate in full drills throughout the week, which could bode well for him to make his preseason debut.
“If he can stay healthy the rest of this week, maybe [he will] get some work on Friday night,” Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron said Tuesday. “We know he’s a talent. We know he can play. We know he’s tough. We like what we see, [we need to] just get him back in the groove and maybe get to look at him Friday night.”
Ray Lewis Should Play — Linebacker Ray Lewis sat out the preseason opener in Atlanta, as Harbaugh said that they planned to give some of the veterans like he and Ed Reed the night off. But expect to see Ray Lewis in the first quarter against Detroit.
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