ExtremeRavens Posted December 18, 2024 Posted December 18, 2024 The bye week provided the Ravens a healthy breath of fresh air. It’s already starting to evaporate. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman (foot), guard Daniel Faalele (knee) and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh (ankle) were all limited in Wednesday’s practice. Safety Ar’Darius Washington (ankle) was also limited for the second straight day. Wide receiver Nelson Agholor is still in concussion protocol, cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis again missed practice with a hamstring injury and running back Justice Hill was absent for personal reasons. This hefty list comes four days out from a long-awaited and decisive matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday afternoon in Baltimore. With a win, the Ravens (9-5) keep their hopes of an AFC North title alive. A loss would give Pittsburgh (10-4) the division crown and pin Baltimore to a wild-card berth and almost certainly a playoff path entirely on the road. Bateman was limited in practice last week as well while dealing with lingering knee soreness from a Dec. 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. But the fourth-year receiver was healthy by Sunday, scorching the New York Giants for 80 yards and two touchdowns — the first multi-score game of his career. Rookie cornerback T.J. Tampa was listed as a full participant for both practices this week. And, as expected, wide receiver Diontae Johnson is not with the team having been excused from all team activities this week. The Steelers, meanwhile, got a bit of positive injury news. All-Pro pass rusher T.J. Watt was seen going through agility work off to the side of Wednesday’s walk-through. He was a limited participant and is the most notable question mark heading into Saturday as the cornerstone of a top-10 defense. When the Ravens and Steelers met in November, Watt had three tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and landed two hits on quarterback Lamar Jackson. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Monday that he’s “optimistic” Watt will be available for Saturday. That said, both sides are preparing for either scenario. “I think with a young Nick [Herbig] coming on and having Preston [Smith] as a veteran guy, I know those guys aren’t T.J., but we feel they’re good quality players that we can fit in our system and do the things that we need to do,” Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. “Obviously if you don’t have an impact player like T.J., it affects your game, but I don’t think it’ll affect our overall schematics.” Austin declined to comment on when the Steelers might know Watt’s status but said simply, “I just know if he is available, we’ll be happy. If he’s not available, we won’t be very happy.” “We assume he’s gonna play,” Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken added. “Would be much easier if he doesn’t.” Elsewhere in western Pennsylvania, defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi was limited for the second consecutive day. Former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen, who is anticipating boos in his return to Baltimore, was a full participant. Wide receiver George Pickens, safety DeShon Elliot (hamstring), cornerback Donte Jackson (back), defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (rest) and backup quarterback Justin Fields (abdominal) were all out both Tuesday and Wednesday. Their Thursday status should provide more clarity for Saturday’s availability. Pickens has missed the past two games with a Grade 2 hamstring injury. Without their top receiver, the Steelers’ passing attack has noticeably struggled. Their 163 yards of offense in a recent loss to the Eagles sans Pickens was Pittsburgh’s lowest output since the 2010 season. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article Quote
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