ExtremeRavens Posted 14 hours ago Posted 14 hours ago The Ravens won their first game of the season on Sunday, but it came at a cost. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who suffered a hamstring injury in the second quarter of Baltimore’s blowout of the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium and did not return, will miss at least some time, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Baltimore Sun. It’s not yet clear how long his absence will be. He was also not the only player injured in the game. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey (groin) left early in the fourth quarter and running back Rasheen Ali (concussion) in the first. On Monday, coach John Harbaugh declined to provide an update on how long Van Noy and the others could be out. “There’s nothing season-ending or long, long-term,” he said. “Everything else is either day to day, something might stretch week to week. There’s really no advantage for us in sharing that information today for our opponent.” That next opponent features one of the most high-powered offenses in the league. The Ravens will host the Lions on Monday night. Detroit is coming off a 52-21 rout of the Chicago Bears on Sunday and ranks third in the NFL in points per game (32.5), first in completion percentage (80.6) and sixth in passing yards per game (267). Being without Van Noy, 34, for any length of time also leaves the Ravens thin at outside linebacker. Last year, Van Noy led Baltimore with 12 1/2 sacks and was named to his first Pro Bowl. Baltimore still has Odafe Oweh, who had a career-high 10 sacks in 2024, but lacks sack production beyond that. Outside linebacker Tavius Robinson is better suited against the run, rookie second-round pick Mike Green is still developing and David Ojabo has been a healthy scratch each of the first two games. With Van Noy out, Green, who led college football with 17 sacks for Marshall last season, saw a big uptick in snaps (45) against the Browns, and that could continue. “He made another step in this game,” Harbaugh said of Green. “He tightened up a little bit with some of his angles on his pass rushes and his run defense. Very physical off the edge in both of those, yet like rookies, there’s a ways to go. “I’m happy with the way Mike’s playing. He’s playing good football for us.” Ravens outside linebacker Mike Green practices during training camp. Green is expected to play an increased role in Week 3 with Kyle Van Noy nursing a hamstring injury. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Another potential option on the outside, Harbaugh said, could be to deploy inside linebacker Trenton Simpson as a strong-side linebacker. Simpson, now in his third season, has struggled to maintain his spot inside and on Sunday was widely outsnapped by rookie inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan. “He’s in the right place doing the right thing,” Harbaugh said of Buchanan. “I thought he played another really good game.” Being without Humphrey against the Lions could also be problematic, particularly for a secondary already dealing with the absence of cornerback Jaire Alexander, who has been slowed by a knee injury and was not active Sunday against the Browns after struggling in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills. If Humphrey and Alexander can’t go against the Lions, that would mean an increased role for Chidobe Awuzie, T.J. Tampa and undrafted rookie free agent Keyon Martin. Meanwhile, one player the Ravens expected to already have back is fullback Patrick Ricard. However, the 31-year-old All-Pro has been plagued by a nagging calf injury that has kept him sidelined since mid-August. When he’ll be back, Harbaugh also couldn’t say. “It hasn’t been as quick as we thought,” he said. “I’m disappointed, but Pat’s more disappointed than anybody. “It’s been slower than we hoped for sure. We’re kind of in that week-to-week mode with Pat.” Last year, the Ravens were the healthiest team in the NFL by a wide margin in terms of adjusted games lost, but the injuries have started to pile up. They have also come at an inopportune time, with four straight games against 2024 playoff teams over the next month. After facing the Lions, they’ll play at the Kansas City Chiefs and then at home against the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams before a bye in Week 7. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
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