Ravens downgrade leading receiver Mark Andrews vs. Saints in Week 9

Mark Andrews leads the Ravens in targets, receptions, receiving yards, first downs, and touchdown catches, but he was ruled out with injury vs. the Saints:

There aren’t many teams whose leading receiver is a 256-pound tight end, but the Baltimore Ravens are unique. And they’re dealing with a big problem after downgrading star tight end Mark Andrews for Week 9’s game against the New Orleans Saints, ruling him out with knee and shoulder injuries. Andrews is the go-to receiving threat for dynamic quarterback Lamar Jackson. To help illustrate how important he is to their offense, Andrews leads the Ravens in:

  • Targets (64)
  • Receptions (42)
  • Receiving yards (488)
  • Touchdown catches (5)
  • First down conversions (29)

So, yeah, he’ll be missed. But the Ravens roster more tight ends than almost any team around the league, using them as big targets for Jackson to target underneath coverage so they can bully smaller opponents and pick up yards after the catch. Look for backups Isaiah Likely and Josh Oliver to step into larger roles on Monday night in New Orleans.

It pains me to say this because I was a big fan of him coming out of Iowa State in this year’s draft, but rookie tight end Charlie Kolar could be activated for this game. Kolar was cleared to return from practice on Oct. 18 and is nearing the end of his 21-day window in which to be activated from injured reserve (he had to undergo sports hernia surgery back in August). He’s an impressive athlete with a strong resume at the college level, and the lack of NFL film on him could be a problem. We’ll see if he’s ultimately activated for this game, but that’s a subplot to watch out for.

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