John Harbaugh: Mark Ingram on schedule to return in playoffs from calf injury

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh said running back Mark Ingram is on schedule to return in the playoffs from a calf injury

The Baltimore Ravens finished the season off on a strong note, winning 12 consecutive games and locking up the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture. But in Week 16, Baltimore got a scare of the only thing seemingly capable of beating them: injuries.

Running back Mark Ingram suffered the only major injury — a calf strain that was going to force him to miss some time. The was hope the Ravens would get Ingram back in time for their divisional round playoff game.

And by resting Ingram and several starters in Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore put themselves on the right path. Coach John Harbaugh said Ingram is on schedule.

Harbaugh noted Ingram had a “running workout” earlier in the week. That’s a good sign considering Ingram had left Week 16’s game in a walking boot.

While Gus Edwards had a stellar game in Ingram’s stead — 130 rushing yards on 21 attempts against the Steelers — it’ll be nice to have the full running back stable available for the really important games.

Baltimore, led by quarterback Lamar Jackson and Ingram, set a new NFL record for the most rushing yards in a single season. They’ve become to first pair of Ravens to go over 1,000 rushing yards in a season and have battered opponents on the ground as the largest part of Baltimore’s league-leading offensive attack.

The Ravens will face one of three potential teams in the divisional round, depending on how the wild-card round shakes out. They’ll face the lowest remaining seed, meaning they’ll take on the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans or Tennessee Titans next week.

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Lamar Jackson, other Ravens dealing with the flu

The Ravens got hit with the illness bug as coach John Harbaugh said several players, including Lamar Jackson, are dealing with the flu

The Baltimore Ravens got a bye at the perfect time. Coach John Harbaugh noted several Ravens players, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, are dealing with the flu. Harbaugh didn’t get into specifics on who was dealing with the illness except for Jackson but did say no coaches had been hit yet before knocking on the wooden podium for a bit of good luck.

Illnesses are nothing new for football teams at this time of the year. Earlier this season, the New England Patriots had to deal with quite a large chunk of their roster missing time due to an illness.

While Baltimore is still practicing this week, the more limited schedule and not having to play a game this weekend should do the team some serious good. The extra rest should allow the Ravens to recover from the various bumps and bruises they’ve suffered all season long. But more importantly, the bug they’re dealing with won’t have as big of an impact as it would normally.

Baltimore earned a first-round bye thanks to their 14-2 record and clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture. Not only will they not play in the wild-card round of the postseason, they’ll have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs as well.

Here’s to a cup of hot chicken noodle soup and a quick recovery for those players currently down. Feel better fellas.

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Ravens vs. Steelers injury report: Who’s playing and who isn’t

With a decision to be made on which players will sit out, seeing four Ravens listed as “questionable” against the Steelers should help

The Baltimore Ravens are already set to rest several key contributors, both on offense and defense, against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17. But with an injury report that features five players listed as “questionable” already and nothing to play for, we could effectively see a preseason squad on the field for Baltimore this week.

Players like tight end Mark Andrews and cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Jimmy Smith have been limited in practice this week. With how important they are to the Ravens’ ultimate goal of winning Super Bowl LIV, all three could see a reduced snap count, if they play at all.

Meanwhile, the Steelers will be without starting running back James Conner and center Maurkice Pouncey, who were ruled out with injuries. That will make it far easier on a defense that’s already seeing third-string quarterback Devlin Hodges start.

Take a look at the full injury report for the Ravens and Steelers in Week 17 and which players could miss this game.

Baltimore Ravens injury report:

Player Position Injury Wed. Thur Fri. Game status
Mark Andrews TE Ankle DNP DNP LP Questionable
Brandon Carr CB NIR DNP FP FP
Mark Ingram RB Calf DNP DNP DNP Out
Marcus Peters CB Chest DNP LP FP Questionable
Jimmy Smith CB NIR/Groin DNP LP LP Questionable
Earl Thomas S NIR/Knee/Hand DNP DNP DNP Questionable
Brandon Williams DT NIR DNP FP
Chris Wormley DT NIR DNP FP
Marquise Brown WR Illness DNP Questionable

Pittsburgh Steelers injury report:

Player Position Injury Wed. Thur Fri. Game status
Mark Barron LB NIR DNP FP FP
James Conner RB Quad DNP DNP DNP Out
David DeCastro G NIR DNP FP FP
Cameron Hayward DT NIR DNP FP FP
Vance McDonald TE NIR DNP FP FP
Steven Nelson CB Groin DNP FP FP
Maurkice Pouncey C Knee DNP DNP DNP Out
Alejandro Villanueva T NIR DNP FP FP
T.J. Watt LB NIR DNP FP FP
Ramon Foster G NIR DNP FP
Joe Haden CB Foot DNP FP

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RB Mark Ingram has confidence he’ll be ready for Ravens’ 1st playoff game

Suffering a calf strain in Week 16 won’t keep Baltimore Ravens running back Mark Ingram from the field during the playoffs apparently.

The Baltimore Ravens beat up on the Cleveland Browns, finishing their playoff aspirations with a 31-15 drubbing in Week 16. But for all the excitement about the Ravens clinching the AFC’s top seed in the process, there was a down note as well. Running back Mark Ingram suffered a calf strain and is expected to miss a few weeks as he recovers.

While Ingram was going to sit out Week 17‘s meaningless game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Ravens have a first-round bye in the playoffs, there was some concern Ingram might not be healed up enough to play in the divisional round. But with the players back at practice after Christmas, Ingram told reporters he’s confident he’ll be ready.

Ingram suffered the calf injury late in Week 16’s game, going to the locker room with the training staff. Though coach John Harbaugh noted the injury wasn’t structural, calf strains can vary dramatically in how long they take to heal.

Still, Ingram will effectively have three weeks of rest before having to put on pads for the Ravens’ first playoff game. Baltimore is being cautious with several of their key players like Ingram, quarterback Lamar Jackson and safety Earl Thomas, holding them out of Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If Ingram can’t play, the Ravens will likely turn to Gus Edwards as their primary running back with a mixture of Justice Hill and Jackson to supplement. Edwards has averaged 5.2 yards-per-carry this season, which is actually slightly better than Ingram’s 5.0 average. But there are other things Ingram is tasked with that helped put him back in the Pro Bowl this year, that Baltimore would really miss.

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Ravens vs. Steelers injury report: TE Mark Andrews not practicing Thursday

The Baltimore Ravens are set to rest several key starters against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17 but TE Mark Andrews was out of practice

The Baltimore Ravens enter Week 17 with only pride to play for. They’ve secured the top seed in the AFC playoff picture. In turn, they’ve decided to sit several key players in an effort to get them healthy for the postseason. But there are still a bunch of bumps and bruises a handful of Ravens players have been dealing with this week.

Top of the pile is tight end Mark Andrews. Andrews was seen hobbled slightly in Week 16’s game against the Cleveland Browns, missing some of the game being attended to by the training staff. On Thursday, Andrews missed practice with what’s labeled as an ankle injury. Though Andrews wasn’t among those officially ruled out, don’t be terribly shocked if he doesn’t play against the Pittsburgh Steelers this week as he recovers from his ankle injury.

Take a look at the rest of Thursday’s injury report for both the Ravens and Steelers.

Baltimore Ravens injury report:

Player Position Injury Wed. Thur Fri. Game status
Mark Andrews TE Ankle DNP DNP
Brandon Carr CB NIR DNP FP
Mark Ingram RB Calf DNP DNP
Marcus Peters CB Chest DNP LP
Jimmy Smith CB NIR/Groin DNP LP
Earl Thomas S NIR/Knee/Hand DNP DNP
Brandon Williams DT NIR DNP
Chris Wormley DT NIR DNP

Pittsburgh Steelers injury report:

Player Position Injury Wed. Thur Fri. Game status
Mark Barron LB NIR DNP FP
James Conner RB Quad DNP DNP
David DeCastro G NIR DNP FP
Cameron Hayward DT NIR DNP FP
Vance McDonald TE NIR DNP FP
Steven Nelson CB Groin DNP FP
Maurkice Pouncey C Knee DNP DNP
Alejandro Villanueva T NIR DNP FP
T.J. Watt LB NIR DNP FP
Ramon Foster G NIR DNP
Joe Haden CB Foot DNP

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Report: Ravens RB Mark Ingram injury to sideline him until at least playoffs

The calf injury to Ravens running back Mark Ingram is more serious than initially thought, though there’s hope he’ll return for the playoffs

The Baltimore Ravens picked up an important win in Week 16, beating the Cleveland Browns 31-15. The win clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed, giving Baltimore a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the playoffs. But they didn’t escape Cleveland without issue.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Ravens running back Mark Ingram suffered a calf strain in the game and will miss some time. However, the hope is Ingram will be available for the playoffs.

Ingram went down in the fourth quarter, eventually limping off the field and into the locker room with the training staff with what the team called a calf injury. Though Ingram didn’t return to the game, coach John Harbaugh said the injury wasn’t structural and didn’t consider it serious.

With the Ravens clinching the top seed early, there’s little reason for many key starters to play in Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. And with an extra week of rest with a first-round bye in the playoffs, that would effectively give Ingram three weeks of rest to recuperate from the injury.

Through 15 games, Ingram has accounted for 1,018 rushing yards (breaking the 1,000-yard mark against the Browns), 10 rushing touchdowns and 26 catches for 247 yards and five touchdown receptions.

If Ingram is unable to go in the divisional round of the playoffs, Baltimore would likely turn to a combination of Gus Edwards and Justice Hill to replace him.

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4 key takeaways from Ravens’ Week 16 win over Browns

The Ravens won their 11th consecutive game to sit at 13-2 but can take the lessons learned from Week 16 into the playoffs and the Super Bowl

The Baltimore Ravens have moved to 13-2 on the back of their 11th consecutive win, this time over the Cleveland Browns in Week 16. With the season potentially over for many of Baltimore’s starters, the lessons learned from this game could have a major impact on how the Ravens fare in the postseason.

Let’s dive into the four takeaways from Baltimore’s Week 16 win over Cleveland.

Injuries:

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

The one thing the Ravens couldn’t afford to happen in this game was leaving with injuries. They’re the best team in the league but all it takes is one serious injury to a key player and suddenly Baltimore’s chances at Super Bowl LIV slip away. And that nearly happened a few times in the matter of one series.

Running back Mark Ingram went down with a calf injury and didn’t return to the game. Tight end Mark Andrews was seen limping after a catch. Quarterback Lamar Jackson got shoved to the ground late and came up a little hobbled. While Ingram’s injury doesn’t appear very serious, and Andrews and Jackson returned to the game, all three players are paramount to the Ravens’ offensive success and can’t afford to miss extended time. Seeing them limp around the field was a punch to the gut to what has been a storybook season.

If there was any doubt about what Baltimore should do with those players in Week 17, it should have been quickly sorted out seeing them in discomfort.

Ravens should rest Lamar Jackson, other key starters vs. Steelers

With some injury scares and nothing meaningful to play for in Week 17 against the Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens should be cautious

The Baltimore Ravens have an interesting predicament to face in Week 17. With their playoff seeding already decided — grabbing the top spot with their win in Week 16 — there’s little for the Ravens to play for against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Though pride, sweeping a division rival, keeping them from the playoffs and going 14-2 with a 12-game winning streak are pretty amazing things; they’re not all that important in reality. At least not given what Baltimore’s ultimate goal is this season: the Super Bowl.

So with no weight put on Week 17 for the Ravens, why should they risk the guys that got them this far? I contend they absolutely shouldn’t and outside of some light practice to keep everyone warm and in the right mindset, many of Baltimore’s starters should be seen in sweatpants on the sideline instead of jerseys, pads and helmets come Sunday.

There are a few arguments to be made against sitting key players next week. Some would argue not playing a game in two weeks would make those players rusty when they finally get to play. There’s also an argument for doing everything possible to keep the Steelers from the postseason. But I don’t particularly buy either notion and see the potential harm far outweigh the potential benefits.

Every NFL team already gets a bye week and you better believe players look forward to the extra bit of rest in a long season. It allows those players that are a little banged up some extra time to recuperate and get closer to full health. And at this point in the season, all 53 players are nursing cuts, bumps, bruises and worse. Safety Earl Thomas already told ESPN’s Josina Anderson he’s not planning on playing this final game because his body needs the extra rest and that should be a good enough indication for coach John Harbaugh on the state of his players.

While practice is not real football, that should be enough to limit any major rust the players have by missing this final game. And a sluggish start to a game would be far preferred over potentially losing a key player like Lamar Jackson or Thomas in a game that ultimately didn’t matter. The Ravens already got a taste of what that scare feels like against the Browns, seeing Mark Ingram leave the game with a calf injury, both Jackson and Mark Andrews limping at one point, and both Jimmy Smith and Marcus Peters had to miss some time with ailments of their own. Why put them in harm’s way for a game where the only purpose for Baltimore is possibly keeping them in a better rhythm?

Though it would be nice to ensure Pittsburgh misses the postseason by starting everyone, it might not even be necessary given the state of the Steelers.

They can’t decide which quarterback they want to start, bouncing between Devlin Hodges and Mason Rudolph this season, benching both quarterbacks at points after poor showings. Pittsburgh also isn’t likely going to be very healthy for this game either, seeing Rudolph, running back James Connor and center Maurkice Pouncey all leave Week 16 with injuries. Their statuses for Week 17 are far from finalized but it’s doubtful they’ll be 100% by Sunday afternoon even if they do play.

To recap: The Ravens might not even need their starters to beat the Steelers, the game means nothing to Baltimore either way and they could really use the extra week of rest to get healthy . . . It seems like a no brainer to me.

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Ravens optimistic about Mark Ingram’s injury

The Baltimore Ravens got quite the scare late in Week 16 against the Cleveland Browns when running back Mark Ingram went down with an injury

The Baltimore Ravens got the job done, beating the Cleveland Browns 31-15 in Week 16 to get to 13-2 on the season and lock up the No. 1 seed. But in the win, a handful of players got banged up leaving everyone a bit concerned.

Chief among them was running back Mark Ingram, who left late in the game with what was described as a calf injury. Ingram didn’t return to the game with Baltimore already leading and eventually winning. Following the game, Ingram was spotted with a walking boot on his left leg and explained what it was doing to ESPN’s Josina Anderson.

Though a player leaving a game in a walking boot is never a good thing, it doesn’t appear as though the Ravens are terribly concerned about the injury.

Coach John Harbaugh said the injury wasn’t structural. He noted Ingram was dealing with cramping, something it appeared cornerback Jimmy Smith had suffered from earlier in the game as well. However, Harbaugh said the team would know more once they get back to Baltimore.

The hope is obviously that Ingram’s injury is minor and he’s available for Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. But with next week’s game meaning nothing for Baltimore’s playoff hopes, it could be a reason to sit Ingram and other key Ravens players in order to get healthy for the second round of the postseason.

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Mark Ingram injury: Ravens RB questionable to return with calf injury

The Baltimore Ravens are handling the Cleveland Browns after a slow start in Week 16. But with the game well in hand, up 21-9, the Ravens suffered a scary blow to running back Mark Ingram. Ingram was seen on the field in obvious pain after a play …

The Baltimore Ravens are handling the Cleveland Browns after a slow start in Week 16. But with the game well in hand, up 21-9, the Ravens suffered a scary blow to running back Mark Ingram.

Ingram was seen on the field in obvious pain after a play and needed to be helped up before walking off the field gingerly and heading to the blue medical tent. Baltimore immediately ruled Ingram as “questionable” to return with a calf injury.

Ingram was spotted leaving the blue medical tent and walking around with the training staff before heading to the locker room. If Baltimore wins this game, they’ll clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture and have nothing to play for in Week 17. With injuries now starting to pile up in this game, it might push the Ravens to rest key players like Ingram next week

Ingram had broken the 1,000-yard mark on the ground on this game, setting a Ravens first, matching quarterback Lamar Jackson.

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