Ravens vs. Rams: Who’s playing and who isn’t

The Baltimore Ravens seem like they’ll be without defensive tackle Michael Pierce for Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Baltimore Ravens get yet another tough test again this week as they’ll travel to Los Angeles to take on the Rams in Week 12. Playing on Monday Night Football, this could be the chance for Baltimore to finally prove to the few remaining critics just how good they actually are. But the Ravens could be a little shorthanded this week.

Defensive tackle Michael Pierce is listed as doubtful and even that seems optimistic. Pierce missed Friday and Saturday’s practices after being listed as limited on Thursday. Coach John Harbaugh said Pierce is unlikely to play this week as he still recovers from an ankle injury suffered against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10, according to Aaron Kasinitz of Penn Live.

While wide receiver Chris Moore, guard Ben Powers and tackle Ronnie Stanley are all listed as questionable, all three were full participants on Saturday meaning they’ll likely be able to play Monday night.

Take a look below for the full game statuses for both the Ravens and Rams in Week 12.

Baltimore Ravens game status:

DT Michael Pierce (ankle) – Doubtful
WR Chris Moore (thumb) – Questionable
G Ben Powers (thumb) – Questionable
T Ronnie Stanley (ankle) – Questionable

Los Angeles Rams game status:

T Rob Havenstein (knee) – Out
DB Darious Williams (ankle) – Out
LB Natrez Patrick (illness) – Questionable

Ravens DT Michael Pierce, WR Chris Moore inactive vs. Texans

The Baltimore Ravens are without defensive tackle Michael Pierce, who suffered an ankle injury last week, against the Houston Texans

The Baltimore Ravens will be without the services of starting defensive tackle Michael Pierce in Week 11 against the Houston Texans.

With the Texans featuring one of the best rushing attacks in the league, Pierce’s absence due to an ankle injury will put more pressure on the Ravens’ defense to remain stout upfront. However, there’s some hope defensive tackles Domata Peko and Justin Ellis will help after both were signed earlier this week.

The need for both Peko and Ellis could be why rookie cornerback Iman Marshall is also listed as inactive. Marshall was activated from injured reserve earlier in the week, having missed the entire season thus far. But with Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Carr, Marcus Peters and Jimmy Smith still in the secondary, there’s a bigger need to offset Pierce’s absence on the defensive line.

Take a look at the list of inactives for both Baltimore and Houston this week.

Baltimore Ravens inactives:

QB Trace McSorley
WR Chris Moore
WR Jaleel Scott
CB Iman Marshall
G Ben Powers
DT Zach Sieler
DT Michael Pierce

Houston Texans inactives:

WR Steven Mitchell Jr.
WR Will Fuller V
CB Bradley Roby
CB Vernon Hargreaves III
ILB Tyrell Adams
T Chris Clarks
DE Joel Heath

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Ravens vs. Texans injury report: DT Michael Pierce missed Thursday’s practice

The Baltimore Ravens are pretty healthy for Week 11 against the Houston Texans but are still seeing defensive tackle Michael Pierce out.

The Baltimore Ravens enter Week 11 fairly healthy. After getting their Week 9 bye, Baltimore has managed to see the return of some previously injured players as they look to make a strong second-half run.

While the Ravens had three players miss practice entirely on Thursday, most of the injuries don’t seem to be terribly concerning. Rookie wide receiver Marquise Brown has been a frequent addition to the injury report each week but has played in all but two games this season. Defensive tackle Brandon Williams was held out for non-injury reasons. That leaves just defensive tackle Michael Pierce, who was considered day-to-day this week with an ankle injury.

Take a look at the full injury report below.

Baltimore Ravens injuries:

WR Marquise Brown (ankle) – DNP
DT Michael Pierce (ankle) – DNP
DT Brandon Williams (NIR) – DNP

WR Chris Moore (thumb) – LP

CB Brandon Carr (NIR) – FP
RB Mark Ingram (NIR) – FP
CB Jimmy Smith (NIR) – FP
Earl Thomas (NIR/knee) – FP

Houston Texans injuries:

LB Dylan Cole (Knee) – LP
WR Will Fuller V (Hamstring) – LP
S Tashaun Gipson Sr. (Back/wrist) – LP
G/T Tytus Howard (Knee) – LP
CB Bradley Roby (Hamstring) – LP
T Laremy Tunsil (Shoulder) – LP

Ravens place rookie DT Daylon Mack on injured reserve

The Baltimore Ravens placed rookie defensive tackle Daylon Mack on injured reserve after signing two veteran defensive tackles this week.

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The Baltimore Ravens made a whole host of roster moves over the last few days. In addition to activating rookie cornerback Iman Marshall from injured reserve, the Ravens signed two defensive tackles in Justin Ellis and Domata Peko. To help make room for the roster additions, Baltimore placed rookie defensive tackle Daylon Mack on injured reserve.

Mack was listed as “questionable” for Week 10’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, after being limited in Friday’s practice with a knee injury. Mack played in just one game this season — being a healthy scratch through seven others. With the signings of Ellis and Peko, the move to injured reserve was to be expected.

It will allow Baltimore to get more experienced defensive linemen on the field, especially with Michael Pierce’s ankle injury potentially keeping him out of the lineup. But it still allows the Ravens to continue developing Mack for the future. As a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft, there were no expectations that Mack would become an immediate contributor but could hopefully grow into a solid depth player or potential heir for guys like Pierce and Brandon Williams down the line.

According to the team’s site, Mack becomes the 10th Ravens player to head to injured reserve this season — all on defense.

Ravens promote CB Iman Marshall from injured reserve

Rookie cornerback Iman Marshall was added to the Baltimore Ravens’ 53-man roster after spending the last 10 weeks on injured reserve

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The Baltimore Ravens have activated rookie cornerback Iman Marshall from injured reserve to the 53-man roster, according to the team’s Twitter.

Marshall had missed the final three preseason games with an undisclosed injury and was placed on injured reserve shortly after the Ravens finalized their 53-man roster in early September. Marshall returned to practice on Oct. 28 as one of Baltimore’s two designated-to-return spots and can officially play in Week 11 against the Houston Texans.

It’s unclear how big of a role Marshall will have on defense moving forward. With the trade for cornerback Marcus Peters, the Ravens have four starting-caliber cornerbacks in Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Carr, Jimmy Smith and Peters they’re already trying to shuffle into the lineup. The defense has drastically improved from earlier in the season and given Marshall’s inexperience, it seems unlikely he’d be much more than extra depth if he actually plays at all on defense.

Even if Marshall doesn’t contribute much for the remainder of this season, any playing time will be valuable experience towards his development. The Ravens have liked to slowly develop cornerbacks in-house as they’ve done with guys like Maurice Canady, Humphrey, Smith and Tavon Young. It’s a strategy that emphasizes patience but has worked out well for Baltimore over the years.

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Ravens sign DTs Domata Peko, Justin Ellis; punt returner Cyrus Jones waived

The Baltimore Ravens beefed up the center of their defensive line with defensive tackle Michael Pierce expected to miss time with an injury.

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With defensive tackle Michael Pierce having suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter of Week 10’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Baltimore Ravens brought in reinforcements.

The Ravens announced they signed defensive tackle Justin Ellis, a five-year veteran who had been with the Oakland Raiders. Over his time in the league, Ellis (6-2, 350 pounds) has accounted for 119 tackles and a half-sack.

In addition, Baltimore added former Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko. Initially reported by The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec and confirmed by his agent, Peko adds a wealth of experience to the defensive line. Peko played 11 years with Cincinnati and the last two with the Denver Broncos, amassing 589 combined tackles, 20 sacks, three forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and 50 quarterback hits.

To make room for Ellis and Peko, the Ravens announced they have waived punt returner Cyrus Jones and defensive end Ufomba Kamalu. A Baltimore native, Jones became dispensable after Baltimore signed return specialist De’Anthony Thomas last week and made him a healthy scratch for Week 10. Kamalu had been signed off New England’s practice squad but had not been active in a game this season for the Ravens.

While Pierce’s injury is considered day-to-day, according to coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens have been thin on the defensive line. They initially entered the season with just five defensive linemen on the 53-man roster, a departure from the usually stacked units Baltimore carried in previous years.

With no clear timetable set for Pierce’s return from injury and rookie Daylon Mack only being active for one game this season, the Ravens needed some beef in the middle of their defensive line. Peko and Ellis give them exactly that right at a time when they’ll go up against two of the best rushing teams in the league: the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers.

Baltimore has found quite a bit of success with signing free-agent defenders this season. The Ravens added linebackers L.J. Fort and Josh Bynes earlier in the year, and both have provided a major impact for the defense. So there’s plenty of hope both Ellis and Peko could do the same in the second half of the season.

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