Tag: reserve/COVID-19 list

Ravens staying quiet on Lamar Jackson’s and others’ potential return from Reserve/COVID-19 list

Based solely on the dates they tested positive, the Ravens could have a lot of players coming back from the Reserve/COVID-19 list vs Cowboys

The Baltimore Ravens fought valiantly against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday afternoon. Down a large chunk of the 53-man roster to the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the Ravens not only made the undefeated Steelers sweat but were nearly in a position to go win the game.

For the praise Baltimore deserves for their effort in that game, they’d probably rather have all their starters back on the field for Week 13 against the Dallas Cowboys. Unfortunately, that’s a decision that’s out of coach John Harbaugh’s hands.

“As far as the COVID-19 guys coming back, they all have their different days when they’re possibly allowed to come back,” Harbaugh said Thursday. “But those are medical decisions in the end, not coaching decisions. So, when the doctors clear them to practice, that’s when we’ll have them.”

Players who test positive for COVID-19 must stay isolated for a minimum of 10 days. Based on our COVID-19 tracker, quite a few players will finish their 10-day quarantine ahead of the Ravens’ Tuesday game against Dallas, including the following:

  • QB Lamar Jackson
  • RB Mark Ingram
  • RB J.K. Dobbins
  • DE Calais Campbell
  • DE Jihad Ward
  • DT Justin Madubuike
  • OLB Pernell McPhee
  • C/G Patrick Mekari
  • C/G Matt Skura
  • LS Morgan Cox
  • FB Patrick Ricard

Now, that’s not to say any or all of these players will actually suit up Tuesday against the Cowboys. Some are dealing with nagging injuries and all will likely need at least a few days of practice before Harbaugh is willing to put them out on the field. But the potential exists for nearly all of the Ravens’ starting offense to play, which when paired with even Baltimore’s undermanned defense could be enough to pick up a critical win over Dallas.

Beyond football, it’ll be nice to see those players come off the Reserve/COVID-19 list. While the longevity of the pandemic has made some people feel quite blasé about the potential side effects from COVID-19, the fact is scientists and health officials are still trying to fully understand the coronavirus and its short- and long-term effects. Seeing those players come off the list is a hat tip toward them and their families being better, which is really the most important thing.

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Ravens players react to close loss to Steelers in Week 12

Baltimore Ravens players voice opinions on Twitter regarding loss vs. Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers finally kicked off on Wednesday afternoon after multiple players throughout the week tested positive or were in close contact with someone with COVID-19. Despite Baltimore having a total of 23 players added to the Reserve/COVID-19 list since last Monday, that did not stop some of the Ravens’ playmakers from taking to social media.

Ravens tackle Ronnie Stanley was thrilled for Tyus Bowser’s first-quarter interception but had some words for his teammate.

The Ravens defense played nearly lights out. Baltimore forced two turnovers and had a few fourth-down stops. Wide Receiver Willie Snead let his Twitter followers know how Pittsburgh was feeling facing the Ravens defense.

When Baltimore was down two scores with under four minutes left in the fourth quarter, they needed a big play on offense. Quarterback Lamar Jackson was elated after Trace McSorley connected with wide receiver Marquise Brown for a 70-yard touchdown.

Despite Baltimore losing 19-14, players were satisfied with how the team fought through the adversity to put up a competitive effort against the undefeated Steelers. Defensive end Calais Campbell took to Twitter following the loss to pat his guys on the back and look toward the future.

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Steelers vs. Ravens: RB Wendell Smallwood called up from practice squad

With James Conner on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the Steelers called up veteran Wendell Smallwood for reinforcement versus Ravens.

With Steelers running back James Conner on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, Wendell Smallwood was called up from the practice squad today. He’ll join the rotation of Benny Snell, Jr. and Anthony McFarland, Jr.

In five seasons, this will be Smallwood’s 52nd career game and first with the Steelers. He came to Pittsburgh as a member of the practice squad in September.

Smallwood’s best season came in 2018 with the Philadelphia Eagles when rushed for 364 yards and three touchdowns. He also logged 230 receiving yards and two more scores.

It’s hard to predict how often Smallwood will be used versus the Ravens, given his inexperience with the Black & Gold, but his sure hands as a receiver could come into play.

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Steelers vs. Ravens: Baltimore activates 4 players from Reserve/COVID-19 list, including Pro Bowl DT Brandon Williams

With the third Steelers-Ravens game delay, it was anticipated that more of Baltimore’s players would be suddenly available for Wednesday.

With the third Steelers-Ravens game delay, it was anticipated that more of Baltimore’s players would be suddenly available for Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Ravens activated Pro Bowl defensive tackle Brandon Williams from Reserve/COVID-19 list. Williams, the anchor of Baltimore’s run defense, hasn’t played since he went down with an ankle injury in Week 10.

Williams was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Nov. 23 after contact tracing deemed him a close contact of running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram.

Quarterback Trace McSorley and cornerbacks Tavon Young and Khalil Dorsey were also activated from the list, but Young and Dorsey revert to injured reserve. Young suffered a knee injury versus the Houston Texans in Week 2, and Dorsey has been out with an ankle. McSorley is insurance should something happen to Robert Griffin III, but he hasn’t played a snap all season.

Though running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram have not yet been activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list, both are eligible. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, teams have until 12:30 Wednesday to submit player transactions.

As of Tuesday, 16 Ravens players remain on the Reserve/COVID-19 list to the Steelers one.

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Steelers vs. Ravens: Players cite lack of practice as excuse for refusing to play Pittsburgh

The Athletic reports the Ravens weren’t comfortable playing the Steelers without practice or conditioning.

Late Monday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic published, “Ravens players hold their ground, matchup with Steelers is pushed back a day.” The article documents the chain of events that caused a third (and hopefully final) postponement of Steelers-Ravens.

“They were uncomfortable with the safety risks of having to play an NFL game against their fiercest rival without having a legitimate practice or conditioning session in over a week,” wrote Zrebiec.

Let’s pretend for a moment that injury risks due to no practice are the true reason behind the team threatening to strike.

Ravens running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram haven’t had “legitimate practice or conditioning” over a week either, but they are eligible to play on Wednesday. They would not have been eligible on Tuesday.

Why, again, weren’t the Ravens practicing? Oh, that’s right, their strength and conditioning coach had coronavirus symptoms but did not report them. He also did not wear a mask or contact tracing device.

No practice? No problem

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was not concerned about his safety, nor was the team, when he, linebacker Vince Williams, running back Jaylen Samuels and offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins went seven days without practice.

Instead, they were activated on Nov. 14, participated in one walk-through and played on the 15th.

“We are going to have an extended walk-through tomorrow just to give [Ben] an in-helmet perspective on some of the situational things, to put the finishing touches on our work, to allow him to work with the eligibles that he will work with in-game, to have any necessary informal conversations that allow us to have a level of comfort as we push into play,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in a Nov. 10 press conference.

Roethlisberger put up a season-best 333 yards and four touchdowns.

No bias here. The Tennessee Titans also had one practice on Oct. 11 — their first legitimate session in two weeks — before playing the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 13. The Titans trounced the Bills 42-16.

The Steelers and Titans did not threaten to strike. They did not push the NFL to postpone the games. Instead, Tomlin and Titans’ head coach Mike Vrabel pushed their teams to put on their big boy pants and play.

So, not only do the Ravens get two workouts/practices before flying to Pittsburgh, but they will likely get (at least) two key players back. All of this preferential treatment for a team that blatantly violated protocols.

Baltimore’s spineless moves — and the NFL catering to them — have been watched closely by the 31 other teams. You can bet that they will attempt to follow suit if there’s another outbreak in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl.

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Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins could return off Reserve/COVID-19 list vs. Steelers

Baltimore Ravens running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins are eligible to come off the COVID-19 list in Week 12 against the Steelers.

The Baltimore Ravens could have two much-needed weapons back on offense against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the NFL rescheduling Baltimore’s Week 12 game against Pittsburgh for a third time — moving the game to Wednesday afternoon — running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins could be eligible to return from the Reserve/COVID-19 list, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Ingram and Dobbins were the first two Ravens players to test positive for COVID-19 last week. Since Ingram and Dobbins tested positive on Monday, Baltimore has seen a total of 20 other players go on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Due to the outbreak, the Ravens have had their Week 12 game against the Steelers and Week 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys rescheduled multiple times now.

Players that test positive for COVID-19 are isolated for a minimum of 10 days. With Baltimore’s Week 12 game getting pushed back to Wednesday, Ingram and Dobbins would have been out long enough and could potentially return, barring continued positive tests or symptoms.

Dobbins has quickly become Baltimore’s leading back, at least in terms of production. After a slow start to the season that saw the Ravens split carries among the top three running backs on the roster in addition to quarterback Lamar Jackson, Dobbins has been getting an increased workload. Over the last four games, Dobbins has 47 rushing attempts for 226 yards and a touchdown while adding another six receptions for 29 yards.

Even with the return of Ingram and Dobbins, Baltimore will still be without key players on offense. Jackson, wide receiver Willie Snead, and tight end Mark Andrews landed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list and won’t clear the NFL’s protocols before Wednesday night. While Baltimore’s offense will look very different and face a tough Steelers defense, having Ingram and Dobbins back in the lineup should help starting quarterback Robert Griffin III in what is a critical game for the Ravens and their playoff chances.

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Steelers vs. Ravens: Baltimore will get 2 key starters back, thanks to 3rd game delay

The 10-day isolation period ends on thrice rescheduled game day.

Coincidence? I think not.

Baltimore Ravens running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins will be declared eligible to play in the for-now Wednesday night game in Pittsburgh, per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.

On Monday, Nov. 23, they were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, which requires a 10-day isolation period or until two tests return negative within a 24-hour period. Initially declared out for the originally-scheduled Thanksgiving game, the two were a longshot to play in the first rescheduled matchup.

Now that the NFL has pushed the game for a third time, that 10-day period will have ended. If Dobbins and Ingram actually tested positive on the 23rd, the period ends on game day.

The Ravens will still be without Lamar Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews, receiver Willie Snead, and pass rushers Calais Campbell and Matt Judon.

Ingram was out for the first game of the series with an ankle injury. Dobbins, as you remember, replaced him and gashed the Steelers for 113 yards on 15 carries.

While the Ravens still have 20 players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, having Dobbins and Ingram’s talents in the backfield is a tremendous advantage that they would not have had if they played on Tuesday.

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Several Ravens could return from Reserve/COVID-19 list to play vs. Steelers

With the Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game pushed to Tuesday, some players could return from the Reserve/COVID-19 list to play.

The Baltimore Ravens have been hit hard by an outbreak of COVID-19, putting 14 players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list over this last week. But with the Ravens’ Week 12 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers being pushed back to Tuesday, there’s a chance multiple Baltimore players could return in time to play against the Steelers.

Players who tested positive for COVID-19 must isolate for a minimum of 10 days from the date of the positive test while players who were identified as a high-risk close contact are only held out for a minimum of five days. That means anyone who was labeled as a close contact on Wednesday (Nov. 25) or earlier or who tested positive last Friday (Nov. 20) or earlier could potentially return in time for Tuesday’s game against Pittsburgh. 

Since the Ravens don’t label any players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list as either testing positive or being a close contact, it’s unclear which players could be eligible to return. However, coach John Harbaugh did confirm defensive tackle Brandon Williams was a close contact, meaning he could play against the Steelers. In addition to Williams, a total of eight other players were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday or earlier, though that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll absolutely be eligible to return.

Baltimore’s COVID-19 outbreak forced the NFL to reschedule the Ravens’ Week 12 game against the Steelers twice. Originally, Baltimore was set to take on Pittsburgh on Thanksgiving night but it was rescheduled to Sunday afternoon and then further reschedule to Tuesday evening. With the final schedule change, the NFL also moved the Ravens’ Week 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys to Monday night from its original Thursday slot.

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Falcons activate DE Dante Fowler from reserve/COVID-19 list

The Falcons have been thin at the defensive end position since waiving Takk McKinley and placing Dante Fowler Jr. on the reserve/COVID-19 list two weeks ago.

The Falcons have been thin at the defensive end position since waiving Takk McKinley and placing Dante Fowler Jr. on the reserve/COVID-19 list two weeks ago. On Wednesday, the team announced that it had activated Fowler, who should now be good to go for Atlanta’s Week 12 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Fowler signed with the Falcons during the offseason on a three-year, $45 million contract. Thus far, the former third-overall pick in the 2015 draft has recorded 17 tackles, two sacks, six QB hits and one forced fumble in eight games.

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Ravens place DT Brandon Williams on Reserve/COVID-19 list

The Baltimore Ravens placed DT Brandon Williams on the Reserve/COVID-19 list for the second time this season due to being a “close contact.”

The Baltimore Ravens shuttered their Under Armour Performance Facility Monday morning after multiple players tested positive. The team announced running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram were headed to the Reserve/COVID-19 list but it turns out there’s a third player as well.

Per the NFL’s transaction report, Ravens defensive tackle Brandon Williams was the third player placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. However, coach John Harbaugh noted Williams didn’t test positive but was considered a “close contact.”

While not ideal, especially since this is Williams’ second time being on the Reserve/COVID-19 list due to being in close contact with someone who tested positive, it’s also a bit of a relief too. Barring Williams showing any symptoms or testing positive, he’ll only be on the list for five days before being eligible to return to the team. Those that test positive are held out for 10 days from the date of the positive test. In this case, that would mean missing not only the Thanksgiving game against the Pittsburgh Steelers but potentially missing next week’s game against the Dallas Cowboys too.

Williams missed Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans due to an ankle injury suffered the previous week against the New England Patriots. Though the Ravens’ defense did an admirable job containing Titans running back Derrick Henry for the first three quarters, it was the fourth quarter and overtime where Baltimore truly needed their run-stuffing interior defensive linemen.

Sitting at 6-4, the final six games of the season are incredibly important to Baltimore’s playoff chances. Where an 11-5 team should have little trouble finding a wild-card berth, 10-6 or lower would be a real concern and likely need a little help from other teams to squeak in.

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