As they try to anticipate who will be under center for the New York Giants in Sunday’s must-win meeting, the Ravens were without nine players for the first practice of the week.
Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell (calf) and cornerbacks Marcus Peters (calf) and Jimmy Smith (shoulder/ribs) remained absent after sitting out last Sunday’s win over Jacksonville, continuing to leave two levels of the Baltimore defense at less than full strength in late December. Campbell was the only one of the three to log any practice time last week, but he was ultimately scratched after a pre-game workout before the Jaguars game, a call apparently made by head coach John Harbaugh.
“It was a game-day decision. I felt like he could’ve played. It was my decision not to; he wanted to play,” Harbaugh said. “It just felt like having another guy 100 percent was better than Calais not 100 percent and with football still in front of us. Short term and long term, it felt like it was the best decision to make, but he did want to play. We’ll see how he does this week. I think he’s doing really well.”
Other notable practice absences on Wednesday included veteran outside linebacker Pernell McPhee (knee), wide receiver Dez Bryant (thigh), and rookie offensive lineman Tyre Phillips, who sustained a concussion upon scooping up a fumble and rumbling 22 yards for a first down to the delight of observers in Sunday’s game. The long list of absences continues to be less than ideal for a team needing wins in its final two games and a single loss from Cleveland, Indianapolis, or Miami to qualify for the playoffs.
Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard (knee) was a limited participant on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Giants are trying to keep their slim NFC East title hopes alive and welcomed starting quarterback Daniel Jones back to the practice field on a limited basis on Wednesday. The 2019 first-round pick has missed two of the last three games due to injuries, but backup Colt McCoy started New York’s shocking 17-12 upset win at Seattle in Week 13.
“Even with all the things he can do throwing the football, he also can run,” said Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey about Jones, who’s averaging 7.3 yards per carry despite throwing just eight touchdowns this season. “He’s pretty agile as far as escaping. And I think the only difference between the two is maybe just Colt McCoy is really not as much of a runner. But I know they like to run the ball, and they can do that very effectively. As far as the two different quarterbacks, it’s a little bit different to prepare, but the offense hasn’t really changed all too much.”
8Below is Wednesday’s full injury report:
BALTIMORE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: WR Dez Bryant (thigh), DE Calais Campbell (calf), DB Anthony Levine (abdomen), OLB Pernell McPhee (knee), CB Marcus Peters (calf), OL Tyre Phillips (concussion), OL Matt Skura (back), CB Jimmy Smith (ribs/shoulder), LB Kristian Welch (foot)
LIMITED: FB Patrick Ricard (knee)
NEW YORK
LIMITED: TE Evan Engram (calf), DB Darnay Holmes (knee), QB Daniel Jones (hamstring/ankle), OT Matt Peart (ankle), WR Golden Tate (calf)
