OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Finally moving toward some sense of football normalcy — at least the 2020 variety — the struggling Ravens had their two best defensive linemen together on the practice field for the first time in nearly a month on Saturday afternoon.
A day after nose tackle Brandon Williams practiced on a limited basis for the first time since injuring his ankle against New England on Nov. 15, Baltimore welcomed back five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell from the reserve-COVID-19 list. Campbell had been sidelined since injuring his left calf in the win over Indianapolis on Nov. 8 and then tested positive for the coronavirus late last month, leaving a major void on the defensive line as the Ravens have lost three straight games to fall to 6-5.
Williams and Campbell were listed as limited participants for Saturday’s workout and were officially designated as questionable to play against Dallas on Tuesday night. With Williams exiting very early in the Week 10 loss to the Patriots, the Ravens have allowed an average of 138 rushing yards per game over the current three-game losing streak without their dominant run stoppers up front.
Williams wasn’t the only Ravens player to come off the COVID-19 list Saturday as running back Mark Ingram and outside linebacker Jihad Ward were also activated. Ten players remain on the list with several still having a chance to be activated in time to play against the Cowboys, a group headlined by star quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Jackson is eligible to be activated after a 10-day isolation period as early as Sunday, but the Ravens haven’t indicated whether that will happen. Trace McSorley and undrafted rookie Tyler Huntley have been the only quarterbacks practicing after veteran backup Robert Griffin III was placed on injured reserve with the hamstring injury sustained in the loss to Pittsburgh, but Jackson — who tested positive for COVID-19 on Thanksgiving — has continued to prepare to play against Dallas away from the team facility.
“He’s fully engaged on these virtual meetings. He’s part of all that [and] gets to watch all the film,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. “Once practice takes place, then we’ll have another virtual meeting to look at the practice virtually. He’s really lockstep, each and every step through. The only thing he can’t do is, obviously, be here at the facility and actually take part in it. But, mentally, he’s right on it.”
In addition to Williams and Campbell, the Ravens designated seven others as questionable to play on Tuesday night, a list including cornerbacks Jimmy Smith (groin) and Davontae Harris (thigh), safeties Chuck Clark (knee) and DeShon Elliott (knee/ankle), and outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson (illness). Baltimore listed rookie defensive tackle Broderick Washington (concussion) and veteran cornerback Tramon Williams (thigh) as doubtful to play in Week 13.
The health concerns at cornerback come at a time when the Ravens had seemingly rebuilt their depth there with the recent veteran additions of Tramon Williams and Harris, who both made positive contributions against the Steelers. With Smith and Tramon Williams now unlikely to play against the Cowboys, Harris — who practiced fully on Saturday — may need to serve as Baltimore’s third corner in the nickel package after being claimed off waivers just days before the beginning of the organization’s COVID-19 outbreak. Suffice to say, the start of his Ravens tenure has been anything but normal.
“I think I met him [Harris] on the plane on the way to Pittsburgh,” said defensive coordinator Wink Martindale as he laughed. “He had the two walk-throughs [on Monday and Tuesday], and then we put him out there, and he made some plays — made some plays on special teams and made some plays for us on defense. This time of year, everybody is battling those same things with injuries and everything else.”
The Ravens did designate cornerback Anthony Averett to return to practice from injured reserve this week, but it’s unclear when the third-year defensive back will be ready to play after being sidelined with a shoulder injury since mid-October.
Safety is also a concern with Clark having not practiced since Wednesday’s loss to the Steelers, but Elliott was a full practice participant on Friday and Saturday. Clark’s availability is of greater interest since he wears the “green dot” helmet and relays the calls in the defensive huddle. Rookie safety Nigel Warrior would likely be elevated from the practice squad if Clark cannot play on Tuesday.
As expected, Dallas ruled out starting offensive tackles Zack Martin and Cam Erving, who both sustained injuries in the Thanksgiving Day loss to Washington.
Below is the final game status injury report for Week 13:
BALTIMORE
DOUBTFUL: DT Broderick Washington (concussion), CB Tramon Williams (thigh)
QUESTIONABLE: DE Calais Campbell (calf), S Chuck Clark (knee), S DeShon Elliott (knee/ankle), OLB Jaylon Ferguson (illness), OT D.J. Fluker (ankle), CB Davontae Harris (thigh), CB Jimmy Smith (groin), LB Kristian Welch (ankle), DT Brandon Williams (ankle)
DALLAS
OUT: OT Cameron Erving (knee), G Zack Martin (calf)
QUESTIONABLE: CB Anthony Brown (ribs), S Steven Parker (ankle), DE Aldon Smith (illness), S Donovan Wilson (groin)
