After another uneven performance by backup quarterback Ryan Mallett and the starting offense in a 31-7 preseason win over Miami, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Joe Flacco isnโt expected to return to practice this week.
The 10th-year quarterback has been sidelined with a back injury since the start of training camp and will not play in the preseason, but the team said in a release last week that โthe planโ is for Flacco to be ready for the Sept. 10 opener in Cincinnati. He will now have no more than two weeks of practice time to get ready for Week 1.
โI donโt think that time frame is this week yet,โ Harbaugh told reporters after Thursdayโs game. โSo, weโll kind of stick with the plan on that. I think itโs a straightforward date that the doctors and the back specialists have given us, so weโre going to stick with that.โ
The original hope was that Flacco would only miss a week of practice with a back issue he revealed to team officials upon reporting for the start of camp on July 26. The organization said from the start that caution would be exercised with a 32-year-old quarterback who has missed just six games in his first nine seasons and has rarely ever sat out practices in his career.
Mallett improved somewhat from the first preseason game by completing 13 of 22 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown to reserve tight end Larry Donnell, but he was also intercepted twice and again struggled to push the ball down the field with confidence. His struggles this summer have led many to continue clamoring for Baltimore to sign polarizing quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
The Ravens were also missing their two best offensive linemen against the Dolphins on Thursday as six-time Pro Bowl right guard Marshal Yanda and 2016 first-round left tackle Ronnie Stanley sat out, leaving Mallett to be protected by a starting line consisting of four former undrafted free agents.
โI thought he did good. He got out of trouble a few times. He made a few throws,โ Harbaugh said. โI think we just keep working to build off that. He was under pressure quite a bit early on, and I thought he handled it well and didnโt make mistakes. Thatโs really important. He played good, solid football.
โWeโre not totally together upfront right now, and I think heโs doing OK given the circumstances.โ
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Luke Jones
Luke Jones is the Ravens and Orioles beat reporter for WNST BaltimorePositive.com and is a PFWA member. His mind is consumed with useless sports knowledge, pro wrestling promos, and movie quotes, but he often forgets where he put his phone. Luke's favorite sports memories include being one of the thousands of kids who waited for Cal Ripken's autograph after Orioles games in the summer of 1995, attending the Super Bowl XXXV victory parade with his dad in the pouring rain, and watching the Terps advance to the Final Four at the Carrier Dome in 2002. Follow him on social media @BaltimoreLuke or email him at Luke@wnst.net.
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