OWINGS MILLS, Md. — If Wednesday’s injury report was an encouraging shot in the arm as the banged-up Ravens officially turned their sights toward the Houston Texans, Thursday might feel like a swift kick to the gut.
After returning to practice on a limited basis a day earlier, wide receiver Lee Evans (ankle) and left guard Ben Grubbs (toe) were not practicing during the portion of practice open to the media on Thursday, point the needle in the wrong direction in terms of their status for Sunday. Grubbs was on the field without a helmet as he watched his fellow offensive linemen participate in positional drills while Evans was not present during the first 30 minutes of practice.
Safety Tom Zbikowski (concussion) was also missing during the open portion of the workout after practicing on a limited basis on Wednesday. The fourth-year safety had not been cleared of contact as of Wednesday and experienced concussion-related symptoms during the bye week.
Evans, Grubbs, and Zbikowski joined cornerbacks Chris Carr (hamstring) and Jimmy Smith (ankle) as the five players not participating during the open portion of Wednesday’s workout. For the second straight day, Smith was on the field in street clothes, but the rookie was only walking.
Running back Anthony Allen (thigh), linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (hamstring), safety Haruki Nakamura (knee), and return specialist David Reed were all present and working during the open portion of practice after being listed as limited participants on Wednesday’s injury report.
