OWINGS MILLS, Md. โ If anyone understands the challenges faced by Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown during his rookie season, itโs teammate Jimmy Smith.
In 2014, the veteran cornerback sustained a Lisfranc injury from which heโs felt effects for years. That Brown has been productive at all after missing the entire spring and part of training camp recovering from the left foot injury that required surgery in January is impressive.
โItโs a tough injury, extremely tough,โ Smith said. โI know what heโs going through as far as every time he gets up and wakes up and itโs cold outside, that thing hurts. I understand it. And having a high-ankle [sprain] โ which I also had โ back to back, heโs fighting his way. Heโs coming up making plays. Heโs keeping his head up.
โAll the guys talk to him. Iโve been in his ear letting him know, โYouโre going to get over it eventually.โ But Iโm proud of the way heโs bounced back and performed.โ
That high-ankle sprain Brown sustained to his right leg in the Oct. 6 win at Pittsburgh sidelined him for the final two games before the bye week. After returning to play 40 snaps in Sundayโs 37-20 win over New England, Brown wasnโt on the Wednesday injury report for the first time since Week 5, but that doesnโt mean heโs fully recovered as he still walked with a slight limp during the portion of practice open to media.
Head coach John Harbaugh has said Brown is โnowhere near where heโs going to beโ as a player, an impressive assessment considering he remains Baltimoreโs leading wide receiver with 24 catches for 374 yards โ numbers second to only tight end Mark Andrews โ and three touchdowns in not even six full games of action. His diving third-down reception to move the chains and 26-yard gain on a jet sweep pass on the opening drive against the Patriots were an early boost to both the Ravens and Brownโs confidence as the first-round pick returns from his latest ailment. Heโll hope to build on that three-catch, 48-yard performance in Sundayโs trip to Cincinnati after missing the Week 6 game against the Bengals last month.
โItโs just more like with the team being out there with the guys, not wanting to let them down,โ Brown said. โBut they all encourage me. They know Iโm not 100 [percent], but theyโre like, โWhen youโre out there, youโre going to make plays.โ I just keep that in my head.โ
Left tackle Ronnie Stanley was absent from Wednesdayโs practice after tweaking his left knee on backup running back Justice Hillโs run 2-yard run with 6:22 to play in Sundayโs 37-20 win over New England. Despite being in obvious discomfort for the remainder of that final touchdown drive, the fourth-year offensive lineman played every remaining offensive snap and was deemed OK by head coach John Harbaugh when asked about Stanleyโs status on Monday.
Right guard Marshal Yanda also missed Wednesdayโs practice with an illness he caught from his children, according to Harbaugh.
Return specialist and wide receiver DeโAnthony Thomas made his practice debut and appears to be a good bet to at least see action as a kick returner against the Bengals. Harbaugh said the Ravens will โsee how it shakes outโ in regards to Thomasโ game-day role after punt returner Cyrus Jones lost a fumble in the second quarter against the Patriots.
โJust catch the ball. Thatโs it. Thatโs all Iโve got to do,โ said Jones, who hadnโt fumbled since Week 14 of last season after a history of ball-security problems with New England. โIโve got one job: catch the ball. Catch the ball.โ
In other roster-related news, cornerback Maurice Canady was claimed by the New York Jets after being waived to make room for Thomas on Tuesday.
Baltimore signed running back Byron Marshall to its practice squad Wednesday.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor initially expressed his expectation that seven-time wide receiver A.J. Green (ankle) would make his season debut against the Ravens, but Green didnโt practice Wednesday after experiencing discomfort during a walk-through and is now considered day-to-day, a concerning development for an 0-8 team starting rookie quarterback Ryan Finley for the first time on Sunday.
Below is Wednesdayโs full injury report:
BALTIMORE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: RB Mark Ingram (non-injury), OT Ronnie Stanley (knee), G Marshal Yanda (illness), S Earl Thomas (non-injury)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: WR Chris Moore (thumb)
CINCINNATI
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: TE Tyler Eifert (non-injury), WR A.J. Green (ankle), CB Dre Kirkpatrick (knee), G Alex Redmond (knee/ankle)
FULL PARTICIPATION: CB Darqueze Denard (hamstring), OT Cordy Glenn (concussion), DE Carl Lawson (hamstring), G John Miller (groin)
Marquise Brown making plays, pushing way through trying rookie season
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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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