(This blog brought to you by Atlantic Remodeling. Visit www.atlanticremodeling.com to learn about their Red Cent Guarantee!)
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Despite facing the challenges of preparing for a short week, the Ravens couldn’t ask for a much better bill of health for their Thanksgiving night meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Defensive end Chris Canty (shoulder) was listed as probable after practicing on a limited basis all week and is the only Baltimore starter even listed on the injury report. Rookie safety Brynden Trawick was ruled out for Thursday’s game after suffering an ankle injury in the Week 12 win over the New York Jets last weekend and missing all three practices this week.
The only drama regarding the Ravens’ health picture is the status of tight end Dennis Pitta, who has now been practicing for a week in his return from a dislocated and fractured hip suffered on July 27. The Ravens must activate Pitta by 4 p.m. Thursday in order for him to play against the Steelers, but head coach John Harbaugh was tight-lipped regarding the fourth-year tight end’s status for Thursday night.
“He’s closer. Yes, he is,” Harbaugh said. “Dennis Pitta is closer [to returning].”
Pitta’s chances of returning for last Sunday’s game against the Jets were always considered extremely remote, but it remains to be seen whether the Ravens will activate him against their AFC North rival. Baltimore has wanted to see Pitta practice enough to not only get back into football shape but determine how strong his hip is in responding to the rigors of contact and being back on the field.
With the Ravens having a 10-day gap between the Steelers game and their next contest against the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 8, Week 14 could be a more realistic target date for his return.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are unlikely to have outside linebacker Lamarr Woodley after he was listed as doubtful for Thursday’s game. He has missed Pittsburgh’s last two games with a calf injury and sat out Wednesday’s practice after working on a limited basis a day earlier.
The Steelers also ruled out starting nose tackle Steve McLendon (ankle) earlier in the week, but defensive end Brett Keisel is probable after missing the last two games with a foot injury.
Baltimore announced Wednesday that rookie defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore will not be activated from the non-football injury list after his three-week practice window expired. This ends the Notre Dame product’s season after he was drafted in the sixth round of April’s draft.
Lewis-Moore tore his ACL in the BCS national championship game against the University of Alabama last January.
The referee for Thursday’s game will be Clete Blakeman.
The forecast calls for temperatures in the low 30s with much calmer winds than the Ravens have dealt with in their previous three games.
Here is the final injury report of the week:
BALTIMORE
OUT: S Brynden Trawick (ankle)
PROBABLE: DE Chris Canty (shoulder)
PITTSBURGH
OUT: DT Steve McLendon (ankle)
DOUBTFUL: LB LaMarr Woodley (calf)
PROBABLE: T Marcus Gilbert (ankle), DE Brett Keisel (foot), TE Heath Miller (NIR), S Troy Polamalu (NIR), LB Stevenson Sylvester (hamstring), S Shamarko Thomas (ankle)
