The Ravens activated wide receivers Marquise Brown, Miles Boykin, and James Proche from the reserve-COVID-19 list on Saturday, paving the way for them to play against Jacksonville in Week 15.
The three were deemed high-risk close contacts with an infected person early in the week, but they tested negative for the virus and didn’t experience any symptoms for five consecutive days. On Friday, Baltimore announced wide receivers coach and pass coordinator David Culley would not coach in Sunday’s game due to illness with senior offensive assistant Craig Ver Steeg assuming his responsibilities.
Of course, Brown, Boykin, and Proche not logging much practice time is far from ideal even before a game against the 1-12 Jaguars.
“We’ve been in a few unique situations this year for sure,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman said on Thursday. “It’s our job — everybody, next man up — to get prepared, to go perform at the standard and level that we want, and it’s that simple really. Whether they can play or not, not in our control. We can control what we can control, and that’s what we’re doing right now.”
Those returns may ease any concerns on the offensive side of the ball, but the Ravens remain in a world of hurt in the secondary as Marlon Humphrey is the only cornerback on the 53-man roster not listed on the Week 15 injury report. Baltimore ruled out Jimmy Smith with the shoulder injury sustained in Monday’s win at Cleveland while 2019 Pro Bowl selection Marcus Peters (calf) didn’t practice all week. Peters injured his calf in the fourth quarter against the Browns, but he insisted on missing only four defensive snaps with the Ravens dealing with so many injuries at the position.
His return was as a surprise to many on the sideline at the time.
“He went out there; the trainers didn’t even tell him it was OK to run out there,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “All of a sudden, I see him running out there, and I say, ‘Is Marcus cleared?’ Our trainer Ron [Medlin] says, ‘Marcus is out there?’ I was like, ‘Yes, he just ran out.’ And then he blitzed and almost got a sack.”
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Peters does fit into the category of select veterans who wouldn’t need to practice in order to play in a game, but his status figures to remain in question even after game-day inactives are announced 90 minutes prior to Sunday’s 1 p.m. kickoff. The three-time Pro Bowl cornerback has missed only three games in his six-year career and none since being acquired by Baltimore last season.
After an excellent start to his 10th season with the Ravens, Smith will miss his third game of 2020 and has now missed significant portions of five of the last six contests due to a plethora of injuries. Unfortunately, it’s an all-too-familiar story for the 32-year-old’s career.
“It’s tough. I just know he’s frustrated with it,” Harbaugh said. “He wants to play. He’s really been pushing himself back on the field every time. It seems like he just keeps coming up with these things.”
Peters and Smith aren’t the only Baltimore cornerbacks currently ailing as Anthony Averett (ankle), Tramon Williams (thigh), and Davontae Harris (ankle) were also listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. On Friday, Williams was upgraded to full participation and Harris returned to the field to take part on a limited basis, but Averett was a new addition to the injury report as a non-participant, increasing the concern level in the position group.
With Smith out and Peters ailing, the only certainty at cornerback on Sunday will be the presence of Humphrey. The Ravens elevated veteran cornerback Pierre Desire from the practice squad to offer more depth in the secondary for Week 15.
Defensive linemen Calais Campbell (calf) and Derek Wolfe (neck/back) were listed as questionable, but both practiced on Friday, easing any serious doubts about their availability.
As expected, the Ravens elevated undrafted rookie quarterback Tyler Huntley for Sunday’s game after backup Trace McSorley was placed on injured reserve with a left knee injury this week. Veteran Robert Griffin III isn’t eligible to be activated until next week at the earliest, which left Lamar Jackson as the only quarterback on the 53-man roster. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Huntley turned some heads during training camp after a solid collegiate career at Utah.
8“Tyler has been doing great,” Harbaugh said. “He’s been practicing every day, in every meeting, working really hard. He’s improving. He looks good. He’ll be our backup quarterback in this game, and he’ll be ready to go if called upon.”
The Ravens also elevated tight end Eric Tomlinson from the practice squad and waived veteran tight end Luke Willson, who had been dealing with a hip injury that sidelined him for last Monday’s win at Cleveland.
Just one player landed on Jacksonville’s final game status injury report as starting cornerback Sidney Jones was ruled out with an Achilles tendon issue. Jones had just returned last week after a three-game absence. The Jaguars have been hit hard at the cornerback position this season.
Below is the final injury report for Week 15:
BALTIMORE
OUT: CB Jimmy Smith (ribs/shoulder), LB Kristian Welch (foot)
QUESTIONABLE: CB Anthony Averett (ankle), DE Calais Campbell (calf), CB Davontae Harris (ankle), DB Anthony Levine (abdomen), CB Marcus Peters (calf), DT Broderick Washington (concussion), CB Tramon Williams (thigh), DE Derek Wolfe (neck/back)
JACKSONVILLE
OUT: CB Sidney Jones (Achilles)
