OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens will be without their best defensive lineman for the second straight week as Brandon Williams was officially ruled out for Sunday’s contest with Pittsburgh.
Williams did not practice all week and hasn’t played since injuring his foot in the Week 2 win over Cleveland. Head coach John Harbaugh reiterated Friday that the fifth-year defensive standout is making progress, but his return isn’t considered imminent.
“He’s got a lower leg issue that he’s dealing with,” Harbaugh said. “I think when you see him practicing, you’ll know that he’s either close to getting back or back. That’s kind of where it’s at right now. Like I said, it’s not going to be half the season or anything like that. It’s a matter of weeks from when he got hurt [on Sept. 17], and I’ll have my fingers crossed in the upcoming week or two and hope that he’ll be back.”
Williams’ absence is even more concerning after defensive end Brent Urban suffered a season-ending foot injury in last week’s loss to Jacksonville. With two starters on the defensive line now missing against the Steelers, the Ravens must rely on less-experienced options such as Carl Davis, Willie Henry, and Bronson Kaufusi to help contain Pro Bowl running back Le’Veon Bell and a Pittsburgh running game off to a slow start in 2017.
Veteran tight end Benjamin Watson (calf) was listed as questionable on the final injury report after returning to practice as a full participant on Friday. He is expected to play without any setback between now and Sunday.
Baltimore ruled out cornerback Jaylen Hill (hamstring) and tight end Maxx Williams (ankle).
The Steelers listed four starters as questionable, a list that included two offensive linemen and both starting safeties. However, all of them practiced on at least a limited basis Friday.
According to Weather.com, Sunday’s forecast in Baltimore calls for sunny skies with temperatures reaching the low 70s and winds up to six miles per hour.
Below is the final injury report for the week:
BALTIMORE
OUT: CB Jaylen Hill (thigh), DT Brandon Williams (foot), TE Maxx Williams (ankle)
QUESTIONABLE: TE Benjamin Watson (calf)
PITTSBURGH
QUESTIONABLE: S Sean Davis (ankle), G Ramon Foster (thumb), OT Marcus Gilbert (hamstring), LB James Harrison (illness), S Mike Mitchell (hamstring)
Ravens defensive tackle Williams to miss second straight game
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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