OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens listed four players as questionable for their highly anticipated showdown with Kansas City on Monday night.
Offensive lineman D.J. Fluker (shoulder), defensive back Anthony Levine (abdomen), defensive tackle Justin Madubuike (knee), and wide receiver Chris Moore (finger) were all limited participants in Saturday’s practice, but all are expected to be available to play, according to head coach John Harbaugh. The question is whether all will be among Baltimore’s 48 active players against the Chiefs depending on level of health and conditioning as well as projected game-day roles.
Expected to be placed on injured reserve by 4 p.m. on Monday, cornerback Tavon Young was officially ruled out after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in Week 2. Young moving to IR will open up a spot on the 53-man roster for a player currently on the practice squad with veteran safety Jordan Richards and young cornerbacks Terrell Bonds and Khalil Dorsey being the most logical candidates. The Ravens can also elevate up to two additional players from the practice squad for Monday’s game.
“All of the [limited] guys except for Tavon will be available to play,” said Harbaugh prior to the release of the injury report on Saturday afternoon. “We’ll just kind of have to work that out in terms of what we feel like serves us best, in terms of the players that are active, like we always do.”
With the pass rush being a topic of interest as the Ravens aim to slow star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense, Madubuike would be an interesting option to add to the defensive line rotation. The rookie third-round pick from Texas A&M is viewed as someone who could make an impact as an inside rusher, but he returned to practice only this week after being sidelined for nearly a month with a right knee injury.
“He’s a talented guy who we were really happy with in training camp,” Harbaugh said. “This year, just like always, you put those guys out there and you see for the first time what they can do — be it your opening game or in Houston or on Monday Night Football against the Chiefs.”
Moore is one of Baltimore’s best special teams players, but he’s only logged three limited practices since breaking a finger before the start of open training camp in mid-August.
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Kansas City listed starting wide receiver Sammy Watkins (concussion/neck) as questionable for Monday’s game, but the veteran was a full participant in Saturday’s practice, a positive sign for his availability. Starting cornerback Charvarius Ward (hand) is also questionable for Week 3.
We know the Ravens will lack their normal home-field advantage at M&T Bank Stadium against the defending Super Bowl champions, but 250 family members of players, coaches, and front office staff will be present as the organization prepares for the possibility of hosting fans for games later this season. Harbaugh is curious to hear how much noise those family members can make for the home team.
“We’re about to find out. Everything is new. We get a new ‘new’ every time,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see, but it’s good to have family and friends there. I know the players and coaches are really happy about it and looking forward to having their families be able to come to the game. It’s definitely a big deal.
“We are very thankful to the organization for setting it up and to Gov. [Larry] Hogan for making it happen. It’s very important to our families, and they’re appreciative.”
According to Weather.com, the Monday night forecast in Baltimore calls for mostly cloudy skies and temperatures in the high 60s with a slight chance of a rain shower and winds five to 10 miles per hour.
Below is the final injury report for Week 3:
BALTIMORE
OUT: CB Tavon Young (knee)
QUESTIONABLE: G D.J. Fluker (shoulder), DB Anthony Levine (abdomen), DT Justin Madubuike (knee), WR Chris Moore (finger)
KANSAS CITY
OUT: DE Alex Okafor (hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE: LB Dorian O’Daniel (knee/ankle), CB Charvarius Ward (hand), WR Sammy Watkins (concussion/neck)
