The Ravens will learn Saturday whether six defensive players on the reserve-COVID-19 list will be activated to play against Indianapolis, but concerns have only grown in the secondary.
After missing Friday’s practice with what was described as a back issue, cornerback Jimmy Smith was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game with the Colts. Baltimore will already be without top cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who tested positive for COVID-19 at the beginning of the week.
Smith, 32, missed practice time with an Achilles tendon issue last week before playing against Pittsburgh, but he had already received a veteran day off on Wednesday before missing Friday’s workout. The 2011 first-round pick is expected to start on the outside opposite Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters with either undrafted rookie Khalil Dorsey or practice-squad member Terrell Bonds – one of the six players who have been isolating away from the team all week – playing the nickel. Veteran cornerback Nate Hairston is also on Baltimore’s practice squad.
Head coach John Harbaugh said Bonds, safety DeShon Elliott, and linebackers Patrick Queen, L.J. Fort, Tyus Bowser, and Malik Harrison remain on track to be activated from the reserve-COVID-19 list if their results from Friday’s round of testing come back negative. Should that happen, they would be permitted to return to the team facility on Saturday to take part in the walk-through before traveling with the rest of the team to Indianapolis.
“I am optimistic about all of them,” Harbaugh said. “I have not heard anything about any symptoms at this point, but I don’t get momentary reports on that. I just assume that if there’s something going on, I’ll hear about it.”
Running back Mark Ingram is expected to miss his second straight game and was designated as doubtful after sitting out the entire practice week. The 2019 Pro Bowl selection hasn’t practiced since injuring his left ankle in the Week 6 win at Philadelphia on Oct. 18, meaning rookie J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards will again have bigger workloads against an Indianapolis run defense ranked second in the NFL.
Rookie wide receiver Devin Duvernay was also added to Friday’s injury report as a limited participant and is listed as questionable with a thigh injury. After making his season debut against Pittsburgh last Sunday, veteran wide receiver Chris Moore is doubtful after missing practice on Thursday and Friday with a thigh injury.
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The Ravens’ concerns in the secondary are offset by injuries at wide receiver for Indianapolis as four-time Pro Bowl selection T.Y. Hilton is doubtful to play after missing the entire practice week with a groin injury. The 30-year-old hasn’t looked like the same player in 2020 with just 22 catches for 251 yards, but the Colts are 1-9 without Hilton dating back to his rookie season in 2012.
Indianapolis tight end Mo Alie-Cox was listed as questionable because of a knee injury.
Below is the final injury report for Week 9, which doesn’t include players on the COVID list as of Friday evening:
BALTIMORE
DOUBTFUL: RB Mark Ingram (ankle), WR Chris Moore (thigh)
QUESTIONABLE: WR Devin Duvernay (thigh), CB Jimmy Smith (back)
INDIANAPOLIS
OUT: WR Ashton Dulin (knee)
DOUBTFUL: WR T.Y. Hilton (groin)
QUESTIONABLE: TE Mo Alie-Cox (knee), WR Marcus Johnson (knee)
