(Updated: 1:50 p.m.)
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Conducting their final practice before welcoming the Cincinnati Bengals to town for the season opener on Monday night, the Ravens continued to be in good shape as it related to attendance at practice.
Safety Sean Considine (concussion) was once again practicing in his regular white practice jersey for the second straight day. Coach John Harbaugh revealed after practice the veteran has been cleared for contact and will be ready to play on Monday.
“It was definitely frustrating,” Considine said. “It wasn’t a good time period at the end of training camp thereto be dealing with a concussion like that. I took care of it. I feel a lot better now and am ready to go. I feel fortunate that I’m still around here and looking to help this team win.”
He was listed as a full participant for practices on Friday and Saturday and had been wearing a red non-contact jersey since the third preseason against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, Considine revealed he did not sustain a second concussion as previously reported but rather he was continuing to deal with symptoms from the first one as he attempted to play against Jacksonville.
Considine and newly-signed veteran James Ihedigbo will be the primary backups to starting safeties Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard.
“Really, I probably shouldn’t have tried to play in that third game,” Considine said. “That was all on me, and I just had some symptoms come up from the original. It was one concussion. That’s definitely better than having two, so I’m not too worried about that.”
Players conducted their customary jersey swap for the final practice of the week — making it difficult to spot players — but it appeared rookie cornerback Asa Jackson (illness) was absent for the second straight day. Offensive lineman Jah Reid (calf) was on the field but not practice as he will miss Monday night’s game against the Bengals.
Jackson is dealing with gastrointestinal issues.
“We’ve all had those, so that should paint a vivid picture for everybody,” said Harbaugh, drawing laughter from media.
Wide receiver Jacoby Jones muffed a punt during the portion of practice open to the media Saturday morning, which will certainly make Ravens fans nervous after the former Houston Texan’s struggles in the divisional playoff game in Baltimore last January.
Monday’s forecast calls for a clear night with temperatures dropping into the low 60s for the prime-time affair.
With the NFL continuing to use replacement officials, Richard “Matt” Nicks will be the referee for Monday night’s game. As you’d expect, we know very little about Nicks, but he did receive assignments for all four weeks of the preseason while many replacement officials did not.
Whether that’s a good sign or not is up for debate.
