Looking to move closer to clinching their sixth trip to the playoffs in seven years, the Ravens will try to improve to 5-3 on the road this season in visiting the Houston Texans.
With San Diego’s win over San Francisco on Saturday, the Ravens know the earliest they can clinch a playoff spot would be Monday night. Baltimore would officially punch its ticket to the postseason with a win over Houston and losses by Pittsburgh and Cincinnati in Week 16.
There were no real surprises on the list of inactives as defensive end Chris Canty will play despite having missed practices all week with an ankle injury. Because the veteran defensive lineman is less than 100 percent, the Ravens elected to activate third-year defensive end DeAngelo Tyson for the first time since Week 9. Tyson can also play the 5-technique spot typically occupied by Canty in the base defense.
Veteran cornerback Antoine Cason is active for the first time with the Ravens since being signed on Dec. 9. Rashaan Melvin is also active and likely to see significant playing time opposite veteran corner Lardarius Webb in the base defense.
Wide receiver Michael Campanaro is again a healthy scratch as his standing in the offense has clearly been hurt by not only the hamstring injury that sidelined him for over a month but also the improved play of 6-foot-5 wideout Marlon Brown in recent weeks.
For the Texans, wide receivers Andre Johnson (concussion) and DeAndre Hopkins (ankle) are both active and will play. Hopkins missed all three practices this week and had been listed as questionable on the injury report while Johnson was probable to play after missing last week’s game in Indianapolis.
Texans tight end Garrett Graham is inactive while he continues to recover from a high ankle sprain.
The Ravens will be playing the Texans for the eighth time in regular-season history and own a 6-1 record against them. Baltimore won the last meeting between the teams, a 30-9 final at M&T Bank Stadium on Sept. 22, 2013. Houston is just 1-3 against the Ravens at NRG Stadium.
The roof will be closed for Sunday’s game despite a forecast calling for temperatures in the low 60s in Houston.
The referee for Sunday’s game will be Walt Coleman.
The Ravens will be wearing white jerseys with black pants while Houston dons its navy blue tops with white pants.
Below are Sunday’s inactives:
BALTIMORE
WR Michael Campanaro
LB Arthur Brown
DT Terrence Cody
OL Gino Gradkowski
CB Chris Greenwood
DT Casey Walker
OL Ryan Jensen
HOUSTON
QB Tom Savage
LB Mike Mohamed
G Xavier Su’a-Filo
TE Garrett Graham
WR DeVier Posey
S Josh Aubrey
LB Jason Ankrah
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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