Ravens expect to have healthy line for Sunday’s game with Steelers
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) – Ray Lewis hopes to practice this week, and the Baltimore Ravens expect to have a healthy offensive line for Sunday’s showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Lewis, who has missed two straight games, lifted weights at the team training complex Monday. The five-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker plans to practice Wednesday for the first time since he partially separated his left shoulder against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 6.
“Ray feels good. But it will be a day-to-day thing,” Ravens coach Brian Billick said Monday. “The key is, after a lift like he had today, how will he feel tomorrow? And if he gets out on the field Wednesday, how does he feel Thursday?”
Playing without their best defensive player and with a makeshift offensive line, the Ravens maintained their hold on first place in the AFC North by beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-10 Sunday.
Bernardo Harris performed admirably in Lewis’ place, making nine tackles and setting up a field goal with a third-quarter interception.
“You can’t replace Ray. He’s one of a kind, a dominant player. There’s no one like him,” Harris said. “So you just have to go out there and play with passion and have fun.”
Baltimore was forced to play without right tackle Ethan Brooks, who did not dress because of back spasms. Edwin Mulitalo took his place, and Casey Rabach was inserted at Mulitalo’s left guard spot.
Then, after right guard Bennie Anderson injured his knee in the first quarter, Jason Thomas took his place. But when Thomas strained his calf in the second half, Anderson limped back into the game.
“My legs got caught up with someone while I was running full stride, so that was tough. But it was good to get on the field at all,” said Thomas, who has played in four NFL games – mostly on special teams.
“Casey plays guard and tackle and I play tackle to tackle. We both knew we’d get in the game with Bennie hurting, so we had to tough it out,” he said.
Despite all the changes, the line permitted only two sacks and paved the way for Jamal Lewis to run for 119 yards.
“Most of all, I was impressed with what that offensive line was able to do with all the shuffling going on,” Billick said. “No one can fully appreciate, within the course of the game, what it takes to go from inside to right side, left side to right side. They did whatever they had to do. They were solid.”
Brooks is expected to play this week, allowing Mulitalo to return to his comfortable left guard position. Anderson plans to start at right guard.
“That’s going to be my only Willis Reed impersonation,” Anderson said, referring to the legendary entrance of the injured New York Knicks’ center into a playoff game years ago.
“I was fortunate enough to be ready and able to go again,” Anderson said. “I wasn’t feeling any pain when I went back out there.”
But his return proved to be inspirational.
“It would have been very easy for Bennie to go, “I just can’t.’ But he didn’t give in to that emotion,” Billick said. “That tells the team something, when he goes back in like that. They go, “I’m tired and I’m hurting, but if that guy’s willing to back in, I can crank this up another notch.”‘
A victory over Pittsburgh will enable the Ravens (3-3) to retain sole possession of first place in the AFC North, but Billick expects the slow-starting Steelers to be a threat to the finish.
“They’re still the most talented team in the AFC,” Billick said, “and still the team to beat in this division.”