Ravens Banged Up As They Travel West To San Francisco
By Samuel Njoku
The Ravens are heading out west to battle the slumping San Francisco 49ers. With both teams currently at 1-4, the winner of this game clings onto playoff hopes while the loser is likely done for the season. The end result may depend heavily on who is healthy enough to play. If that's the case, Baltimore could be in serious trouble.
It should surprise no one that Breshad Perriman will once again miss a game as he still deals with a knee injury. Recently acquired Chris Givens is in a similar situation as he deals with an ankle injury. He will also miss Sunday's game along with wide receiver Darren Waller who is going through concussion protocols. Couple that with Steve Smith who is likely to miss his second straight game with broken bones in his back and you have four wideouts down for the count due to injury. That's unfortunate for a team going up against a unit who is one of the worst in the league in defending the pass.
Buck Allen may get his first start in his young career with Lorenzo Taliaferro placed on the injured reserve list with a foot injury and Justin Forsett questionable for Sunday with an ankle injury. Forsett injured his ankle against the Browns, but it shouldn't keep him out for long if he's unable to go against the 49ers.
Newly acquired cornerback Will Davis was lost for the season after tearing his ACL last week. Baltimore had no choice but to bring up both Asa Jackson and James Jones from the practice squad. Considering Lardarius Webb is labeled as doubtful due to a thigh injury, this unit may see itself in big trouble against a San Francisco team with some pretty capable wide receivers.
If the Ravens planned to take pressure off of the secondary by forcing pressure on the quarterback, they may have to do it without their specialist in Elvis Dumervil. Similar to Webb, Dumervil is ailing with a thigh injury that may keep him out of a very pivotal game for the purple and black. If he does play, he may do so under a strict snap count, something Ravens fans should definitely keep an eye on.
Probable:
Daryl Smith, LB (Not Injury Related)
Questionable:
Elvis Dumervil, LB (thigh)
Justin Forsett, RB (ankle)
Crockett Gillmore, TE (calf)
Chris Givens, WR (ankle)
Steve Smith Sr., WR (back)
Marshal Yanda, G (ankle)
Doubtful:
Lardarius Webb, CB (thigh)
Out:
Terrence Brooks, S (thumb)
Chris Canty, DE (calf)
Breshad Perriman, WR (knee)
Darren Waller, WR (concussion)
Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. Samuel Njoku is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.
