The Ravens opted against activating tight end Mark Andrews from injured reserve, meaning the Pro Bowl tight end will not play in the divisional round matchup against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium on Jan. 20.
Andrews’ return has been the source of speculation all week. The three-time Pro Bowl pick returned to practice last week after missing six games with a severe ankle injury when he was dragged down by Cincinnati’s Logan Wilson with a hip-drop tackle. With his surgically repaired left ankle heavily taped, he was a full practice participant by the end of this week.
Earlier this week, neither Andrews nor head coach John Harbaugh would say whether Andrews would play, with Harbaugh saying Jan. 18 that it was “still up in the air.”
The Ravens did make several roster moves in advance of the game. Wide receiver and return specialist Devin Duvernay and defensive back Ar’Darius Washington have been activated from injured reserve, and linebacker Josh Ross and wide receiver Dan Chisena have been elevated from the practice squad.
The Ravens had two open roster spots this week after waiving receiver Laquon Treadwell and moving cornerback Damarion “Pepe” Williams to injured reserve. The Ravens this week also waived running back Melvin Gordon but filled his roster spot by signing running back Dalvin Cook to the 53-man roster.
The Ravens (13-4) earned the top seed in the AFC and will be hosting the fourth-seeded Texans, who finished 10-7 to win the AFC South and then routed the fifth-seeded Cleveland Browns, 45-14, in an opening-round playoff game last weekend.
The Ravens are looking for their first trip to the AFC championship game since their Super Bowl season of 2012. If they beat Houston, they will host the winner of the other AFC divisional round game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. The Ravens have never hosted the AFC championship game.
The past few weeks, Harbaugh had said that Andrews’ rehabilitation was on or ahead of schedule, and the goal remains that Andrews will be available at some point in the postseason. If the Ravens beat Houston, it appears likely that Andrews would return for the AFC championship game.
Andrews, who has been Lamar Jackson’s favorite target since the duo arrived as rookies together in 2018, finished the season with 45 catches for 544 yards and a team-best six touchdown catches in 10 games.
Andrews’ absence has been mitigated somewhat by the emergence of second-year tight end Isaiah Likely. In the final six games without Andrews in the lineup, Likely totaled 21 catches for 322 yards, and he scored five touchdowns in the final five regular-season games.
Duvernay figures to return as the primary return specialist, a role he held before missing the final four games with a back injury. In his absence, Tylan Wallace stepped into the punt return role in dramatic fashion, with a 76-yard touchdown in overtime to beat the Los Angeles Rams.
Wallace, though, has been declared out of the Houston game with a knee injury, and Duvernay has been a full practice participant all week. Duvernay is listed as questionable on the final injury report, but Harbaugh said Jan. 18 that Duvernay would play this weekend.
Duvernay has had a limited role on offense this year, with four catches for 18 yards and four rushes for 15, but he had been the team’s primary kick and punt returner before his injury and was named to the Pro Bowl as a return specialist each of the past two years.
This season, Duvernay averaged 12.6 yards on 23 punt returns, which ranked fourth in the league, and he averaged 19.3 yards on nine kick returns.
Washington, who was in the mix for the starting slot corner job during training camp, has not played since Week 2. He had 11 tackles, a sack and two passes defensed in the first two games, but then was placed on injured reserve with a chest injury.
His return gives the Ravens another option at cornerback, which could be important since Marlon Humphrey (calf) has been ruled out.
Ross and Chisena figure to contribute on special teams. Inside linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips, who like Wallace has been one of the Ravens key special teams players, has been dealing with a shoulder injury and did not practice all week.
Ross was elevated from the practice squad the maximum three times during the regular season, appearing exclusively on special teams. The elevation count gets for the postseason, though, making Ross eligible for another elevation.
Chisena joined the Ravens just 10 days ago and will be making his debut with the team. The former Penn State receiver has been a special teams player throughout his four-year NFL career. He spent three years with the Minnesota Vikings and then played four games this season with the Arizona Cardinals before being released and signed by the Ravens.
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