OWINGS MILLS, MD. — Ravens safety Marcus Williams will be sidelined for a lengthy time by a pectoral injury sustained against Houston in the season opener on Sept. 10, head coach John Harbaugh said, and tackle Ronnie Stanley (knee) and center Tyler Linderbaum (ankle) are “week to week” with sprains that they suffered in the Ravens’ 25-9 win against the Texans.
In addition to those three injuries, Harbaugh had already confirmed that running back J.K. Dobbins will miss the rest of the season after tearing his Achilles tendon in that game, making the season-opening win an especially costly one.
The Ravens face a grueling stretch during the next month featuring three AFC North opponents, all on the road, beginning with a game at two-time AFC North champion Cincinnati this coming week. Neither Stanley nor Linderbaum are expected to play in that game, and their status will be closely monitored with games then looming against Indianapolis at home followed by Cleveland and Pittsburgh on the road.
Other than Dobbins, Williams appears to have suffered the most significant Week 1 injury for the Ravens. Harbaugh said that Williams was getting further medical consultation and that Williams’ injury “may not be a season-ender,” but the Ravens’ ballhawk free safety will certainly be out for an extended period.
Speaking at his weekly Monday news conference on Sept. 11, Harbaugh said Williams originally tried to play through the injury, which apparently occurred midway through the second quarter.
“He played some more plays,” Harbaugh said. “He played well in those plays, and then it was really bothering him. He got checked out, and that’s what they found.”
It’s another tough break for Williams, who had missed just five games in five years with the New Orleans Saints, but then missed seven games last season in his first year with the Ravens after he suffered a dislocated wrist.
In Williams’ place, the Ravens will once again call on next-man-up Geno Stone to line up alongside Kyle Hamilton in the back end of the defense. Stone made seven starts last season in place of Williams and finished with 35 tackles. The Ravens have also shifted Daryl Worley from cornerback to safety this year, and Harbaugh suggested the team might look outside the organization for safety help.
“I have all the confidence in the world in Geno, Daryl Worley and anybody we might bring in here. We have some options,” Harbaugh said.
It also seems likely that the Ravens will be down two starting offensive linemen when they visit Cincinnati this week, a daunting task against an imposing defensive front. Linderbaum didn’t so much as miss a snap as a rookie last season. Stanley has been hobbled by injuries the past few years, but this injury is not related to his surgically repaired ankle.
At center, the Ravens could turn to Sam Mustipher, who was a two-year starter for the Chicago Bears and then joined the Ravens this offseason. He was in uniform against Houston as a practice squad call-up and took over for Linderbaum after the injury. The Ravens other top center candidate is super-utility player Patrick Mekari, but the five-year veteran is probably going to be busy playing left tackle as long as Stanley is sidelined.
“Patrick’s played a lot of football,” Harbaugh said. “So he’ll play well.”
NOTEBOOK
RB HELP WILL COME FROM WITHIN: In the wake of the season-ending injury to J.K. Dobbins, Harbaugh said the team will likely stay in-house in terms of his replacement, with veteran Melvin Gordon next in line to work into the lineup. Gordon signed with the Ravens in July, then was released in the final cutdown and returned via the practice squad the next day.
After Dobbins’ injury, speculation immediately began that the Ravens might look to swing a deal with Indianapolis for disgruntled back Jonathan Taylor, but Harbaugh suggested that is not going to happen.
“I think we’re good,” Harbaugh said. “I like the guys we have. Melvin, he’s here for a reason. [We] certainly didn’t expect it to be this quick, but that’s why he’s here. That’s why he wanted to stay here, because he likes it here. He likes the offense, and he likes the environment. … I’m very glad that he’s here.”
Gordon figures to team up with Gus Edwards and Justice Hill — who scored two touchdowns against the Texans — in the backfield beginning this week.
“They’re on the team for a reason,” Harbaugh said. “It’s because they’re good enough to do it, and all those backs are going to play quite a bit.”
The Ravens also have undrafted rookie Keaton Mitchell, who impressed enough this summer to earn a spot on the initial 53-man roster, but he is on injured reserve and not eligible to play until Week 5 at the earliest.
HARBAUGH: OFFENSE NOT “IN SYNC” IN DEBUT: Harbaugh acknowledged that the debut of the Ravens’ rebuilt offense under new coordinator Todd Monken did not go as smoothly as he had hoped, with miscues and penalties among the reasons.
The Ravens finished with 265 yards of offense and Lamar Jackson turned the ball over twice. He finished 17-for-22 for 169 yards, with one interception and was sacked four times.
Harbaugh said the team had some “really good moments,” but it admitted the performance was “spotty” in terms of timing, alignment, route-running and blocking.
“It’s a lot of moving parts,” he said. “We have to get the parts moving more in sync, and it’s early in the season. It’s not unexpected, but I promise you, we want to be chasing perfection.”
HUMPHREY HAS “A SHOT” FOR THIS WEEK: Marlon Humphrey hasn’t practiced since he underwent foot surgery in mid-August, but Harbaugh said there is a chance that the Pro Bowl cornerback could return to face the Bengals.
“It’s pretty early in the process, but it’s possible,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see.”
Tight end Mark Andrews also missed the Houston game, though he returned to practice last week after missing time with a quad injury. Harbaugh said Andrews “looks good” but declined to discuss his status further, referring to the daily injury reports that will come out beginning Wednesday.
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