The Ravens will be without at least five starters when they visit Cleveland for a big early-season AFC North showdown on Oct. 1, and Pro Bowl tackle Ronnie Stanley is doubtful. The Browns (2-1), meanwhile, could be without starting quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has been bothered by a shoulder injury since taking a thunderous hit against the Tennessee Titans last week.
For the Ravens (2-1), wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. (ankle) and Rashod Bateman (hamstring), outside linebackers Odafe Oweh (ankle) and David Ojabo (ankle) and cornerback Marlon Humphrey (foot) all have been ruled out according to the final injury report.
Stanley is doubtful and likely to miss his third straight game, a significant absence as the Ravens prepare to face the league’s top-rated defense.
Center Tyler Linderbaum (foot), running back Justice Hill (foot) and safeties Kyle Hamilton (back) and Marcus Williams (pec) all are listed as questionable. Of that group, all except Linderbaum practiced fully Friday; Linderbaum was limited in practice all week.
Williams, who hasn’t played since Week 1, has been a full practice participant the past two days, a major development since it was originally feared the injury could derail much of his season.
Asked after practice about Williams’ availability against the Browns, head coach John Harbaugh said, “We’ll see on Sunday. You don’t know until you get there. He practiced, and we’ll see what happens.”
Beckham Jr. (ankle) will miss his second straight game, and the absence of Bateman and Tylan Wallace — who was placed on injured reserve earlier this week with a hamstring injury — leaves the Ravens without three of the six receivers on the initial 53-man roster.
Laquon Treadwell is a likely practice squad addition, which, along with Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor and Devin Duvernay, would give the Ravens four healthy wide receivers.
With Oweh and Ojabo both ailing, the Ravens signed veteran Kyle Van Noy this week, and he could be pressed into action with his new team immediately.
Otherwise, the Ravens will lean on a rotation at outside linebacker that includes Jadeveon Clowney — who returns to face the team he played for the past two seasons — rookie Tavius Robinson and Jeremaih Moon, a second-year player who was on the practice squad all of last season and made his regular-season debut last week. Inside linebacker Malik Harrison is also an option to take some snaps on the outside.
Humphrey will miss fourth straight game after undergoing foot surgery in August. At the time, Harbaugh said the decision was made to take care of the issue then to minimize disruption during the season. If Humphrey isn’t back next week at Pittsburgh — he hasn’t practiced since mid-August — he will have missed all three of the Ravens’ AFC North road games.
Stanley’s absence would leave Patrick Mekari in line to start at left tackle against a Browns defense that ranks No. 1 in the league overall, in pass defense and in scoring defense. Defensive end Myles Garrett has 4.5 sacks in three games. Starting at the other defensive end spot is former Raven Za’Darius Smith, who has five tackles through three games.
For the Browns, Watson is the only player on the final injury report, and Harbaugh said he expects him to play. If he can’t, Cleveland will turn to rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round pick out of UCLA. He played briefly in the Browns’ win against Tennessee last week but has yet to throw a pass in the regular season.
“Everything coming out of there is that Deshaun is going to play,” Harbaugh said. “And we’re preparing for the Browns. It’s the team, it’s the schemes they run. … It’s not so much about any one player, ever.”
Here is the full, final injury report:
RAVENS
OUT: WR Odell Beckham Jr. (ankle), WR Rashod Bateman (hamstring), Marlon Humphrey (foot), OLB David Ojabo (ankle), OLB Odafe Oweh (ankle)
DOUBTFUL: T Ronnie Stanley (knee)
QUESTIONABLE: RB Justice Hill (foot), S Kyle Hamilton (back), C Tyler Linderbaum (ankle), S Marcus Williams (pectoral)
BROWNS
OUT: None
DOUBTFUL: None
QUESTIONABLE: QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder)
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