OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton was back on the practice field on Thursday, Nov. 14, an encouraging sign as he recovers from an ankle injury suffered a week ago against Cincinnati. But another defensive back, Arthur Maulet, was added to the injury report with a calf injury and was seen in the locker room in a walking boot after practice.
The Ravens (7-3) are hoping Hamilton can be on the field for them when they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2) in an AFC North showdown with first place on the line this coming Sunday, Nov. 17, at 1 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium.
Hamilton went down late in the first half during the Ravens’ 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals and did not return to the game. He didn’t practice Wednesday but was seen working on a side field with a trainer briefly before going inside. Head coach John Harbaugh had no status update on Hamilton that day, and he does not meet with the media on Thursdays.
Hamilton has been among the most consistent players for the Ravens’ defense this season, and his absence would be a big blow for a unit that ranks last in the league in passing and No. 27 overall. Hamilton is the Ravens’ top-rated defensive player according to Pro Football Focus, with good range in coverage and physicality against the run.
He ranks second on the team with 71 tackles and also has seven passes defensed and two sacks. The Ravens will often use Hamilton as a dime linebacker or as a slot defender against bigger tight ends.
Maulet is primarily a slot cornerback, and he has been especially looking forward to the matchup in Pittsburgh since he played for the Steelers in 2021 and 2022. Maulet missed the first seven games this season recovering from an arthroscopic knee procedure in August.
He has five tackles in a reserve role in three games since returning to action. Maulet figured to be one of the players the Ravens lean on if Hamilton is limited or can’t play, so his injury complicates a secondary that could be short-handed.
The Ravens will also use Marlon Humphrey, who is also having an outstanding season, to man the slot, but that would leave either Brandon Stephens or rookie Nate Wiggins to contend with Steelers top receiver George Pickens on the outside. The Ravens also have Tre’Davious White, whom they acquired at the trade deadline and could be in line to make his debut with the Ravens at Pittsburgh.
Ar’Darius Washington might be an option in the slot, but the Ravens have been using him as a safety as they try to sort out issues with the very back end of their defense.
The next update from Harbaugh on either Hamilton or Maulet — to the extent he will give one — will come after the team’s Friday workout, and the team’s final injury report for the game will be released that afternoon.
NOTEBOOK
JACKSON, T. JONES LIMITED: Quarterback Lamar Jackson was back on the injury report Thursday, noting that he was a limited participant because of “rest/knee.” Jackson has missed a couple of practices the past couple of weeks, but he was not listed on the injury report on Wednesday. In addition to Hamilton and Maulet, defensive lineman Travis Jones also was added to the injury report Thursday with an ankle injury.
MONKEN: “WE OWE THEM ONE”: After offensive coordinator Todd Monken fielded a question at his weekly news conference, he paused and admitted that he hadn’t heard the question, because he was still thinking about his previous answer, during which he had recalled the Ravens’ 17-10 loss at Pittsburgh last year.
Lamar Jackson went 22-for-38 for 236 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in that game and was sacked four times. The Ravens were also hurt by multiple dropped passes. Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman dropped passes in the end zone on back-to-back plays on a drive that ended with a field goal, and Zay Flowers and Nelson Agholor both failed to come up with well-thrown deep balls. According to Pro Football Focus, the Ravens dropped seven passes.
The Ravens went scoreless in the final 42 minutes of that game, and the Steelers drove for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter after Jackson was intercepted in the Steelers end zone on third-and-goal.
“We owe them one,” Monken had said when asked about the Ravens-Steelers rivalry. “We didn’t play very good last year on the road. [We] gave that away. They did a hell of a job, but we didn’t play our best.”
ORR: “WE’VE FALLEN SHORT”: It seems each week, defensive coordinator Zach Orr is asked to explain another shortcoming of the Ravens’ pass defense, and so he was again as he recounted the Ravens’ 35-34 win against Cincinnati in which Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase torched the Ravens for 264 yards and three touchdowns.
Orr said he was “crushed” as he left the stadium despite the win because of the poor performance of his unit, and he said he spent all weekend meeting with coaches, and later players, to try to figure it out. He said a weekly film session with players was especially productive with “some really good conversations” about what the Ravens can do going forward.
In the locker room after that Bengals game, cornerback Marlon Humphrey had been candid and critical of the secondary, noting that performance on the practice field was not translating to the game.
“We’ve really lost that standard, and I feel like that falls on me,” Humphrey had said. “We’re going to keep chasing at it. … Something has got to change. We’ve just got to play better.”
The Ravens have allowed 294.9 passing yards a game — 30 more than any other team — and allow 7.41 yards per pass play, fourth-highest in the league.
Humphrey went so far as to say that if they don’t tighten up their pass defense, they won’t make any deep postseason run.
“He’s the longest-tenured Raven on our defense,” Orr said, “so he knows what the standard is, and obviously, we’ve fallen short of the standard multiple times this year. … I’m proud of how [Humphrey] is leading us and trying to get this thing turned around.”
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