OWINGS MILLS — Although Baltimore Ravens left offensive tackle Jared Gaither was officially listed as questionable on the injury report, he’s still not expected to play Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Gaither has damage to his AC joint in his right shoulder and didn’t practice all week. His right arm was back in a sling Friday.
Adam Terry is expected to shift over from the right side to start at left tackle in place of Gaither with Willie Anderson preparing to play right tackle.
Despite the pain and lack of normal strength in his shoulder, Gaither declined to rule himself out.
“It has improved a lot, and I’m not going off what it usually takes to get back on the field,” Gaither said. “I’m going off what my body feels. If Adam is playing, he’s going to do great.
“I consider myself day to day. I might be feeling better. If I’m somehow able to play, then I’m going to be out there.”
Traditionally, even a relatively minor AC sprain will sideline someone for at least one to two weeks.
“I don’t know a lot or a little or anything along those lines right now,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “We’ll see if he’s ready on Sunday. That’s where we’re at with it.”
Meanwhile, the Ravens listed wide receiver Derrick Mason (dislocated left shoulder), cornerback Samari Rolle (left shoulder), free safety Ed Reed (nerve impingement in his neck), Anderson (sprained ankle), defensive tackle Lamar Divens (shoulder) and offensive guard David Hale (thigh) as questionable.
“I’m good to go,” Mason said. “I’m feeling better.”
All of those players were limited in practice Friday.
Tight end Daniel Wilcox (hamstring) and free safety Tom Zbikowski (thumb/thigh) are probable.
HARBAUGH BANGED-UP: An unsuspecting Harbaugh got accidentally decked in practice Friday when his face collided with accelerating wide receiver Yamon Figurs’ helmet, a big hit that sent both men flailing to the ground.
Harbaugh was setting up a defensive coverage in a red-zone drill pattern and couldn’t get out of Figurs way in time.
Figurs said that Harbaugh jumped up immediately, but the coach was sporting a large, swollen bump and welt on his cheekbone that matched the purple color scheme of the Ravens’ uniforms. During an interview, he was handed an ice pack and a towel from a team official.
“I got sandwiched pretty good,” Harbaugh said with a smile. “The thing about these guys is you watch it on tape and you start thinking, ‘Oh, I could get out there,’ and you kind of jump in there.
“All of a sudden, you realize, ‘Man, it’s moving fast out there.’ These guys are big. Yamon Figurs, I’m going to tell you what, he’s a big man and he moves very fast. .. It was helmet-to-helmet contact with a defenseless human being. Fine him.”
Figurs said he never saw Harbaugh in his path, acknowledging that he felt the impact, too.
“Coach Harbaugh is tough,” he said. “He jumped up and kept going. We went head to head and he got up and said, ‘I’m all right.’ I don’t think I’ll be punished. He’s like a referee. He’s part of the field.”
Harbaugh guaranteed that he would be ready to go on Sunday.
“I finished the practice, full participation,” he said. “Just pain. Play with pain, coach with pain. I’m going on Sunday. You can count on that.”
PRO BOWL TALLY: Ravens defens ive tackle Haloti Ngata is having a banner season, but isn’t ranked in the top five at his position in the early Pro Bowl balloting from fans, according to the league office.
He’s ranked behind the Tennessee Titans’ Albert Haynesworth, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Casey Hampton, the Buffalo Bills’ Marcus Stroud, the New York Jets’ Kris Jenkins and the Cleveland Browns’ Shaun Rogers. Ngata has two interceptions and more tackles than Jenkins, Stroud and Hampton .
Middle linebacker Ray Lewis, Reed and fullback Le’Ron McClain lead the voting at their respective positions.
Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs ranks fourth behind the Miami Dolphins’ Joey Porter, Titans’ Keith Bulluck and the Steelers’ James Harrison.
Special-teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo ranks fourth, and cornerback Chris McAlister, who’s on injured reserve after having surgery on his right knee, ranks fifth.
The fans’ tally counts for one-third of the voting.
QUICK HITS: According to reports, the New York Giants broke or eluded 14 tackles to gain an additional 150 yards during their 30-10 win over the Ravens. The Giants finished with 207 rushing yards for the game. … The Ravens’ offensive line has progressed steadily since a rough preseason, overcoming several injuries. “The whole group has come miles individually as players and as a group,” Harbaugh said. “I give them credit because they work exceptionally hard. The health issues are a problem. The fact that we’re playing one of the best defensive fronts in football with one of the most complicated schemes, that’s a problem for us going into this game and we’ll see how they respond.” … The Ravens are anticipating Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson sending an aggressive blitz package after rookie quarterback Joe Flacco based on his history. “If you look historically at Jim Johnson, he’s going to pressure a rookie quarterback,” Harbaugh said. “He’s going to disguise the blitzes. It’s going to look like it’s coming on one side, and it’s going to be coming on the other side. Then, it’s going to be coming from the side it looks like it’s coming from.” … The Eagles listed runn ing back Brian Westbrook (knee/ankle) as questionable. He didn’t practice for the third consecutive day. … Safety Brian Dawkins (groin), safety Sean Considine (rib), safety Quintin Demps (rib), long snapper Jon Dorenbos (shoulder) and offensive tackle Jon Runyan (knee).
Aaron Wilson covers the Baltimore Ravens for the Carroll County Times and the Annapolis Capital.
