Ravens Poised for Playoff Run

The Ravens are getting healthy at a key point of the season as they make a final push for the playoffs over the final eight games.

They flipped the script from last year when their roster was decimated with injuries and ended the year on a six-game losing streak.

The Ravens (6-3) not only sit atop the AFC North and control their own destiny for the playoffs, but they are also still in the running for perhaps the No. 1 seed for the postseason.

The players and coaches are also coming off a bye so they are rested and ready for Sunday’s matchup against the Carolina Panthers. 

“You get a couple of extra days to just kind of look at yourself and see where you think you’re strong, where you’re weak, see if you have any tendencies that you weren’t aware of – we try to keep track of that even in-season – and then just try to make a few decisions in terms of direction,” coach John Harbaugh said.

“Personnel-wise, who do we have? What are we doing well? What can we get better at? Where do we need to focus our time at practice? Whatever we’re going to need to do to win in the next few weeks. So, we tried to do that, and we’ll see how it looks.”

My predictions for the balance of the #Ravens 2022 regular season. https://t.co/iTqCZrowEi

— Tony Lombardi (@RSRLombardi) November 14, 2022

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Tight end Mark Andrews (shoulder/knee), Gus Edwards (hamstring), Jason Pierre-Paul (ankle), and DeSean Jackson (hamstring) benefitted from the extra rest and could be back on the practice field this week. 

• Andrews leads the team with 488 yards receiving with five touchdowns in eight games.
• Edwards has 131 yards rushing on 27 carries with two touchdowns in less than two games.
• Pierre-Paul has eight tackles and a sack in six games.
• Jackson had two targets and one catch for 16 yards before leaving with a hamstring injury in his debut for the Ravens in Week 9.

“[When] you talk to Mark, he sounds very positive, obviously, about it, and the trainers, as well,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see how it progresses throughout the rest of the week. It’ll be the same answer for Gus. ‘JPP’ ] was out there today. And [with] DeSean, all those guys, we’ll just see how they look on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. They all have a real good chance.”

However, the Ravens are going to be even more prudent with rookies David Ojabo and Charlie Kolar. Those two players will likely have to wait two or three more weeks to make their NFL debuts.

Ojabo has recovered from an Achilles injury and the outside linebacker will be a boost to the pass rush. Kolar was activated after missing the first nine games following hernia surgery. He’ll further boost a talented group of tight ends. 

“We realize there’s going to be a ramping up, as you put it, for sure,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “[David Ojabo] hasn’t played. He wasn’t in training camp at all; you look at Charlie [Kolar] the same way. Those guys haven’t had any practice at all. So, now they have; they’ve got a week or two.

“We’ll put them out there when we think they’re ready and when they’re needed – of course they’re needed at any time – when we feel they’re ready to be successful, and that could be soon. They’re available, so we’ll see.”