Baltimore Ravens injuries continue to pile up

The Baltimore Ravens got their first victory of the season on Thursday night by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers, 23-20, in Heinz Field. Not all is well with the Ravens, however, as they will leave the Steel City with some injuries the Ravens are ill afford to lose right now.

Joe Flacco lost two of his targets on Thursday night to back injuries when Steve Smith Sr. and Michael Campanaro left the game. The prognosis for Campanaro isn’t encouraging as he was seen in a wheelchair on his way to get X-rays after being carted to the locker room.

Smith left the game near the end of the third quarter with a lower back contusion and did not return. He told reporters after the game that it was the first time he felt 36-years old and put former teammate Mike Mitchell on his “lifetime hit list.” That should make for some fun chatter leading up to the next showdown with the Steelers in late December.

More from Baltimore Ravens

The losses at receiver coincide with the news that Breshad Perriman had arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his right knee after re-injuring himself in warmups against the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday. It remains to be seen if the first-round pick will actually take the field at all this season.

That leaves the Ravens with just Kamar Aiken, Darren Waller and Marlon Brown as the only healthy wide receivers on the roster. Add Crocket Gillmore’s injury to the list and the Ravens have just five healthy pass catchers. It wouldn’t be a shocker if John Harbaugh and Ozzie Newsome add another receiver over the next few days.

Another situation to keep an eye on is the injury to C.J. Mosley. He missed playing time in the fourth quarter and overtime after a play in which Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell absolutely blew up Mosley on a block. Zachary Orr filled in once Mosley was out and there has been no word on his condition yet.

The Ravens were already without Gillmore (calf), Chris Canty (calf) and Eugene Monroe (concussion) against the Steelers. A few of those guys might have been able to play if the game was on Sunday and that could have hindered the team. Now, the new wave of injuries leaves Baltimore in a bit of a predicament.

Baltimore is already without Terrell Suggs and Matt Elam for the season, and really can’t afford another injury to this team. When Smith went down on Thursday, many were worried that the season was over with the only bright spot on offense now on the sidelines. Aiken stepped up for the Ravens in Smith’s absence, but you can’t expect him to replace Smith’s productivity. The injuries at wideout will need to be addressed with just three players currently healthy. If Canty is forced to miss additional time, that could force another move as well.

It was good that the Ravens finally got that first win, but it certainly came at a price. Let’s hope that the added time off gets these guys back onto the field.

Next: Ravens Complete Comeback Win vs. Steelers

More from The Baltimore Wire

Home/Baltimore Ravens