No suspension becomes a non-issue
Flacco, teammates say they have bigger things to worry about than Alonso’s hit
As much as has moved on from any lingering effects from the concussion he suffered in the Ravens’ 40-0 dismantling of the Miami Dolphins last Thursday night, the quarterback is doing the same regarding whether the player who inflicted that injury should have been suspended for his actions.
NFL spokesman said Tuesday that the league had decided not to suspend linebacker for leading with his right shoulder and forearm and connecting with Flacco’s helmet. Alonso was flagged for unnecessary roughness and would seem to be in line for a hefty fine, but he will not miss any games.
Asked after Wednesday’s practice before Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans whether he was disappointed that Alonso was not suspended, Flacco replied: “No, I’ve got bigger things to worry about than whether guys are suspended or not. I’m getting ready for the Tennessee Titans and that’s really all I can worry about.”
In the immediate aftermath of that game, several Ravens players seethed and voiced their opinion that Alonso should be suspended. But six days after the matter, cooler heads have prevailed.
“No, I didn’t have a reaction,” rush linebacker Terrell said. “I mean, it is what it is. I can’t really be concerned with that with a game [on Sunday]. But I think it’s something they definitely got to take a look at. But if they feel they were just in not suspending him, then we’ll live with it. We ain’t stressing it too much.”
“He got fined, I’m pretty sure. So that might hurt him a little bit,” middle linebacker said. “But he’s a football player. He tried to make a play. We don’t think it was intentional. You could see it on both sides. You could say he could have avoided the hit or Joe could have went down. The biggest thing is, Joe is fine and he’s healthy, and we’re going to have him for Sunday. So that’s what the main thing is.”
Flacco is not getting much sympathy from Sunday’s opponent. Titans outside linebacker blamed Flacco for suffering a concussion, telling The Tennessean that “Flacco needs to get down a little earlier if you want to avoid that.” Orakpo later said, “[Any] defender will tell you they’ll do the same thing.” Maclin not worried about numbers:
strange season includes the starting wide receiver leading the offense in touchdown catches with three and ranking third in both receptions and yards with 19 and 212, respectively. But he is on pace to set career lows in the last two categories.
Maclin is projected to finish with 38 catches and 424 yards, which would fall short of last season’s totals of 44 and 536, when he sat out four games for the Kansas City Chiefs because of a torn groin. But Maclin is not stressing out about his individual numbers.
“That’s just how the chips have fallen so far,” he said before Wednesday’s practice. “We still have a lot of football left. We’ll see how the second half of the season pans out. Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso was flagged for an unnecessary roughness hit on Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco in the second quarter of last Thursday’s game. Alonso was not suspended by the NFL for the hit but still might face a substantial fine. As long as we win the football game, that’s what it’s all about.”
Maclin’s numbers have been affected by a nagging shoulder injury that forced him to miss two straight games. But as uneven as the current season has been, Maclin made an immediate impact in his first game back, catching three passes for a team-high 53 yards and one touchdown in the victory over Miami.
“It felt good, just to finally be able to play again after sitting out the previous two weeks,” Maclin, 29, said. “Just being out there playing with the guys, that’s what it’s all about. I was fortunate enough to get in the end zone last week. But it felt good.” Wallace practices fully: While Flacco’s full participation at Wednesday’s practice was the headline, wide receiver (concussion), tight end (left ankle) and rookie outside linebacker (thigh) also practiced fully. Wallace missed last Thursday’s win, Maxx Williams sat out five of the past six games, and Tim Williams has been absent from the past three games. Five players who wore red, noncontact jerseys were limited. They were center (shoulder), wide receiver (shoulder), tight end (concussion), left tackle (right shoulder) and cornerback (concussion). The team practiced without wide receivers (shoulder) and (hamstring), tight end (toe), defensive tackle (illness), cornerback (Achilles tendon) and running back (left calf ). Rookie safety who was previously reported as absent, was not on the injury report. End zone: Despite the lengthy injury report, Mosley said the mini-bye after last Thursday’s game was a welcomed respite. “That little break definitely helps,” he said. “You can see your family, you can relax. You can get a little extra treatment in, extra lift in. You can do whatever you have to do to get your mind off football for those couple days or any little thing that helps you get your focus back for the next game because in the second half of the season, even though we have this game and a bye, these next eight games are going to be crucial trying to make a playoff push.” … Tennessee practiced without a pair of starters in tight end and left guard
Walker has not missed a game this season despite a toe injury, and an ankle ailment has not prevented Spain from making every start. Two more starters in strong safety (hamstring) and rookie wide receiver
(hamstring) were full participants.