MCSORLEY PREPARES TO BE QB1 FOR RAVENS

In a span of 48 hours, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Trace McSorley went from a nearly two-week absence while on the reserve/ COVID-19 list to being thrust into the most extensive playing time of his young career.

Taking over for a hobbled Robert Griffin III, who injured his hamstring, McSorley was tasked with bringing a Ravens team that was without several starters back from a 12-point deficit late in the fourth quarter.

With the Ravens placing Griffin on injured reserve Friday and the unknown availability of Lamar Jackson, who remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list but could return ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the Cowboys, McSorley is now bracing for the first start of his NFL career.

McSorley was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday, giving him just one socially distanced walk-through to get reacquainted with his teammates and coaches in-person before Wednesday’s game.

“A big part of last week was having to be on the mental side of it,” McSorley said Friday of his preparation. “Obviously being able to be in the Zoom meetings was really helpful. I had a lot of time with Coach (James) Urban and Coach (Greg) Roman, just being in the meetings and being able to talk with them. Going over the game plan a bunch, that was the big thing about last week.

“And then, once I was able to be cleared and kind of get back with the team, it was getting as many reps as possible, just kind of getting back in the swing of things before the game.”

In just two possessions and six pass attempts, McSorley came off the bench and injected life into an otherwise dormant passing offense for much of the afternoon. The Ravens’ sole passing first down in the game came from McSorley’s 70-yard catch-and-run touchdown to wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.

It was McSorley’s first career touchdown pass and brought the team’s deficit to just five points. But the Steelers picked up three first downs on the ensuing possession and were able to run out the clock for a 19-14 win, depriving McSorley of the opportunity to finish the improbable comeback.

“I think it just speaks to his preparation and the fact that he was able to prepare without reps,” coach John Harbaugh said of McSorley. “He hadn’t even been in the building for a number of days and he was in the Zoom meetings to his credit and he really studied, obviously. It shows, he made a great read on the touchdown throw, understood how the Steelers play that coverage and recognized the coverage and made the throw.”

Raiders without Jacobs

The Las Vegas Raiders will be without leading rusher Josh Jacobs and safety Johnathan Abram for this week’s game against the winless New York Jets.

Coach Jon Gruden said that the two won’t make the trip to New York because of Jacobs’ injured ankle and Abram’s injured knee.

Gruden had hoped both would be able to play this week but it wasn’t possible and now he hopes the injuries don’t linger even longer.

Notable

The Jets placed left guard Alex Lewis on the non-football injury list. Lewis had already been ruled out for the team’s game Sunday for what coach Adam Gase called “an organizational decision.”

• Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is questionable for Sunday’s game because of a thumb injury that forced him to miss last week’s victory over the Jets.

• Giants quarterback Daniel Jones practiced on a limited basis and has been listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks in Seattle.