Lewis carted off field, released from hospital
Guard suffers neck injury in 4th quarter, was scheduled to fly back with team
NASHVILLE, TENN. – Ravens starting guard Alex Lewis was taken off the field on a stretcher after suffering a neck injury in the fourth quarter Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
The team said Lewis was moving all of his extremities and taken to nearby Vanderbilt University Medical Center for further examination. After undergoing a CT scan, Lewis was released from the hospital.
He was scheduled to fly back to Baltimore with the team Sunday night and undergo more tests Monday in Baltimore.
Lewis hurt himself as he pulled around the right side of the line and engaged linebacker Sharif Finch on a block. He initially appeared to favor his right arm or shoulder but later had to be immobilized.
After several minutes of treatment from athletic trainers, Lewis was moved onto a stretcher and carted off the field, during which he appeared to give a small wave to Ravens teammates nearby.
“It’s always tough,” Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said after the 21-0 win. “You know, it’s a part of this game. I’ve said it before, it’s what makes this a little bit different. I hope he’s OK. You know, I saw him after the play, and he looked like he was aware of everything and all that. … He knew he was hurt, so he wanted to stay on the field and have everything stop for a minute. And it wasn’t until after … that I realized it might be a little more serious than that.”
With Lewis out, the Ravens moved right tackle James Hurst to guard and rookie reserve Orlando Brown Jr. to right tackle. Later, rookie Bradley Bozeman took Lewis’ spot at left guard.
Lewis, a fourth-round pick in 2016, missed all of last season after tearing his labrum during the preseason. Third-down dominance: The Ravens did not take long Sunday to confront their Week 5 third-down woes.
Their first play on offense was a 21-yard pass to wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Their fourth was a third-and-10, the down and distance of the Ravens’ final play with the ball in their 12-9 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
In that overtime defeat, Flacco’s pass to tight end Hayden Hurst was incomplete, their 12th failed conversion on 16 third- Ravens guard Alex Lewis lies on the field after hurting himself as he engaged Titans linebacker Sharif Finch on a block. The team said Lewis was moving all of his extremities. After undergoing a CT scan, Lewis was released from the hospital. down attempts.
Against the Titans, Flacco found running back Buck Allen open in the flat for an 11-yard catch-and-run, just good enough for a first down. They were more than good enough for the rest of the game.
The Ravens converted 10 of their first 11 third downs in their 21-0 win, finishing 12-for-17 overall. They moved the chains with short runs and long passes. They kept their first drive alive with a timely thirddown penalty on the Titans, then ended it with a 4-yard pass to Crabtree on, you guessed it, third down.
“I think I’ve been there as a player,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said of his team’s third-down woes against the Ravens, who entered the game ranked 10th in the NFL in conversion percentage (.418). “As a coach, you’re trying to find some answers, you’re trying to get into the pocket, you’re trying to cover them. Again, we didn’t do a good enough job of starting with the plan, starting with the preparation, and then obviously today with the execution.”
The Titans, meanwhile, more than lived down to their offensive reputation. They converted one of 10 overall, dragging down their No. 24 ranking for third-down proficiency even further.
Six of the Ravens’ first eight sacks, and seven of 11 overall, came on third down, giving punter Brett Kern a busy day on the job
He finished with nine punts; Ravens punter Sam Koch had just four. Bowser a healthy scratch: Outside linebacker Tyus Bowser was a healthy scratch for the Ravens’ game Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, the first time the 2017 second-round draft pick was inactive during his Ravens career.
Bowser has five tackles and no sacks in five games, and has struggled on special teams. Among Ravens outside linebackers, he has struggled to surpass Terrell Suggs, Za’Darius Smith, Tim Williams and Matthew Judon for playing time.
Also inactive for the Ravens were quarterback Robert Griffin III, wide receiver Jordan Lasley, cornerback An- thony Averett, defensive lineman-fullback Patrick Ricard, center Hroniss Grasu and defensive tackle Zach Sieler.
All but Averett (hamstring) were healthy scratches.
Cornerback Cyrus Jones (Gilman), who was claimed off waivers Monday with the release of wide receiver-returner Tim White, made his Ravens debut Sunday. Running back Gus Edwards, promoted off the practice squad after third-stringer De’Lance Turner was designated for injured reserve, also played. End zone: The Ravens allowed 106 yards overall, the second fewest in franchise history. Only a 94-yard effort against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2000 ranks ahead. ... The Ravens allowed 51 net passing yards, the fewest in franchise history. They held the Washington Redskins to 55 in 2004. ... The Ravens’ shutout was their 14th all time, ranking as the NFL’s most since the franchise’s inception in 1996.