H. Hurst pushing to get more involved
Rookie tight end optimistic he’ll be more productive; Humphrey, J. Hurst out
For fans who feel underwhelmed by what Hayden Hurst has done in the first three games of his NFL career, get in line because the Ravens rookie tight end is hard on himself.
“I want to make every single play,” he said this week. “I want to make every block. Sometimes it’s not realistic. I like to set my goals high.”
People within and outside the organization had similar expectations after the team selected the 6-foot-4, 245-pound South Carolina alumnus with the first of two first-round draft choices in April. His 100 career catches are a Gamecocks record for tight ends, and his 1,281 receiving yards rank second.
But a stress fracture in his foot forced Hurst, 25, to undergo surgery Aug. 24 and sit out the first four games of the season. He caught one pass for 7 yards in his NFLdebut at the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 7 but did not make a reception in games against the Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints. He played 21 snaps in Cleveland before dropping to 18 each against Tennessee and New Orleans.
While blaming himself for not getting Hurst more involved, offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg noted that rookie tight ends have had a longer adjustment period to the NFL.
“We ask tight ends — I know we do, and most teams in this league — to block like a tackle, to run routes and adjust to coverage and catch the ball like a receiver, and then when they do catch it, catch and run like a runner, and then the pass protection,” Mornhinweg said. “So we ask so much of the tight ends in this league, that in many cases in college they’re not asked to do. So you’re right, some, much of it is experience and reps.”
Quarterback Joe Flacco, who seemed to develop a rapport with Hurst in the preseason, said the injury hindered their development.
“It’s tough when you come in a few weeks into the season, and we’ve gameplanned four or five weeks at this point,” he said. “So to try to incorporate him back in, in a good way, isn’t always the easiest thing to do. He’s ready to go. It’s just about getting on the ball, getting that confidence going.”
Hurst remains optimistic that he will be more productive in the remaining nine games of the regular season, and he already has a checklist toward that goal. He ticked off: The Saints’ Ken Crawley, left, breaks up a pass intended for Ravens rookie tight end Hayden Hurst in the fourth quarter Sunday. Hurst was held without a catch.
“The more confidence the coaches can have in me in practice when they put plays in,” he said. “For me to go run them fast and not mess up assignments and not have mental errors.
“The more confidence the coaches are going to have in me, the more confidence they’re going to have to put me in game situations.” Two starters out: After Friday morning’s walk-through, Ravens coach John Harbaugh was asked about the health of three starters — cornerback Marlon Humphrey, right tackle James Hurst and left guard Alex Lewis.
After noting there would be an injury report issued in the afternoon, Harbaugh said: “They’re doing well. They’re working hard.”
Harbaugh’s optimism was contradicted by the injury report, as Humphrey and Hurst were ruled out with Lewis listed as doubtful for Sunday’s road game against the Carolina Panthers.
Humphrey (thigh) and Hurst (back) have not practiced all week and will miss their second straight starts. After practicing Wednesday and Thursday on a limited basis, Lewis (pinched nerve in neck) did not participate Friday and is also at risk of sitting out his second game in a row.
Humphrey’s absence means the defense will have only five cornerbacks, and that number could be reduced even further if rookie Anthony Averett is out for the sixth consecutive game because of a hamstring injury. Averett was upgraded from limited to full participation Friday and is listed as questionable.
The loss of Hurst could mean a second straight start for rookie Orlando Brown Jr., who filled in for Hurst in Sunday’s 24-23 loss to the Saints. Lewis’ spot went to rookie Bradley Bozeman, who was limited Friday by a left calf injury after missing practice Wednesday and Thursday. He is also listed as questionable.
Cornerback Jimmy Smith (groin) and defensive back Anthony Levine Sr. (hamstring) practiced fully for the second consecutive day and are listed as questionable. Dixon keeps ‘progressing’: Kenneth Dixon has another couple of weeks left on injured reserve, but the running back said the knee he injured late in the fourth quarter of a season-opening win over the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 9 is improving.
“There’s been a lot of progress since the injury,” he said Friday. “I keep on progressing day by day.”
Harbaugh said general manager Ozzie Newsome will make the determination on when to activate a player off IR. Dixon declined to specify a timetable for a possible return. Extra points: Special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg accepted blame for a fake punt the Saints converted for a first down on their first offensive series Sunday. “I didn’t like the coach’s call on that play,” he said. “That was the thing I didn’t like. I put our defense and our punt-return team in a bad call, trying to be too aggressive. I made a mistake, and it hurt us. That’s the coach’s responsibility, and I let our players down in that regard.” ... The team’s decision to place defensive tackle Willie Henry on injured reserve because of a herniated disk in his back has been softened by the fact that the defense played the first four games of the season without him as he recovered from umbilical hernia surgery. “I think since we’ve already had a little practice with that, it’ll be similar,” defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale said. “It might be a little bit more for this guy or that guy because they’re playing better than they were back then. But it’ll be similar situation to what we had when Willie was out prior. John said that we might be able to bring him back at the end of the year — I’m not sure. I don’t know the extent of the injuries. I don’t talk about the injuries. We’re just locked in on what we have and how we’re going to do it right now.” ... Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey ranks 13th in the NFL in total yards from scrimmage (667) and is equally adept at catching the ball out of backfield as he is carrying it out of one. Nose tackle Michael Pierce said the defense’s performance against the Saints’ Alvin Kamara will help against McCaffrey. “You just see their shiftiness,” Pierce said. “So whether you’re a nose guard or three-technique, you can’t peek in those gaps. We got beat on a couple of those things. Just staying in your gap. Kind of like you’re playing [the Pittsburgh Steelers’] Le’Veon Bell with those guys, they hide behind linemen and they shoot out. We just have to stay fundamentally sound.” ... There will be no reunion in the game with former Ravens wide receiver and Maryland graduate Torrey Smith (knee), who was ruled out after sitting out his third straight day of practice. The Panthers removed five starters from their injury report — defensive ends Mario Addison (back) and Julius Peppers (not injury related), free safety Mike Adams (not injury related), quarterback Cam Newton (right throwing shoulder) and tight end Greg Olsen (foot).