Flacco picks up pace at practice
QB could be cleared Sunday; Reid still mentors Harbaugh
Quarterback Joe Flacco practiced for the third straight time Wednesday as the Ravens continue to ramp up their longtime starter’s activity.
Coach John Harbaugh said Sunday that Flacco (right hip) was not cleared to play in the Ravens’ gameagainst the Atlanta Falcons after having practiced as a limited participant Thursday and Friday. Despite a crucial fumble and some missed throws, rookie Lamar Jackson earned his third win in as many starts.
Harbaugh said Monday that Flacco could be cleared to play Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs by the end of the week. He last played in Week 9.
“We’ll see,” Harbaugh said Wednesday. “We just kind of take it as we go. I don’t anticipate it being whole participation the whole practice, but ramped up from last week.”
In a conference call Wednesday with Baltimore-area reporters, Chiefs coach Andy Reid acknowledged that it was more difficult preparing for a team playing two quarterbacks, especially a pair as different as Flacco and Jackson. Harbaugh has not indicated who would start if Flacco is healthy enough to play.
“They’re both going to play,” Reid said. “I mean, they’ve been doing that all year. We’ve got to make sure we’re ready for both guys. Both of them are good players in their own right. They’re both very good players. One’s won a world championship, and the other one’s on the rise here. So that’s what I’m saying: That’s a great situation to have.”
Harbaugh still learning from Reid: In his 20 years in the NFL, Harbaugh has seen a lot. But he admitted that watching a Chiefs team coached by his former mentor in Reid still provides an educational opportunity.
“I learned a great many things from him, and watching his tape now, I still learn a great many things from him,” Harbaugh said Monday. “Yes, he’s certainly at the top of the business in what he does.”
Student and teacher will meet Sunday when Harbaugh’s Ravens face Reid’s Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium at 1 p.m. The game has playoff implications for both sides and a certain value for the coaches.
Harbaugh is 1-2 against Reid. The Ravens defeated Reid’s Philadelphia Eagles in 2008, but lost to Philadelphia in 2012 and Kansas City in 2015.
Harbaugh was actually a holdover from Ray Rhodes’ coaching staff when Reid assumed the reins in 1999. Reid said before taking over, he had heard from Rhodes of Harbaugh’s work as the special teams coordinator.
“Ray had told me about him and what a great coach he was,” Reid said during a conference call with Baltimore media Wednesday afternoon. “So with all those things, I found out for myself that he’s a phenomenal coach. So I have a ton of respect for him.”
Harbaugh credited Reid with trusting a young, unfamiliar face to stay on-board.
“Andy did not have to give me a chance coming in at the time,” he said. “I’m sure he had a lot of people he knew, but he decided to take a chance on me, and like I said, I’ll be forever grateful for that.”
TheRavens will have to find a wayto limit a Chiefs offense that ranks first in the NFLin scoring (37.0 points per game) and yards per play (7.0) and third in passing (316.5 yards per game). Harbaugh said Kansas City’s unit has Reid’s fingerprints all over it.
“I think he’s always trying to find ways to create big plays,” he said. “That’s probably the base thing that Andy’s always been about — opening up guys in any way he could to create big hitters, and that’s something that he still continues to do. They’ve got a lot of fast players, and he’s always at kind of the forefront of schemes.”
Dixon’s return marked by gains, nearloss: In his first game in 11 weeks, Kenneth Dixon led the Ravens in yards per carry at 4.6 on eight attempts for 37 yards and added one reception for six yards in Sunday’s 26-16 win at the Atlanta Falcons. But the running back’s assessment of his performance was tarnished by a fumble he recovered in the third quarter.
“I was a little rusty,” he said before Wednesday afternoon’s practice. “I missed a couple holes and can’t fumble the ball. But overall, I felt pretty good out there.”
Harbaugh said he had a “positive” impression of Dixon’s showing.
“I think he had eight or nine carries there, quite a few, probably, for the first time back in such a long time and did well,” Harbaugh said Monday. “Ran hard. He’ll be beating himself over dropping the ball. The good thing is, he recovered it right away.”
Dixon’s 17 snaps Sunday – which trailed starting undrafted rookie Gus Edwards’ 40 and Ty Montgomery’s 27 – were his first since injuring his knee after rushing for 44 yards and one touchdown in the team’s season-opening 47-3 rout of the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 9.
Dixon, 24, said he hopes he did enough to warrant moreplaying time in Sunday’s game at the Kansas City Chiefs, but he acknowledged that he is trailing behind Edwards and Montgomery on the depth chart.
“I would love to play more, but Gus is doing a pretty good job and Ty is doing a really good job,” Dixon said. “It’s hard to break rhythm. So I’m just going with the flow and waiting patiently.”
J. Hurst limited again: After being limited in practice for three straight days last week, right tackle JamesHurst (back) was limited again Wednesday. He has not played since his last start against the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 14, giving way to rookie Orlando Brown Jr.
The team practiced without cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey (groin) and Tavon Young (groin), wide receiver Michael Crabtree, strong safety Tony Jefferson (left ankle), defensive back Anthony Levine Sr.( ankle), left guard Alex Lewis (shoulder), free safety Eric Weddle and right guard Marshal Yanda. Crabtree, Weddle and Yanda were given veteran days off.
Edwards said an ankle injury that forced him to last week’s injury report is manageable. “I’m going to keep on working on my ankle, and I’m going to be good,” he said.
Hill taking latest setback on ‘fullstride’Jaylen Hill’s comeback bid from a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee fell short last month when he suffered a right hip injury that will keep him sidelined for the remainder of this season. But the cornerback, who made last year’s roster as an undrafted rookie, said he might be ready to return in time for organized teams activities in the spring.
Hill said he is not feeling discouraged by the latest setback despite playing through high school and at Jacksonville State without suffering a major injury.
“I feel like everybody has their necessary moments that build them and shape them and move them to who they are today,” he said. “So I’m not shying away from this. I’m taking it on full-stride.”
Extra point: Cornerback Jimmy Smith said the game ball he received after Sunday’s victory was the first of his NFLcareer, but he said that the honor is a credit to the entire defense’s performance. Asked where he would put the ball in his house, Smith said, “Oh, it’s going right next to my Super Bowl ball and the one ball I got when I beat Megatron [former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson] — that ball, too.”