RB Edwards placed in concussion protocol
Bengals right guard Cappa carted off with ankle injury
An already depleted Ravens offense lost another important cog Sunday.
Starting running back Gus Edwards was taken to the locker room after carrying the ball for no gain on the final play of the first quarter. CBS, which broadcast the game, reported that Edwards was placed in concussion protocol, and Edwards was ruled out in the third quarter.
The NFL’s concussion protocol requires a player complete five phases of activity — beginning with stretching and balancing activities — before he can return to play. Players must be cleared by the team’s physician, as well as an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who operates independently of the team. The process can take just a few days, but it can also last several weeks, depending on the case.
Edwards, who rushed four times for 16 yards before suffering the injury, made his fourth start of the season after the team elected to deactivate J.K. Dobbins before the game.
The Ravens likely wanted to preserve Dobbins, who missed the first two games of the season after tearing the ACL, LCL and meniscus in his knee as well as his hamstring in the 2021 preseason finale and sat out six more games after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in October.
With Edwards sidelined, Kenyan Drake handled primary rushing duties. He finished with 60 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown while adding 19 yards on two catches.
The Bengals dealt with some injuries of their own. Starting right guard Alex Cappa went down in the final minute of the third quarter when a Ravens defender was blocked into the back of his legs. He needed assistance getting to the Cincinnati sideline and was then carted to the locker room to avoid putting much weight on an injured left ankle.
Backup defensive end Cam Sample was injured three plays after Cappa. His status is unknown.
Bonus evades Houston
Entering Sunday’s game, outside linebacker Justin Houston needed just one sack to push his season total to 10, which would have earned him a $1.5 million bonus.
When Houston took down quarterback Joe Burrow early in the fourth quarter, it appeared he had gotten his bonus. But his sack was later changed so that he shared it with outside linebacker Odafe Oweh.
“It kind of broke my heart,” Houston said of missing out on the bonus. “I would love to [have earned it], but if it was meant to be, it shall be. If it was God’s will, it would have been done. I guess He’s got other plans for me. So we’ll see.”