Ravens-Steelers game postponed to Wednesday, the third time it has moved
The Ravens’ game Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers has been pushed back a third time.
ESPN reported Monday that, amid a coronavirus outbreak in Baltimore that’s depleted the Ravens’ roster and cut into their practice time, the AFC North rivals would play Wednesday. Kickoff is set for 3:40 p.m on NBC.
It’s unclear whether the postponement will affect the Ravens’ Week 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys, which was scheduled to be held next Monday if the Ravens (6-4) and Steelers (10-0) played Tuesday. The Ravens-Cowboys game was originally scheduled for Thursday, a week after the Ravens were initially set to play Pittsburgh.
That Week 12 game was delayed to Sunday and then to Tuesday as the Ravens’ reserve/COVID-19 list grew. Quarterback Lamar Jackson and defensive end Calais Campbell are among the players who tested positive last week and, with a mandatory 10-day quarantine, would likely miss a game held before Sunday.
Over the weekend, nine Ravens either tested positive for COVID-19 or were added to the reserve/COVID-19 list, designated for infected players or those who’ve been exposed to the virus as a “high-risk” close contact. A Ravens player on injured reserve reportedly tested positive Monday, the ninth straight day the team has returned a positive test, but ESPN reported that he had not been in close contact with other players.
It would be the third NFL game played on Wednesday since 1948 and the first since Sept. 5, 2012, when the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants hosted the Dallas Cowboys. The traditional Thursday night season opener was moved because President Barack Obama spoke at the Democratic National Convention that night.