The top two running backs on the Baltimore Ravens’ depth chart will be cleared to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday.
Monday has been a Baltimore Ravens-heavy news day in the NFL. Initially slated to face off against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday, the game has officially been postponed to Wednesday to allow the Ravens to get a full practice in before the game. As has been evident in the past week, the Ravens are dealing with a massive COVID-19 outbreak, which resulted in the team having 19 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list. However, there is some good news for Baltimore fans.
According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, Ravens running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins are eligible to play in Wednesday’s game against the Steelers, as they will surpass the 10-day isolation period.
Ravens get their rushing weapons back
Last Monday, reports indicated that both Ingram and Dobbins tested positive for the coronavirus, which would sideline them for the Week 12 game that was initially scheduled for Thanksgiving night. As the outbreak grew in the Ravens’ facility, the contest was postponed to Sunday, then Tuesday and finally Wednesday.
Prior to the returns of both Ingram and Dobbins, the Ravens were expected to start Gus Edwards with Justice Hill getting reps off the bench. Now, it will be interesting to see if head coach John Harbaugh elevates both running backs to the top of the depth chart, because the Ravens will likely implement more rushing plays than usual, considering quarterback Lamar Jackson is set to miss this week’s game due to testing positive for COVID-19 on Thanksgiving.
This season, Ingram tallied 232 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while catching 5-of-7 targets for 49 yards. As for the rookie Dobbins, he accumulated 380 yards and three touchdowns on 72 carries.
If the running back duo sees significant snaps, they have the tough task of facing a Steelers defense that has allowed 103.4 yards per game and a total of five touchdowns on the ground through 10 games.