The Baltimore Ravens have announced a flurry of roster changes only hours before the season begins.
The Baltimore Ravens have quickly changed their roster in the last hours before the season kicks off. Not even two hours before the Baltimore Ravens take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener, the team is still making roster changes.
Rasheen Ali, the rookie running back, was placed on injured reserve by the Ravens on Thursday, in one of the team’s most significant roster moves. Ali, a Marshall native and fifth-round pick, was labeled as doubtful on the Ravens’ injury report due to a neck condition that he has been suffering with since the preseason began on August 9.
He will miss at least the season’s first four games now that he is on injured reserve. He might make his comeback as early as Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s interesting that Adisa Isaac, Baltimore’s rookie edge rusher, wasn’t placed on injured reserve for Thursday’s game either.
Over the offseason, the Penn State third-round selection has been battling two different hamstring injuries—one in each leg. They probably anticipate his return sooner rather than later, based on their choice to keep him off on IR.
Josh Ross, a third-year linebacker, was added by the Ravens to the active roster in order to fill the open place. After being released during the latest round of roster reductions last week, Ross was eligible to rejoin Baltimore’s practice squad. Malik Harrison, one of the Ravens’ four inside linebackers on the opening roster, frequently plays outside.
They’ve provided a little more depth in the middle of the defense by calling up Ross. To begin the season with a victory, the Baltimore Ravens require a few big games.
Rematching the AFC Championship Game from the previous season, the Baltimore Ravens will take on the back-to-back champion Kansas City Chiefs on the road to begin their season in perhaps the most difficult way possible.
Entering the boisterous GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium is never simple, especially while the Chiefs are celebrating the lifting of yet another championship banner. Despite being just Week 1, this matchup will give the Ravens a solid idea of where they stand in relation to the NFL’s elite teams.
On the other hand, they will require some outstanding performances from their main players to win. Thus, in Thursday’s season opening, keep an eye on these three important individuals.
RB Derrick Henry
Henry is a valued free agent addition for the Ravens; few many players in the game today can claim to have dominated the Chiefs throughout their career. The 30-year-old has faced the Chiefs six times in his career; two of those encounters were in the postseason. and has averaged 6.7 yards per attempt while running for 672 yards and eight touchdowns.
Included in that are his two touchdowns in 2019 (188 yards) and his one score (156 yards) in the 2017 playoffs. The previous season, when the Chiefs defense advanced significantly to rank among the best in the league, Henry did not play for the team.
There is a weakness for Henry to exploit, though, as their defense was ranked 24th in yards per attempt allowed and 18th in rushing yards allowed. It will be fascinating to watch how the former OFfensive Player of the Year performs in his first Ravens game and whether he can continue to dominate against the defending champions.
S Kyle Hamilton
Hamilton will be mostly relied upon as the defense’s Swiss Army knife against Kansas City’s potent offense. There will be a lot of things for him to worry about, but covering star tight end Travis Kelce could be the most important.
In the AFC Championship Game, Kelce scored a touchdown against Hamilton, and despite playing tight coverage, the third-year safety will be itching to exact revenge this time.
Fans are excitedly awaiting Hamilton’s next performance after his incredible second season that led to his selection to the first team of the All-Pro squad. He should have no trouble having another outstanding season if he can shut down a potential Hall of Famer to start the season.
Nate Wiggins, CB
Before exiting with a shoulder injury later in the game, Wiggins had an excellent preseason debut, intercepting three passes on the first drive. The Clemson rookie selected in the first round will now play in his first regular-season game and be a part of one of the night’s most exciting matchups.
Wiggins set a record for the fastest 40-yard sprint time of the season at the Combine with a scorching run of 4.28 seconds. The one participant who shared the quicker time? Xavier Worthy of the Chiefs, wide receiver, is the only one. The amount of time each of the two rookies will spend playing in this game is yet unknown, but if they face off, there will undoubtedly be fireworks.