Star safety Kyle Hamilton had the long weekend to rehab his injured ankle, and the Ravens will evaluate it throughout the week.
Head Coach John Harbaugh said it was a sprained ankle after Thursday night’s game and gave an update on Hamilton on Monday following reports of encouraging tests.
“It’s Monday,” Harbaugh said. “He’s been here all weekend getting treatment and stuff like that. We’ll see how he looks on Wednesday [and] going forward.”
The fact that Harbaugh didn’t rule Hamilton out for Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh is encouraging, as that will be a battle for first place in the AFC North. The Steelers (7-2) sit a half game ahead of the Ravens (7-3) and Baltimore’s struggling pass defense needs its leader.
Hamilton has missed just three games in his three seasons thus far. He’s second on the team in tackles (71), and has seven passes defensed, two sacks, and one forced fumble.
Tre’Davious White Will Work Into Cornerback Rotation
After trading for Tre’Davious White on Tuesday, there wasn’t enough time to get him ready to play the Bengals on Thursday night.
However, Harbaugh expects to see White playing Sunday in Pittsburgh.
“We expect him to get out there and start taking snaps in the rotation at corner. That’s why we traded for him. So we’re looking forward to it and I know he’s excited,” Harbaugh said.
Harbaugh was asked if White will remain as an outside corner.
“Yeah, that’s where he’s played mostly,” he said.
“First of all, [he’s a] high-level human being, great guy. Everybody that’s been around him says that. [He’s a] high-level competitor, tough guy, willing to get out there and play hard like we like.”
Brandon Stephens Isn’t Moving to Safety
Brandon Stephens has played 97% of the Ravens’ defensive snaps this season, all as an outside corner. He earned that spot last season, when he played 99% of the snaps.
This season has been tough at times for Stephens, who has yielded the third-most yards in the league among cornerbacks (555), according to Pro Football Focus. He’s also tied with the fourth-most targets in the league (60).
Harbaugh was asked whether Stephens could potentially shift to playing some safety.
“No, that’s not really on the table right now,” Harbaugh said. “He’s got a big job right now he’s trying to take care of.”
Diontae Johnson’s Snaps Should Increase vs. Former Team
New Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson played five snaps against the Bengals and 17 the week before against the Broncos (in part because the starters were pulled late from that game).
Heading into a game against his former team in Pittsburgh, Johnson will likely see more action.
“He’s been here now for somewhat of a number of practices,” Harbaugh said. “I would expect that to ramp up, yes.”
Johnson wasn’t targeted against Denver and was thrown to twice versus the Bengals. He caught one for a 6-yard gain but couldn’t get out of bounds at the end of the first half and stumbled to the turf on the second target.
Harbaugh Envisions a ‘Three-Headed Monster’ at Running Back
Speaking of snap counts, running back Keaton Mitchell played just two offensive snaps in his debut against the Bengals, but Harbaugh sees that changing soon.
Derrick Henry leads the league in rushing (1,120 yards) and Justice Hill is having the best season of his career. Mitchell will be a big part of that rotation as he ramps up in his return from last year’s knee injury.
“We’ll start working him into the offense as well,” Harbaugh said. “I do see a little bit of a three-headed monster there, potentially. We’ll see where that goes over the next course of games and hopefully that’s something that will start to develop for us.”
The Ravens also plugged Mitchell into their kickoff unit and he had one return for 30 yards. Harbaugh said he could be worked into more special teams phases.
“Keaton’s a really good football player,” Harbaugh said. “I like the ball in his hands.”