Dennis Pitta is frustratingly and sadly on his third major hip injury. Now the Ravens passing game is in even worse shape:
According to multiple reports, Dennis Pitta sustained a hip injury today during the Ravens OTA practices. While we don’t know how bad it is, this looks like the end of the line for the tight end. The Ravens official Twitter account posted this tweet, earlier this afternoon.
Statement from Ozzie Newsome: "In unfortunate news, Dennis Pitta re-injured his hip at today’s OTA session." pic.twitter.com/Ch7MteEjIi
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 2, 2017
This is tragic news. After recovering from this injury twice, Pitta had a comeback year for the ages. He caught 86 passes and was one of the key pieces of the passing attack. Now, the same injury is happening for a third time. This is most likely the end to Pitta’s career. He has been a fan favorite in Baltimore, his whole career.
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Not only is this sad because of our appreciation and admiration of the tight end, it’s troubling for the Ravens offense. Steve Smith Sr. is gone. Dennis Pitta is most likely out for the year and he may be hanging up the cleats. Mike Wallace is the only receiver the Ravens have, that caught more than 34 passes last year. That’s a danger zone that you don’t want to be in.
This puts even more pressure on Breshad Perriman. Who else is Joe Flacco going to throw the football too? How many receptions can Danny Woodhead and Kenneth Dixon make out of the backfield? The Ravens offense doesn’t just lack proven stars, it lacks proven role players. Pitta was Joe Flacco’s security blanket.
The Bottom Line:
Ben Watson may benefit from the Pitta injury. Watson was hurt in the preseason last year and hasn’t played a snap for the purple and black. Watson’s chances of making the team went up in a big way. If the season started today, he may be the most accomplished offensive weapon on the team. The Ravens still have Crockett Gillmore, Darren Waller and Nick Boyle as legitimate options at the tight end position. Losing Pitta hurts though, it hurts a lot.
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The Ravens offense needs players to step up. The team was already facing doubts about the lack of play-makers on the roster. The Ravens answer seems to be players will step up. Well a lackluster group of targets in the passing game just lost a key player. This is bad news of the highest order coming out of Owings Mills.