The Baltimore Ravens have been bitten by the injury bug once again, and while there are not an overwhelming number of injuries, some key players have been missing from practice this week. On Thursday, four Ravens were absent from practice, all of whom were out on Wednesday.
Running back Justice Hill (toe), wide receiver Rashod Bateman (ankle), linebacker Jay Higgins (knee), and cornerback Marlon Humphrey (finger) were those dealing with injuries.
Higgins appears to be the only one in danger of missing significant time. He was seen leaving Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Vikings with a brace on his knee. Head Coach John Harbaugh mentioned it will not be a season-ender, but he will miss a few weeks.
The others could miss Baltimore’s Week 11 meeting in Cleveland, but should be back in action sooner rather than later. One of those is Humphrey, who was already confirmed out for Sunday’s contest. In his place, veteran corner Chidobe Awuzie should see an uptick in snaps, and versatile safety Kyle Hamilton will continue to take on a major role closer to the line of scrimmage, including play at slot corner.
The Ravens will need their depth at corner to step up, though, which should put undrafted rookie corner Keyon Martin in bigger shoes in the team's upcoming matchup.
Keyon Martin set to play bigger role in Ravens’ Week 11 game
Despite being an undrafted rookie, Martin has already been thrown into the fire this year. Earlier injuries to Humphrey and Awuzie this season thrust the 24-year-old into the starting defense against the Houston Texans in Week 5. He played 49 snaps in the loss and posted a 31.2 grade, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). He also played 39 snaps in Week 4, turning in a 59.0 PFF grade.
Following Wednesday’s practice, Harbaugh talked about Martin’s progress throughout his rookie campaign and how he sees his role this week.
“[Martin’s] done well. Everything he’s done, he’s done really well,” Harbaugh said. “He had the opportunity to start a game or two…That’s always the biggest challenge, you play every play. I think he grew through that and everything since he’s done well, playing great on special teams. He’ll have an opportunity to do some things in this [week’s] game.”
There is reason to believe that Week 11 should hold different results for Martin. Humphrey dealt with the same finger injury last week, but had to come off the field on multiple occasions, playing 45 snaps. Martin took some of his reps late in the game. In eight snaps, he held his own in coverage, finishing the day with a 78.2 PFF grade. He made two big-time tackles on Minnesota’s final drive, helping the Ravens seal the win.
Martin also will not have to deal with the hefty workload he saw in Week 4 and Week 5. He should be a rotational option in the slot, as Hamilton is moved around the field throughout the game.
As an inexperienced player, that role should help limit Martin’s mistakes, but also give him a valuable opportunity to prove himself. With Humphrey out, Martin becomes the go-to contributor in the slot off the bench. If he can carry his momentum from last Sunday, a statement game could be on the way.