Ravens expected to have two starters back for Week 14 vs. Rams

Believe it or not, the Ravens' bye is over and things returned to their weekly routine in Maryland and at the Owings Mills training facilities for Baltimore as they gear up for their return to NFL play next Sunday as they'll be hosting the Los Angeles Rams.

On his Monday presser, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh touched on a plethora of topics but one of them, strictly linked to the performance of the team on the field, was very promising as the coach announced the expected returns of CB Marlon Humphrey and DE Justin Madubuike.

Harbaugh sounded optimistic about the potential participation of defensive superstars Madubuike and Humphrey in the Ravens' return to action next weekend.

"They are looking pretty good right now," Harbaugh stated. "I’d say right now, there’s a lot of optimism."

While Madubuike played the last time the Ravens made it to a gridiron in Week 12 facing the Los Angeles Chargers on the road, Humphrey has been missing for a few weeks without making it to the field since going down in Week 10.

Madubuike was forced out of the game against Los Angeles a little over a week ago with a concussion, but he should be ready to go this weekend considering he'll have rested it for nearly two weeks by then.

Harbaugh confirmed his defender's entry into the NFL concussion protocol following the Week 12 win, but he expects him back available for Sunday's matchup.

Humphrey has been grappling with a non-contact calf injury suffered in the Ravens' home loss against the Cleveland Browns in Week 10. That game took place nearly a month ago (Nov. 12), so it's been more than a while since Humphrey first suffered his injury and thus he's had more than a fair share of time to recover.

The cornerback already had some limited participation in practice throughout the week leading up to the Week 12 game, although Baltimore played it safe by leaving him out of the gameday squad with the by ahead of the matchup and two more weeks of recovery surely helping him fix any potential issue.

The Ravens (9-3) will host a resurging Rams (6-6) team that has won three games in a row following an ugly 3-6 start to their season. It's surely good news to hear Harbaugh nearly naming two of the best defenders in the roster available for Sunday's matchup, although we'll be better off waiting for Wednesday's practice and first injury report before making any assumptions.

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