Will the Baltimore Ravens be resting players during the Week 18 game against the Cincinnati Bengals? Just hours before kick, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Ravens would be holding out star running back J.K. Dobbins, with sights of having him at 100% for the postseason next weekend. There are also some question marks surrounding who will start at quarterback between Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown.
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J.K. Dobbins, Tyler Huntley Injuries Move Ravens-Bengals Line
Without J.K. Dobbins in the backfield, the Ravens will now be turning over their running back duties to the Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and Kenyan Drake trio — who all played a role when Dobbins was out from weeks 7-13. Despite his past success, Edwards only ran the ball three times for two yards in the 17-9 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17.
“I wasn’t happy about that, in all honesty,” Harbaugh said, per Sports Illustrated. “Gus should have played more – there’s no doubt about it. That was something that … We should have had him out there more, and [there’s] really no excuse for that.”
Without Dobbins in the fold, Edwards should have plenty of opportunities in Week 18, especially with the current quarterback situation. Lamar Jackson will remain out with a knee injury, and backup Tyler Huntley is also out for the game with a shoulder injury, leaving rookie Anthony Brown as the QB1 against the Bengals.
“[Huntley] could play Sunday. Yes, he has a tendentious issue in his shoulder and things. So, we just decided not to put him through that. He’s been involved in all the walkthroughs; he’s been involved in all the mental work. So, I think there’s a really good chance he could play on Sunday, but again, if that doesn’t happen, then it doesn’t happen. So, [I’m] hopeful for that,” Harbaugh said earlier in the week, via Ravens Wire.
Given the plethora of injuries to the Ravens, the Bengals have taken over as a 9.5-point favorite over Baltimore (DraftKings) after opening at -6. If the Ravens are able to pull off the upset, a potential Ravens-Bengals playoff game would include a coin flip to decide who gets home-field advantage. Despite the Bengals being awarded the AFC North crown following the “no contest” against the Bills last week, the league felt it was fair to give the Ravens a chance to host a playoff game, being as they would be playing for the division on Sunday if the Bills would have beaten the Bengals on Monday Night Football.
However, the Ravens will have an uphill climb to pull off the upset and make things interesting without Dobbins and others in the fold.
