PERSONNEL NEWS

Strategy And Personnel

The Sports Xchange

October 25, 2018 at 12:12 am.

PLAYER NOTES

–OL Jermaine Eluemunor was promoted from the practice squad. He will provide valuable depth with Alex Lewis and James Hurst dealing with injuries. Eluemunor was a fifth-round pick from Texas A&M in the 2017 draft.

–DT Willie Henry suffered a herniated disk against the Saints and was placed on injured reserve. Henry also missed the opening four games of the season following hernia surgery. He was a projected starter on a solid defensive line. Henry, who was a fourth-round pick in 2016, appeared in 14 games (three starts) last season and led the team’s defensive tackles with 3.5 sacks.

–G Alex Lewis was back at practice Wednesday and could play against the Panthers in Week 8. He did not play against the Saints after suffering a pinched nerve the previous week against the Titans.

–CB Marlon Humphrey (thigh) was held out of practice Wednesday after being inactive in Week 7 against the Saints. He apparently suffered the injury during practice the previous week. Humphrey has been the Ravens’ top cornerback this season, and the team struggles in his absence.

–RT James Hurst (back) was still unable to practice Wednesday after being ruled inactive against the Saints. It was the first time Hurst missed a game during his five seasons in Baltimore. His status for Week 8 against the Panthers is uncertain. Head coach John Harbaugh said Hurst has been dealing with the injury for a while and got steadily worse.

–LG Bradley Bozeman (calf) was not able to practice Wednesday. He got his first career start for the injured Alex Lewis. However, Bozeman, a rookie sixth-round pick from Alabama, left in the fourth quarter with an injured left calf. Bozeman was able to finish the game.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: CB Jimmy Smith. The veteran missed the opening four games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He had his first start Week 7 against the Saints and had one of his worst games with the Ravens. He had two pass interference penalties and allowed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Michael Thomas. Look for Smith to bounce back this week.

GAME PLAN: The Ravens have struggled to develop an effective running game. As a result, they have been forced to beat teams with big plays downfield. Quarterback Joe Flacco is ranked fifth in the NFL with 2,067 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. Receiver John Brown has caught 28 passes for 558 yards and four touchdowns. However, the Ravens will be challenged against the Panthers, who are ranked ninth against the pass. The run defense for Carolina is also stout and Baltimore could be challenged to move the ball on the road.

Baltimore enters the game with the league’s No. 3 overall defense. The Ravens, however, are still ranked first in the league for fewest yards (280.6) and fewest points (14.4) allowed. Baltimore has one of the top secondaries in the league and will have the advantage if the Panthers try to attack them through the air. Carolina might have to use the run to set up the pass behind running back Christian McCaffrey, who has 378 yards on the season.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH

–Ravens LB Terrell Suggs vs. Panthers QB Cam Newton. The veteran Suggs is tied for the team lead with 5.5 sacks. He will look to add to that total against Newton, who poses a bigger challenge because of his running ability. However, Newton will be at a disadvantage if he holds the ball too long because Suggs will get pass-rushing support from fellow outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith. The Ravens lead the league with 27 sacks. Newton has a solid offensive line and has been sacked just 10 times.

–Ravens WR Johns Brown vs. Panthers CB Donte Jackson. Brown is the Ravens biggest downfield threat and has caught 28 passes for 558 yards and four touchdowns. He signed a one-year deal in the offseason and has put himself in position for a big payday. Jackson is tied for the league lead with three interceptions. If the Panthers can contain Brown, they will put themselves in position to win the game.