What the postponement to Wednesday buys the Ravens originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
As of Monday evening, the Ravens had already been sent home from their facility in the morning Mills by the NFL, had one more player (reportedly on IR) test positive for coronavirus, were faced with a game in just over 24 hours in Pittsburgh and, according to reports, were upset about a variety of issues as it related to the last week’s handling of COVID-19.
The league reacted late Monday and postponed the Ravens-Steelers game to Wednesday at 3:40 pm, where the Ravens and Steelers will finally play their Week 12 game in Pittsburgh.
The Ravens will have only about 20 hours extra to prepare for Wednesday instead of Tuesday night’s game, but in turn, that will give them much more than just 20 hours.
Both Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins will be out of the protocol (assuming they pass their tests) and available for Wednesday’s game. That will give the Ravens even more options for how they want to handle the gameplan for this week, especially considering the lack of available active roster players.
There are 20 players on the team’s Reserve/COVID-19 list right now, but with another day of protocols, players listed as high-risk close contacts can be activated as long as they’ve waited the mandatory five days. The Ravens will still be out a bevy of starters and key depth pieces, but moving the game to Wednesday means that, for next week’s since moved Cowboys game, a majority of the roster should return as long as proper protocols are met.
But one of the biggest issues reportedly raised by the Ravens were safety concerns as it related to the game being played Tuesday night.
Monday marked the ninth consecutive day a player in the organization has tested positive, though and sending the Ravens to face the Steelers with more positive tests still to come would be a disaster. This way, the Ravens can be even more sure that the COVID-19 outbreak has been totally contained within the organization before they cross state lines and face another team.
From a football perspective, it will give the Ravens enough time to get two practices in before their afternoon matchup against the Steelers.
The Ravens released a statement late Monday that said they completed a socially distanced walkthrough and conditioning session at the team’s practice facility. They will have one tomorrow as well, before departing for Pittsburgh.
The team hadn’t been on the field together since last Monday for a light walkthrough, and they’ve been unable to practice or go through conditioning drills as a team since the outbreak began. Now, they’ll have a chance to get their legs underneath them before facing the 10-0, and angered, Steelers.
There appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel for the wildest matchup bugaboo of the NFL season. And, at least for now, it’s going to end in the middle of the afternoon in Pittsburgh on a Wednesday in December.
