It has been a noticeable season already in the NFL for the number of high profile injuries, and it seems that the Baltimore Ravens defence has suffered more than it's fair share in recent months, dating back to when Terrell Suggs (last season's NFL Defensive Player of the Year) tore his Achilles.
More recently, it's the ageing but infinitely talismanic linebacker Ray Lewis (torn tricep) and starting cornerback Lardarius Webb (torn ACL) have been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
For Lewis, at 37 years old and in his 17th season in the NFL, his on field ability isn't quite what it was and as such, the Ravens will be able to replace him relatively easily. However, it's his unrivalled experience, leadership and influence on his whole team that will be most missed. In his absence, the Ravens defence will be looking for a new leader, with big shoes to fill.
The obvious candidate is Ed Reed, veteran safety who has also excelled in the twilight of his career, much like Lewis. But to add insult to the literal injury, it was announced yesterday that Reed has sustained a shoulder injury that should see him out. The twist is that the Ravens have failed to place him on the injury roster, which if injured, is against NFL rules.
Cornerback Lardarius Webb has been ruled out for the season
The replacement of Webb is an altogether harder prospect. One of the outstanding players in any position in the NFL, particularly playing in a nickel defence. The cornerback's aggression and tackling will be hugely missed by the Ravens in their defensive lineup which has bucked the trend in the NFL which has seen teams successfully expose the nickel defence.
Corner Jimmy Smith is the obvious like-for-like replacement for Webb though his effectiveness in the nickel defence is far less than that of the starter.
So what does this all mean for the Ravens?
There are two things. Firstly, head coach John Harbaugh has to resist rushing any injured players back before their time. Terrell Suggs returned to practice yesterday after being taken off the 'physically unable to perform' list, and although unlikely to be playing for another few weeks yet, there has to be caution coming back from such a serious injury. For such an explosive game, where big men move very fast for short periods of time, a tear to the Achilles tendon is not something you want to rush back from.
The Ravens have also sprinkled seeds of hope over Lewis' injury this week, placing him on the injured reserve list and tagging him 'designated to return'. Whether or not he will be in a position to come back during the course of this season is yet to be seen, but all realisitc signs indicate bad news. In the meantime, the Ravens need to rest Ed Reed or risk having another of their key defensive players out for the season.
Let's not forget, the Ravens are sitting atop the AFC East with a 5-1 record and although games can never be sacrificed, players can and they shouldn't be risked for short term benefits.
The second thing for the Ravens is that the offence needs to step up. Quarterback Joe Flacco has probably had his best start to an NFL season in his career, but will have to carry on that momentum and the burden of the franchise a little more in the absence of fellow captains and players. The key to that is establishing early leads in games, giving an underpowered defence the chance to defend a lead, far easier than preventing a game get away from them.
The Ravens are ranked 7th for first half score differential, but most of that advantage has come in the second quarter and they are average at best at putting points on the board in the first quarter. This is what needs to change and the likes of Flacco, running back Ray Rice and outstanding wide receiver Torey Smith will be the key men tasked with achieving that goal.
The season is far from over for the Ravens, but it has got a little harder. It'll be interesting to see in the coming weeks how a patched up defence and a far more relied upon offence cope with the injuries.
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