Head Coach John Harbaugh announced Monday that Smith suffered a high ankle sprain against the New England Patriots in Week 14 – he previously hadn’t provided any specifics about the injury – and he Smith likely won’t be healthy enough to play Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“He probably won’t be able to make it for this week,” Harbaugh said. “We were hoping for the playoffs.”
The Ravens were eliminated from the playoffs with Sunday’s 31-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Smith’s absence was certainly felt throughout the game and especially in the fourth quarter when the Steelers put up 21 points and mounted a comeback in the final minutes.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns against the Ravens.
Smith’s importance to the Ravens has been illustrated in several key games this season. In addition to falling to the Steelers, the Ravens also lost to the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots when Smith missed a significant portion or all of the games because of injuries.
