Rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. was active for the first time this season against the New York Jets on Sunday.
While Jones didn't see action, Head Coach John Harbaugh didn't rule out the physical LSU blocker finding a role this season, perhaps sharing time as part of a guard rotation. Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele have started every game.
"I think everything's on the table," Harbaugh said. "We've done that before. We were probably one of the first teams that started rotating linemen, if you remember. That was kind of unheard of. When did we start – three, four, or five years ago? We did it a few times, so I am definitely not opposed to doing that."
A third-round selection, Jones had shoulder surgery shortly after the Combine and missed all offseason practices. He returned to the field on Oct. 1, and Harbaugh has seen steady progress.
Jones was active while veteran Ben Cleveland was a scratch versus the Jets. The rookie did not see any snaps, however.
"[Jones] just kind of moved into that role of one of the eight [offensive linemen] being active, and I was ready to play him if needed," Harbaugh said. "I think we'll see where it goes from there."
Ravens Not Surprised That Joe Burrow Targeted Baltimore for His Return
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has lost his last four starts against the Ravens and has a 3-6 career record against them. He's a fierce competitor and the intensity of the Baltimore-Cincinnati rivalry is raised a notch whenever Lamar Jackson and Burrow go head-to-head.
None of the Ravens were surprised that Burrow targeted the Thanksgiving game for his ahead-of-schedule return after a nine-game absence due to a toe injury that required surgery.
"It's going to be a physical matchup," Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley said. "All these division rivalries are always tough. We don't really look at the record. These games mean a lot to each team. I'm not surprised he came back for this game."
Harbaugh said he doesn't expect the Bengals' offense to change much with Burrow under center instead of Joe Flacco.
"They're going to stay on track, I'm sure, and what they've been doing is pretty much what they had been doing with Joe [Burrow]. So, I expect to see the Bengals run their offense with Joe," Harbaugh said.
Ravens Want Offense to Start Faster After History of Shootouts With Bengals
The Ravens always want to start fast offensively, but that could be particularly important against Cincinnati.
Baltimore won two high-scoring games against the Bengals last season – a 41-38 overtime decision in Cincinnati and a 35-34 victory in Baltimore. After scoring just three points in the first half against the New York Jets on Sunday, the Ravens want to get their offense rolling early against the Bengals.
"Just getting started fast, we know we've got to do that," wide receiver Zay Flowers said. "That's one of the main things we talked about [today]."
The Bengals are surrendering the most points (32.7 per game) and yards (415.8) in the NFL, so another high-scoring Ravens-Bengals game would not be shocking. With Ja'Marr Chase returning from a suspension, Burrow will have one of his big-play receivers available, although Tee Higgins (concussion) has been ruled out.
Flowers still remembers the frantic pace of last year's games against Cincinnati.
"It's crazy, we'd be scoring so fast," Flowers said. "You'd be like, '[Dang], we just got off the field,' then we'd be back on, then they're on. You're always warm, you're always ready to go. In those games, it's always fun.
"If it has to be that, then that's what we'll do. But I hope it's not like those games. I hope it's just a nice one [where] we get to enjoy our Thanksgiving after and go home."
Updates on Taven Bryan, Adisa Isaac Injuries
Taven Bryan, who has been a regular part of the defensive line rotation the past five games, may be placed on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury against the Jets. Harbaugh does not expect the injury to be season-ending.
"It's going to be a short-term kind of a deal, potentially a short-term IR, a three-to-four-week type of injury," Harbaugh said.
The return of second-year linebacker Adisa Isaac, who dislocated his elbow during the preseason, is not imminent, according to Harbaugh.
"He's not closer," Harbaugh said. "We thought he was going to have a chance here in the next couple of weeks, and he had a setback."
