With Lamar Jackson (knee) out and Tyler Huntley (throwing shoulder/wrist) questionable, the Ravens could lean heavily on their running attack Sunday night.
J.K. Dobbins would welcome a boatload of carries. After being rested in Week 18, the third-year running back is hungry.
"Even when Lamar's playing, I want it on my back," Dobbins said. "I want to carry the load. My teammates look at me and be like, 'Alright, he's ready. Let's ride him.' That's how I always think since I was in Pee Wee football and I'm never going to change."
Dobbins has big-play ability, a valuable commodity for an offense that's looking for a spark. After undergoing midseason arthroscopic knee surgery, Dobbins returned with more explosiveness and rushed for more than 100 yards in Weeks 14 & 15.
The Ravens know they're entering Super Wild-Card Weekend as decided underdogs against the Bengals. None of the pundits have picked them to win. However, playing with a chip on his shoulder is nothing new for Dobbins.
"This team, I guess you could say that we've always been an underdog," Dobbins said. "Me, personally, I've always been an underdog. I ran for 2,000 yards in college and still went in the second round. People still talk about [how] I'm not that good. I average 5.9 yards per carry for my career; people still tell me I'm not good. So, I'm the underdog, and that's how I play."
Anthony Brown Says Playing in Week 18 Was Valuable Experience
If Huntley can't start Sunday, undrafted rookie Anthony Brown will make his second career start against the Bengals. While it will be Brown's first taste of playoff action, he feels that playing an entire game against the Bengals last week gave him valuable experience.
"Just playing a regular season NFL game is extremely important, and on top of that, playing against the same team again is a really good thing to help my experience, just in case I do get the call this weekend," Brown said.
When asked to name the biggest game he's ever played in, Brown smiled.
"The last one I just played in," Brown said.
Brown credited Quarterbacks Coach James Urban and Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Kerry Dixon for their work preparing him all season.
"Just by the way we practice and by the way Coach Urban and Kerry help me prepare every week, understanding that you've got to be ready at every given moment in this league," Brown said. "That's played a huge role in getting me ready to this point and not having me ride that emotional rollercoaster."
Head Coach John Harbaugh Fields Questions About Lamar Jackson's Recovery
Jackson will miss his sixth straight game on Sunday and posted tweets Thursday about his injury and recovery process. That led to Head Coach John Harbaugh being asked questions about Jackson following Friday's practice.
Harbaugh said he was not aware that Jackson planned to discuss his injury on social media.
"No, I didn't know anything about that," Harbaugh said. "I haven't paid much attention to it.
"It's not something that we can comment on. The nature of an injury specific, really the only person can that comment on that is the person. There are laws along those lines. We're educated by the league in terms of what we're allowed to say, and what we're not allowed to say."
Harbaugh said his singular focus was preparing the Ravens for Sunday's game.
"What I'm thinking about right now is Sunday," Harbaugh said. "Lamar has done a great job working hard. Tyler has worked hard to get back. I think this team is ready to go play a playoff game on the road, for sure."
Gus Edwards Out of Protocol, Ready to Roll
Gus Edwards was a full participant in Friday's practice and is ready to play Sunday after leaving the Week 18 regular-season finale with a concussion.
"I feel great. I'm motivated, energized, ready to prove a point," Edwards said.
"We're still in it. We matter. I feel like there's been a lot of chatter on that side. We're going to let our pads do the talking."
With Dobbins and Edwards in the lineup, the Ravens have their best one-two running back combination back in business. Edwards believes outsiders are selling the Ravens short, giving them no chance to win without Jackson.
"It's a great thing to have Lamar out there and I hope he's doing great with his recovery," Edwards said. "But we can't let that be an excuse. We're professionals. Part of being a professional is next man up mentality, winning, no excuses.
"Some of the vets kind of set the tone in the team meeting, everybody on the same page of what it means. We definitely going in with that mindset that we've got to make things happen. We've got to be the engine of this game. When they call on us, we've got to make plays."
