The Ravens suffered a mind-blowing run of injuries this preseason, and the bad luck is bleeding into the regular season.
Outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith suffered a left knee sprain at the start of the second quarter of Sunday's game in Cincinnati and did not return.
He joined running back Danny Woodhead (hamstring) in the locker room early in the regular-season opener. Both players flashed in the first quarter.
Smith notched a sack on the Ravens' first defensive drive, forcing a Bengals punt. He came up the middle and tripped up Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton by the legs.
It matched his sack total from all of last season and showed how much progress Smith has made this season, and the impact he could have.
Entering his third season, the 6-foot-4, 275-pound pass rusher had 5.5 sacks as a rookie and just one last season. Playing behind Terrell Suggs, he was one of the Ravens' most impressive pass rushers this preseason.
Smith was part of a pileup on a 1-yard Bengals run. He was writhing in pain as trainers and Head Coach John Harbaugh came onto the field.
Smith's injury left the Ravens with three outside linebackers with Suggs, Matthew Judon and second-round pick Tyus Bowser. Rookie third-round outside linebacker Tim Williams was a healthy scratch.
