Ravens Defense Hurting
Added on Oct 15, 2012 by Scott in
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The Houston Texans saw what life is like without Brian Cushing last night when Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense shredded them to the tune of 42 points. Another AFC contender, the Baltimore Ravens, are about to feel the Texans pain after losing a pair of defensive stars — Ray Lewis and Lardarius Webb – to potential season-ending injuries. Needless to say, the road to the Super Bowl just got a lot more treacherous.
Lewis suffered a torn triceps and Webb tore an ACL in yesterday’s narrow 31-29 win over the Cowboys. Both ailments are expected to cost both players the remainder of the 2012 season. If this proves to be true, an already thin defense will be left scrambling for answers.
The aging Lewis has struggled this year against the run, but his impassioned leadership on and off the field cannot be measured. Webb is regarded as one of the best pure cover corners in the league, so his absence will be felt against potent passing attacks.
Dannell Ellerbe is a capable fill-in for Lewis; he has 31 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble in six games. However, replacing Webb will be a much taller order. 2011 first-round pick Jimmy Smith will get the first shot, but his weaknesses are well-documented, so the leash could be short.
The team is still crossing its collective fingers that Terrell Suggs will be able to return at some point from a torn Achilles, but counting on him to do so is foolish. Even if he was able to make it back, it’s unlikely he would be very effective, and pushing himself could result in further damage.
A Ravens defense that has been gashed for 200-plus rushing yards in consecutive weeks is suddenly even more vulnerable. In turn, the pressure on Joe Flacco and Ray Rice to produce more points is greater. How the entire team responds will go a long way in determining how far they can advance.
Source: NFL.com
