Ravens Lose Boldin For At Least Two Weeks

Added on Dec 22, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

The offensively challenged Baltimore Ravens took another hit today after it was announced wide receiver Anquan Boldin will miss the final two games of the regular season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee. The hope is he’ll be able to return for the playoffs, but that’s no guarantee, especially if the Ravens fail to get a first-round bye.

Either way, head coach John Harbaugh is unsure when his leading pas catcher will be back on the field.

“He’s got a slight tear in his meniscus. It flapped up on him; I think it was Tuesday night after the walkthrough,” Harbaugh said of Boldin, according to The Associated Press. “He’s going to have to get it repaired. It’s two weeks and he’ll be back for the playoffs, whatever round we happen to play in. It will be a little bit tighter if we have to play in the first round.”

Baltimore is in line to win the AFC North after sweeping the Steelers, although with both teams tied at 10-4, the division is still very much up for grabs with each rival coming off blowout losses. The Ravens do hold a head-to-head edge in the conference having defeated the AFC South champion Texans back in Week 6.

Boldin, a prize free agent acquisition in 2010, has tallied 57 receptions for 887 yards and three touchdowns through 14 games. His catches and yards tops all receivers and only Ray Rice has caught more passes.

Without the services of Boldin, rookie Torrey Smith and tight end Ed Dickson will be called upon to spark an often lackluster aerial attack. Smith is averaging a team high 17.9 yards per catch and his seven scores is first among all receivers. In his second season, Dickson has snagged 51 balls for 494 yards and four touchdowns.

The Ravens face the Browns 3rd ranked pass defense on Saturday. In the first meeting, Joe Flacco mustered only 158 yards and zero scores in a 24-10 victory.

Source: NFL.com