Ray Lewis Sidelined With Toe Injury

Added on Nov 18, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

The up and down season for the Baltimore Ravens just took another turn in the negative direction. All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis will miss at least two games with an injured toe. Lewis has been held out of practice all week and even flew to Miami to see a specialist. He suffered the injury in the Week 10 loss to Seattle and will be sidelined for Sunday’s critical division showdown with Cincinnati.

The 36-year-old Lewis has started 57 straight games and leads the team in tackles with 68. His presence in the middle of the Ravens defense is a major reason why they are yielding only 90 yards on the ground and 16.9 points per game. Needless to say, not having him available for an extended period of time will affect their playoff hopes. He has been named to 12 Pro Bowls and is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

At 6-3, Baltimore is sitting in a good position in the AFC having swept Pittsburgh and crushed both the Jets and Texans. However, puzzling losses to Tennessee, Jacksonville and Seattle, as well as a narrow victory over Arizona, has some pigskin pundits questioning whether or not they’re legit contenders.

Most of the Ravens problems are on the offensive side of the ball. Joe Flacco has only ten touchdown passes and his 54.8% completion percentage is among the worst in the league. Suspect playcalling by coordinator Cam Cameron has also been an issue; in their last two defeats Ray Rice has received only 13 carries.

For Baltimore to make any noise down the stretch and beyond, they’ll need the defense to once again lead the way. The potential candidates to replace Lewis are Jameel McClain, Dannell Ellerbe and Brendon Ayanbadejo.

Over the next seven weeks, the Ravens will play four division games, engage in a Turkey Day tilt with the 8-1 49ers and take a December road trip to San Diego.

Source: NFL.com