Sirius reporting Ray Ray may be out for the season

[Moon§hiner]

I don't wish injury on any player but hearing that he has a partially torn hammy and may be out for the season does give me some comfort about the game this week

[broncosteven]

Ravens are pathetic, they do not have a QB & Heap is only Offensive weapon. We should be able to steam roll this team with or with out the Gansta Bone Thug!

[Crushaholic]

I guess we won't need that metal detector on the field checking for weapons...

[Dukes]

Crap. Tried getting a link but no luck

[Moon§hiner]

I guess we won't need that metal detector on the field checking for weapons...
Not unless Billick decides to go Kamikaze and do the right thing for the team ;)

[Clockwork Orange]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

[Smilin Assassin]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-ravens1205,1,7833373.story?coll=bal-sports-football

R. Lewis could miss rest of Ravens' season
Star linebacker has torn right hamstring

By Jamison Hensley
Sun Reporter
Originally published December 5, 2005, 10:13 PM EST

A day after they were officially eliminated from the playoffs, the Ravens acknowledged the possibility that linebacker Ray Lewis could be done for the season.

In Monday's news conference, Ravens coach Brian Billick revealed for the first time that Lewis has a partially torn right hamstring, an injury that might require surgery to repair.



Lewis, who has missed six straight games, did not attend Sunday's 16-15 win over the Houston Texans and instead sought out a second opinion from a specialist in Miami, according to Billick.

This latest consultation changed the Ravens' long-running stand that the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year would return this season.

A decision on Lewis' status is not expected until Wednesday because he remains in Miami. But a league source said it would be a surprise to see the former All-Pro suit up for any of the Ravens' last four games.

"There are varying opinions as to whether you do a surgery on this and there are prevailing opinions that say no, that the strength is good," Billick said. "That's something he and the doctors will have to sort through. Obviously, if they decide that it would put him in additional risk long-term and if a surgery is required, then clearly that would do him for the rest of the season."

Billick admitted the Ravens' underachieving 4-8 season could be a persuading factor in Lewis not playing again this season.

It would seem illogical for a 30-year-old linebacker to risk injury and suffer wear-and-tear in a string of meaningless games when he could rest up for next season, when the Ravens try to break a two-year postseason drought.

"We would look at it probably differently if we were in the middle of a playoff hunt," Billick said. "That's a fair way to look at it and that's something a player certainly has to consider. We would love to have Ray back, but we wouldn't want to do anything that jeopardizes his health both short and long term."

Lewis is not the Ravens' only injury concern.

Backup cornerback Zach Norton (shoulder) will become the third Ravens player to be placed on injured reserve in the span of a week, and starting defensive end Tony Weaver could be next.

Weaver did not play Sunday after hurting his back picking up a basketball late last week at the Owings Mills training complex. The severity of the injury won't be determined until the back "calms down."

"It could - I'll just underline could - pre-empt him from the rest of the season," Billick said.

If Lewis is done for the year, it would end his most disappointing season in the NFL.

There was a great deal of hype surrounding the Ravens switch to a four-man front, which would help keep blockers off of Lewis and allow him to dominate like he did in 2000 and 2001. He even predicted this offseason that he would become the NFL Most Valuable Player.

But the season has not gone as planned. According to the league's official web site, Lewis averaged 7.6 tackles a game this season, the worst of his 10-year career.

Still, it's difficult to minimize Lewis' impact on this defense.

In 18 games without Lewis since 2002, the Ravens have given up seven 100-yard rushers, including the past two games (Cincinnati's Rudi Johnson and Houston's Domanick Davis).

The Ravens have dropped from No. 9 to No. 12 in run defense during Lewis' absence and now face the NFL's second-best rushing attack Sunday when they visit the Denver Broncos.

"We're a little undersized, and if you can isolate that, that tends to show up," Billick said. "We have to move some people around to account for that because of that size. The vogue thing in this league is to have two huge people inside and get into that four-man front. But we don't have that size and that bulk to go about it that way so we have to address it in other ways."

The news about the Ravens potentially losing Lewis for the season comes at a time when they thought he was going to return.

Lewis, who tore his hamstring on Oct. 23 in Chicago, had been declared out for five straight weeks. But the seven-time Pro Bowl player was listed as questionable last week before being downgraded to doubtful on Friday.

"The standard prognosis has been to rest it for a period of time," Billick said. "As he approached the six-week period, it was feeling very, very good. As you normally do, you constantly re-image it. The tearing now is what it was."

Along with the mounting injuries Monday, the Ravens had to deal with the finality of not making the postseason, the earliest they have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs in Billick's seven seasons.

When told that the Ravens became one of nine teams that had been officially ousted, Billick said with a smile, "It took this long? Are you kidding me?"

jamison.hensley@baltsun.com

[Pezman]

I dunno. I have mixed feelings about that. As much as I'd love to see him get owned this weekend by our offense, he is still one of the best in the biz and any injury sucks when you are playing rivals.

Losing a guy like Rayenthal has really made their defense pretty suspetible down the stretch and teams are finding great success running the rock on them without his presence. It does mean that they will be Peter Boulware even more than ever now. We need to focus on keeping him and Polley honest and I think MA and Tatum could have a big day on Sunday.

[Smiling Assassin27]

As long as Ed Reed is in there, we have something to worry about. The guy is a ball hawk extraordinaire AND could score a TD or two himself. If we come out flat against this team, it may be curtains--they scored 29 against Cincy.

Sincerely,

Lou Holtz

[bendog]

Where's Neil when you need a nasty cut block? (hey the guy did cover up for a killer, but I'm kidding ... sorta)

[ClevelandBronco2]

A Liger got him.

[ICON]

Ravens are pathetic, they do not have a QB & Heap is only Offensive weapon. We should be able to steam roll this team with or with out the Gansta Bone Thug!Also The lack of a consistent running game have hurt the Ravens almost as much as their subpar QB play!

[DomCasual]

I don't wish injury on any player but hearing that he has a partially torn hammy and may be out for the season does give me some comfort about the game this week
That's going to seriously jeopardize their playoff hopes.

[maven]

Good. I'll take anything that positively helps Denver win on Sunday.

[-Slap-]

I don't wish injury on any player but hearing that he has a partially torn hammy and may be out for the season does give me some comfort about the game this week
I'm sorry to hear Ray Ray's leg is injured.

I'm sorry its not his spine.

[Northman]

Even with Ray Ray out the Ravens have been playing pretty good Defense. We just cant afford to overlook them.

[Orange_Beard]

Stick a kinfe in him, he is done.

[Moon§hiner]

Even with Ray Ray out the Ravens have been playing pretty good Defense. We just cant afford to overlook them.
My point exactly....I don't want Denver to overlook them in the least bit...I've seen trap game mentioned a few times this season and I wasn't buying....I do feel this is a trap game based on their struggles...they are an old nemesis that needs to be obliverated.

[bendog]

Some classic takes.

[jonny1]

After losing last week, there is no way this is a 'trap' game. If they had beaten the Chefs, then maybe they might be flat, but not now.

The team has to know that the only way to control what happens it to win out.

[watermock]

I had Beezer bite his ass...

Seriously, as much as I hate that guy, I don't wish injury...

[ludo21]

What i like is reading Broncos articles where the team is pissed!! Makes me feel good that they live and die with their losses and dont wanna feel that way again.

Now the should be able to take the Ravens to the woodshed!

Too bad for Ray Ray, i bet next year he comes out solid.

edit: Im gonna miss the dance after every tackle, tho.

[watermock]

It took every inch of will to wish ray ray well...I have none left...

[broncos love]

Is Ed Reed back in the lineup. I haven't paid no attention to them until now

[Bronco LB 59]

I'm sorry to hear Ray Ray's leg is injured.

I'm sorry its not his spine.

I was hoping to say hi to Ray Ray at the Downtown Denver Marriott this weekend.

[FADERPROOF]

When asked if he will play this season, Ravens' LB Ray Lewis replied,"I'm going to take a stab at it."

[ludo21]

When asked if he will play this season, Ravens' LB Ray Lewis replied,"I'm going to take a stab at it."


Hilarious!

Save this thread for the HOF!^5

[footstepsfrom#27]

;D ;D ;D What a crying shame...

[broncosteven]

Hilarious!

Save this thread for the HOF!^5


Cut it out! Your killing me!

[Moon§hiner]

When asked if he will play this season, Ravens' LB Ray Lewis replied,"I'm going to take a stab at it."
rofl good one

[BroncoBuff]

I guess we won't need that metal detector on the field checking for weapons...
LOL

[BroncoBuff]

As long as Ed Reed is in there, we have something to worry about. The guy is a ball hawk extraordinaire AND could score a TD or two himself. If we come out flat against this team, it may be curtains--they scored 29 against Cincy.

Sincerely,

Lou Holtz
rofl

"I shink the Ravensh have wunnuv thuh besht defenshive ballclubsh in the hishtury of the game of football. We'll be lucky to managsh one firsht down all game."

- Lou Holtz