The Ravens' ninth-ranked passing defense is going to miss two of its starters for the rest of the year, as safety **Dawan Landry** and cornerback **Chris McAlister** were officially placed on Injured Reserve Tuesday.
The roster move ups Baltimore's tally to 16 players on IR, the most in the AFC North.
There recently was a glimmer of hope that both Landry and McAlister could return at some point this season, but with the Ravens entering the second half of their schedule, a decision had to be made.
"If a guy is ready to come back in the near future, then you feel like you're willing to wait because you've got a good football player," said head coach **John Harbaugh** last week. "But at some point in time you've got to cut your losses and do something with the roster – bring a player in who can help you right now."
Landry had been sidelined since Week 3, when Cleveland Browns running back Jamal Lewis' knee hit him in the crown of his helmet. The three-year veteran was carted off the field strapped to a stretcher and diagnosed with a spinal cord concussion.
Landry wore a neck brace for one week around the Ravens locker room and expressed a desire for a comeback, but further tests from doctors indicated that he would need more time for recovery.
McAlister had been limited with a right knee injury dating back to last year. He started in five games this season and played in one more before he was made inactive in Baltimore's past three contests.
The three-time Pro Bowler saw doctors in Florida and Canada to seek different opinions.
McAlister leads the Ravens with three interceptions.
In their places, the Ravens will start cornerback **Fabian Washington** and safety **Jim Leonhard**. Baltimore is currently allowing only 193.0 passing yards per game.
The Ravens filled their two open roster spots with wideout Marcus Maxwell and linebacker **Robert McCune**.
Maxwell, 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, was a seventh-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2005. The Oregon product spent the 2007 campaign with the Cincinnati Bengals, but suffered a thigh injury this offseason and was eventually released.
McCune played in two games for the Ravens last year after being signed to the active roster in late December. The 6-foot, 245-pounder was waived on Aug. 30.
Across their division, the Ravens' IR list far outpaces their rivals. The Cincinnati Bengals are the next highest with 10 players on IR, while the Pittsburgh Steelers have nine and the Cleveland Browns have five.
