Injuries to key Ravens defenders continue to pile up.
Safety Ed Reed told Glenn Younes on 105.7 The Fan last night that he has a labrum tear in his shoulder. Reed is playing through the pain, but acknowledged potential negative effects.
"Is it affecting my game? Maybe," Reed said, per Jerry Coleman.
He didn't reveal which shoulder is injured, or when the injury occurred.
"There's one problem: The Ravens didn't list him on the injury report, which is a violation of league rules," wrote ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "So either the Ravens chose not to disclose the injury or Reed isn't really that hurt."
Tackling has been an issue for the Ravens defense, and Reed is not exempt from that problem. He had some big hits at the start of the season and particularly against New England, but that has changed recently, particularly in the Ravens' 31-29 win over the Cowboys.
If Reed is legitimately injured, Hensley believes he shouldn't be playing and needs to take the time to get healthy. A normal labrum tear, which Reed may or may not have, can take about six weeks to heal, possibly longer, according to CBSSports.com.
The timing couldn't be much worse, as the Ravens just lost linebacker Ray Lewis and cornerback Lardarius Webb for likely the whole season. The question is whether an unhealthy All-Pro makes the team more or less vulnerable than his backup, Sean Considine.
"[T]he Ravens need a healthy Reed. They need an aggressive Reed," Hensley wrote. "They need the Reed who was physical against the New England Patriots when he broke up a touchdown pass in the end zone with a hit. Reed wasn't that player on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. There were times when Reed tried to push players out of bounds instead of tackling them, which allowed the Cowboys to pick up extra yards.
"If Reed chooses to continue playing, he can't be as ineffective as he was Sunday. The Ravens need all 11 players swarming to the ball when they play the Houston Texans, who have the sixth-best run offense in the league."
