The Ravens will get Ray Rice back in the lineup this week.
The Pro Bowl running back will return after missing last week's game because of a hip flexor strain. Rice was a limited participant in practice all week, and he indicated that he made steady improvement by getting back on the practice field.
Rice told reporters Friday that if he played against Buffalo he anticipated a normal workload distribution between him and Bernard Pierce.
"We usually go as long as the game flow goes," Rice said. "I don't think anything would change. That's how we split our reps in practice."
In addition to getting Rice back, the Ravens will also have veteran defensive lineman Chris Canty back on the field. Canty sat out last week because of a groin injury suffered in Week 2, and he was also limited in practice all week. Canty is expected to get the start at defensive end.
While Rice and Canty are active, the offense will be without wide receiver Brandon Stokley. The veteran wideout first appeared on the injury report Friday with a groin injury and he will miss his first game of the season. Stokley has been a valuable third-down target for quarterback Joe Flacco in the early part of* *the season.
The other inactive players for the Ravens are nose tackle Terrence Cody (knee), wide receiver Jacoby Jones (knee), offensive linemen Ryan Jensen (foot) and Jah Reid, linebacker Arthur Brown (chest) and safety Jeromy Miles.
Cody was hurt last week and was expected to miss this week's game, and Brown is still recovering from a pectoral injury he suffered in Week 2.
With Stokley and Cody out, the Ravens will have receiver Deonte Thompson and defensive lineman Brandon Williams make their regular-season debuts. Thompson suffered a foot injury in the preseason opener and Williams had a toe injury at the end of the preseason. Sunday will be Williams' NFL debut.
For the Bills, the inactives are kicker Dustin Hopkins, cornerbacks Leodis McKelvin, Ron Brooks and Stephon Gilmore, safety Jairus Byrd, offensive lineman Doug Legursky and wide receiver Marquise Goodwin.
The injuries in the secondary are significant for Buffalo, as McKelvin, Gilmore and Byrd are all starters. Buffalo will now have backups at both cornerback positions and free safety.
