The Ravens have played well on special teams this season, but they lost a key member of that unit on Sunday.
Inside linebacker Otaro Alaka is expected to miss the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury against the Cincinnati Bengals. Alaka did not play a single snap on defense this season, but he was a mainstay on special teams whose playing time had been steadily increasing, from 48 percent of special teams snaps in Week 1, to a season-high 63 percent of special teams snaps in Week 4.
"It looks bad, he'll probably be out for the year, so we're very disappointed about that," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "He had been doing a really great job on special teams, he was really coming on."
Alaka made the 53-man roster last year as an undrafted free agent from Texas A&M. He spent most of the 2019 season on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury in September, and he also suffered a season-ending knee injury during his sophomore year in college. However, Alaka has always shown determination to bounce back.
"Just another adversity in his career," Harbaugh said. "It's part of his journey now and he's going to make the most of it."
The Ravens have two players with special teams experience who were inactive Sunday, Chris Moore and Justice Hill. Both may play a larger role on special teams with Alaka no longer available.
