Monroe, Osemele Both Doubtful
The Ravens may have to stick with their young offensive line for another week.
Starting left tackle Eugene Monroe (knee) and left guard Kelechi Osemele (knee) are both listed as doubtful after sitting out Friday's practice. That means undrafted rookie James Hurst will likely get his fourth-straight start at left tackle and fifth-round rookie John Urschel will start at left guard for the second week in a row.
Osemele was a limited participant in practice Wednesday and Thursday before sitting out Friday's session. Monroe, who underwent knee surgery last month, practiced in a limited capacity Thursday for the first time since having the surgery. He also sat out Friday.
Despite Monroe and Osemele's absence last week, the offensive line still had a strong game in a dominating overall performance by the offense, and the young linemen showed they can hold their ground with the veterans sidelined.
"They worked really hard, and I think the guys around them played hard," Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak said. "Usually when you have a young guy step in, it's about everybody else playing a little bit better, and so you have to give the whole group credit for the way they stepped up."
Rookie Jernigan Could Return, Provide Much-Needed Depth
The Ravens could get rookie defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan back in the lineup this week, which would come at a key time for the hobbled defensive front.
The second-round pick returned to practice for the first time since Week 2, and he is listed as probable after being a full participant all week.
"I felt good about everything throughout the week in practice, going in and out different drills and everything," Jernigan said Friday. "You will never play a game 100 percent healthy when you're playing football."
Jernigan's return would give the Ravens some much-needed reinforcements, as defensive end Chris Canty (wrist infection) and defensive tackle Christ Bilukidi (ankle) have both been ruled out after missing the entire week of practice.
Jernigan, who was one of the team's most impressive rookies during the preseason, can play multiple positions along the line. That versatility is important for a week where the Ravens are already shorthanded.
"In order to be dominant as a defensive front, you always have to have depth," Jernigan said. "If I come back out then I'd be able to provide that depth."
If Jernigan ends up not dressing Sunday, then more responsibility would fall on DeAngelo Tyson, Lawrence Guy and Pernell McPhee to take increased snaps.
Hill, Cody Could Both Play
A weekend roster move could be coming for the Ravens.
Safety Will Hill and defensive tackle Terrence Cody both returned to practice this week, and the Ravens could move them to the 53-man roster Saturday to make them eligible to play Sunday.
The Ravens would have to move Hill or Cody to the active roster by 4 p.m. Saturday in order for them to be eligible this week, and Head Coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens will likely wait until that deadline before announcing any kind of transaction.
"They're both capable of playing physically," Harbaugh said. "They're both ready. They had a good week of practice."
The Ravens would have to cut other players to make room for Cody or Hill, and Harbaugh indicated that the corresponding roster moves could have some bearing on whether the two defenders get moved to the active squad.
"It depends on some other things," he said. "There's a domino effect to some of that."
WRs Brown, Aiken Both Probable
The Ravens will likely have their full receiving corps available this week.
Wide receiver Marlon Brown (pelvis) is probable after missing last week's game. Kamar Aiken is also probable after suffering a concussion against the Buccaneers. Both players were full participants in practice during the week.
Having all six receivers able to play will create some tough decisions in terms of who makes the 46-man gameday roster. Rookie Michael Campanaro played his first game last week and caught a touchdown, and now he could have played his way into more snaps.
"It is very tough, because usually you suit five, and it gets down to special teams and those types of things and returners," Kubiak said. "But we have six very capable [wide receivers] right now."
The only other players listed on the injury report for the Ravens are linebacker Daryl Smith and tight end Owen Daniels, who are both probable after sitting out Thursday's practice for non-injury reasons.
WR Douglas Out For Falcons
The Falcons will be without veteran receiver Harry Douglas (foot) again this week, as he has officially been ruled out of Sunday's game.
Douglas was the biggest injury question for the Falcons coming into the week, as the rest of the players on Atlanta's injury report are all listed as probable.
The probable players include wide receivers Julio Jones (ankle) and Devin Hester (hamstring), linebacker Price Shembo (knee) and defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux.
