Getty Mark Ingram runs away from the Browns.
Amid a very solid day on the field, the Baltimore Ravens sustained a scare when Mark Ingram went down with what appeared to be a serious injury.
There is good news on the health of the star runner, however. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Ingram is in good shape to be ready for the playoffs with what’s being called a calf strain, and it might not be a stretch to see him coming back when the postseason gets underway in Baltimore next month.
Here’s a look at Rapoport’s latest update:
From NFL Now: The #Ravens got good news on RB Mark Ingram, who should be back on the field for the playoffs after straining his calf.
“He had an MRI today. This is a calf strain and sources say, after these tests, he has not been ruled out for the playoffs and in fact does have a good chance of being on the field when the Ravens return to it,” Rapoport said. “Of course Mark Ingram is not going to play Week 17. Not a surprise a lot of the Ravens won’t not play in Week 17, at least a lot of the key ones. There’s nothing to play for. It does sound like resting guys is something they are considering.”
As Rapoport added, Baltimore also has plenty of time to get Ingram back in shape ahead of the playoffs.
“They have 21 days until Mark Ingram has to be back on the football field,” he said. “That is a long time. It’s three weeks according to my math. And from what I am told there is a good chance that Ingram is back there, he just may not be 100%. As we’ve seen with T.Y. Hilton, the risk of re-aggravating a calf strain is there as well.”
That risk would be mitigated the better Ingram feels and the more rest he’s able to get. At the very least, this is positive injury news for the Ravens.
Ravens Clinch Important Bye With Win
With their 31-15 win over the Cleveland Browns, the Ravens have clinched home field advantage for the 2019 playoffs, which is a huge advantage for the team. That means all of the teams will have to come through M&T Bank Stadium if they want to advance in the playoffs.
Baltimore has secured the #1 seed in the AFC!
Now that the Ravens have locked up home field, the focus will become where everyone else will get slotted. Baltimore won’t have to worry about playing a game during the first weekend as they have now clinched themselves a bye week. As the top seed, Baltimore will also get to play the worst remaining seed after the first weekend of the postseason.
All of that could add up to be huge for the Ravens in terms of momentum and could be a significant advantage for the team. Another advantage is having this time to rest and heal for a key player such as Ingram. Safe to say the Ravens will take all the time they can to get him healed up.
Mark Ingram Ravens’ Top Free Agent Signing
Looking for an under the radar move that paid off in a big way for a team from last March? Look no further than Ingram, who left the New Orleans Saints and didn’t generate much interest elsewhere in the league. He eventually signed with the Ravens and the return on investment has been great for Baltimore. This season, Ingram has gone for 963 yards and 10 touchdowns, and has been a key cog in the rushing attack for the Ravens to grind out yardage.
Most might have figured Ingram was the component of his offense in New Orleans, but it’s clear he’s as good as they come at running back and also a phenomenal leader. If the Ravens manage to have playoff success, Ingram and his leadership will be a big reason why.
To that end, he was one of the true steals of free agency, and one of the reasons Baltimore needs him healthy in a big way for the postseason.
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