Getty Calais Campbell
The New England Patriots won’t have to deal with arguably the Baltimore Ravens’ best defensive player on Sunday night. All-Pro defensive end Calais Campbell has been ruled out.
Follow the Heavy on Patriots Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors, and content!
Calais Campbell Out, Broderick Washington Likely to Start in His Place
With Campbell out with a calf injury, the Ravens are likely to turn to Derek Wolfe, Justin Ellis, and rookie Justin Madubuike to pick up the slack. Rookie defensive lineman Broderick Washington might also see some action.
The 23-year-old has played in four games this season with one tackle, so he’ll be pressed into more action than he’s seen throughout the first nine weeks combined. That combination of talent figures to struggle to make up for what the team will lose without the 34-year-old Campbell.
The five-time Pro-Bowler, All-Pro, and member of the NFL’s All-2010 team is likely on his way to the Hall of Fame, and the Patriots should consider themselves fortunate to not have to wrangle with him in the trenches this week. The Ravens will also be without all-world offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley. Things could get interesting.
One Ravens Defensive Star Will Be Back on the Field
While Campbell is out, another of the Ravens’ top stars will be returning to the lineup. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey has been removed from the COVID-9/Reserved List and has been activated for the Week 10 clash with the Patriots.
Expect Humphrey to get a heavy dose of Jakobi Meyers, who has emerged as the Patriots’ top passing threat. New England should have N’Keal Harry back, though he’s still listed as questionable for the game, so that could create a conundrum for the Ravens in coverage. Humphrey is arguably the Ravens’ top cover corner, but close behind him is Jimmy Ward.
However, Ward has been deemed doubtful for Sunday night’s game. Baltimore doesn’t have tremendous depth at corner, so if the Patriots can get some production out of their receivers on Sunday night, it could go a long way.
Patriots’ Injury Report is Packed
The Ravens aren’t the only team hurting ahead of this game. The Patriots have a total of 17 players on the injury report currently. All of them are listed as questionable. The Ravens are still favored to win behind reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson, but we’re beginning to hear some whispers of an upset win by the Patriots.
USA Today’s Henry McKenna seems to believe the Patriots are in a position to get the much-needed win. He wrote:
The New England Patriots have a real shot at upsetting the Baltimore Ravens in Week 10. As ugly as the Patriots’ win over the New York Jets was in Week 9, it was a get-right game for Cam Newton, who had one of his best games of the season, and for New England’s run defense, which also had a great game. Admittedly, it was the Jets. They’re awful. So a good performance gets taken with a grain of salt. But Lamar Jackson admitted defenses have been calling out the Ravens plays before they’re running them. So if it knows what’s coming, New England’s defense should find a way to defend Baltimore. (It worked during the Spygate era.) If the Patriots run defense continues to step up, Newton just has to play mistake-free football. That should be enough for the Patriots to win their game on Sunday night.
We shall see.
Also Read:
- Video-Game Good QB Prospect Projected to Patriots in Recent Mock Draft
- Bucs Next Head Coach Could Be Valuable Member of Patriots Staff
- Outspoken Potential Patriots QB Prospect Comments on Cam Newton
- Lamar Jackson Comments on Cam Newton Ahead of Week 10 Clash
- Patriots Get Huge Returns to Practice For Week 10 vs. Ravens