Ravens Still Scheduled to Play Steelers Despite Startling Number of COVID-19 Cases

Game was rescheduled for Tuesday night.

BALTIMORE — The Ravens have a distressing number of players who tested positive for COVID-19. 

Nonetheless, Baltimore is scheduled to play in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night after the game was already postponed twice. 

After wide receiver Willie Snead reportedly tested positive late Sunday night, the Ravens now have 23 players on the COVID-19 list, including 11 starters, seven players who made the Pro Bowl last season and reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. 

Baltimore is depleted on both sides of the ball and there is a chance this game could get out of control.

The Broncos were forced to play their Week 12 game against New Orleans with none of their active quarterbacks — Drew Lock, Blake Bortles, and Brett Rypien —because of COVID-19. Denver had to promote wide receiver Kendall Hinton from the practice to start at quarterback. 

“I got a call around 4:00 [Saturday] afternoon,” Hinton told Sports Illustrated. “And they let me know I was gonna be suiting up.”

Kendall, who did play quarterback at Wake Forest, completed 1 for 9 pass attempts for 13 yards with two interceptions in the 31-3 loss, 

Baltimore has a competent backup quarterback in Robert Griffin III, but he will have to play behind a makeshift offensive line against a fierce Steelers pass rush that leads the NFL with 38 sacks. 

The Ravens currently have six offensive linemen available for the game —tackle, Orlando Brown Jr., guard Bradley Bozeman, rookie center Trystan Colon-Castillo, rookie guards Ben Bredeson and Tyre Phillips and second-year guard Ben Powers.

Baltimore is dealing with the same challenges on the defensive line.

If the Ravens have any more positive tests the day prior to the game, the NFL could postpone the matchup. The NFL could create a Week 18 to play this game and others affected by the virus,

At this point, it's all about survival. 

The Ravens COVID list includes:

Offense

QB Lamar Jackson

QB Trace McSorley

RB Mark Ingram II

RB J.K. Dobbins

WR Willie Snead

TE Mark Andrews

C Patrick Mekari

C Matt Skura

FB Patrick Ricard

OL D.J. Fluker

T Will Holden

Defense

DT Brandon Williams

DE Calais Campbell

DE Jihad Ward

DT Justin Madubuike

OLB Jaylon Ferguson

OLB Pernell McPhee

OLB Matt Judon

DT Broderick Washington

CB Iman Marshall (IR)

CB Tavon Young (IR)

CB Khalil Dorsey (IR)

Special Teams

LS Morgan Cox