On Thursday night the Pittsburgh Steelers will visit the Baltimore Ravens to kick off Week 2 of the NFL. Baltimore has only two players on their injury report, but one of them is cornerback LarDarius Webb, who they'll need in their must-win divisional matchup.
Webb missed the season opener on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals because of a lower back injury that sidelined him for the entire preseason. A source told the Baltimore Sun that the cornerback is pain-free and that his long-term outlook is positive, as he's still regaining his mobility and flexibility. Webb was a full participant in practice last week and also this week, but he's still listed as questionable on the injury report.
However, he told reporters on Wednesday that he's ready to play against the Steelers. The team is being cautious with him because he underwent sports hernia surgery after the 2013 season and has since experienced issues with his abdomen and hip flexors. He also had a major operation in 2012 after suffering a torn ACL during Week 6 of that year. If Webb plays tonight, it will be a huge help for the Ravens secondary, which surrendered 131 yards and the game-winning touchdown to Bengals' star wide receiver A.J. Green in Sunday's 23-16 loss. Andy Dalton also passed for 301 yards.
As for Pittsburgh, they have 16 players on their injury report, but 14 of them are expected to be ready for action. They'll be without wide receiver Lance Moore (groin) and rookie wide receiver/running back Dri Archer (ankle). The team's best players - Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, LeVeon Bell, Heath Miller and Troy Polamalu - are all listed as probable.
The two teams have split the last 12 meetings dating back to 2009, with the Steelers compiling a 4-3 record at home and the Ravens a 3-2 record at home. Tonight should make for an interesting matchup because each will face their second division opponent in Week 2. The Ravens haven't dropped back-to-back games at home under John Harbaugh, and the last time it happened was in 2007 under Brian Billick.
Tune into CBS tonight at 8:00 p.m. for Thursday Night Football.
