PITTSBURGH — It’s only fitting that a weird week, one that saw three postponements, the first NFL game of the season played on a Wednesday, and a revolving door of players from both teams on the reserve/COVID-19 list, ended with an even weirder game.
Still, just as the Pittsburgh Steelers have done all season, they somehow prevailed with a 19–14 victory to remain undefeated, narrowly escaping a short-handed Baltimore Ravens team playing with 10 practice squad players and two backup quarterbacks while their reigning MVP signal caller was unavailable on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
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It was a disjointed week of game-planning with the game first scheduled for Thanksgiving, then for Sunday night, then Tuesday night, then Wednesday afternoon — and the play reflected that.
Steelers receivers dropped five passes — including three in the red zone in the first half, the most for any team in a game over the past three seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The five drops matches the most for the team in the last 15 seasons, joining a 2019 game against the Rams and 2007 vs. the Browns.
The offense looked eerily similar to the group that couldn’t move the ball without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger a season ago. The Steelers were 2-of-6 on third down in the first half, and the offense couldn’t get into the end zone. The problems started early when they elected to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 2. Throwing under pressure, Roethlisberger was intercepted in the end zone, leaving the Steelers with no points to show for a possession that started when the Ravens fumbled on their first play of the drive and Vince Williams recovered it.
Even though the offense came up empty on that drive, the defense responded by putting points on the board with a 14-yard pick-six of Robert Griffin III by Joe Haden on the ensuing drive. Even Haden’s score wouldn’t be completely routine, though, as Chris Boswell missed the extra point to give the Steelers only a 6–0 lead.
From left, the Steelers’ Joe Haden, Avery Williamson and and Mike Hilton celebrate Haden’s interception return for a touchdown on Wednesday. Joe Sargent/Getty Images
With sacks from Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt, the Steelers’ defense kept them ahead for most of the game. But they gave up a 70-yard score on a pass from Trace McSorley to Marquise Brown late in the fourth quarter to pull the Ravens within five.
After Brown’s score, the Steelers were on the verge of giving the ball back to the Ravens when Roethlisberger completed a 16-yard pass to James Washington in traffic on third down. Despite triple coverage, Washington hauled the pass in and held on to it. Running back Benny Snell, taking the majority of the reps with James Conner on the reserve/COVID-19 list, followed it up with a 13-yard carry. Snell ran the ball three more times to pick up another first down and allow the Steelers to kneel out the rest of the game.
Though they pulled off an improbable win out of a sure-thing victory, the Steelers won’t be getting back to normal anytime soon. The Steelers have a short week to prepare for the Washington Football Team on Sunday.
JuJu dances on the Ravens after TD
Ben Roethlisberger connects with JuJu Smith-Schuster for the touchdown and JuJu breaks out the celebration dance.
QB breakdown: Roethlisberger completed 36-of-51 passes for 266 yards with one touchdown and an interception, but his numbers could have been much better if not for the five drops by by his receivers. Roethlisberger and the offense struggled mightly in the red zone, scoring zero touchdowns on their first three red-zone drives of the day. They scored a TD on 69% of their red-zone drives entering the day, seventh-best in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The three red-zone drives without a TD matches their most in a game this season.
Silver lining: When the Steelers needed a stop, they got one from Watt, the cornerstone of their defense. Clinging to a five-point lead in the third quarter, Watt had a tackle for loss of Gus Edwards on third down to end the Ravens’ first drive of the second half. He picked right up where he left off of their next possession, sacking Griffin as he came in untouched on second down for a loss of 9 yards. That helped force the Ravens to punt for the second time in the quarter. Watt’s sacks helped extend the Steelers’ sack streak, now at 68. One next week would match Tampa Bay’s long-held record of a 69-game sack streak.
Pivotal play: Sitting on the 1-yard line with seconds evaporating off the game clock before half, the Ravens ran Edwards up the middle toward the end zone. Edwards, though, didn’t gain any ground as Chris Wormley and Terrell Edmunds brought him down. Without a timeout to stop the clock, the Ravens had less than 26 seconds to run another play before half. The Steelers were slow to get up, stalling as the reset. What resulted was a frenzied final throw from Griffin on third down that nearly resulted in a touchdown to tight end Luke Wilson. But as he’s done frequently this season, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick made the clutch play in the end zone to break up the pass and preserve the Steelers’ 12–7 halftime lead.
Amid outbreak, depleted Ravens surprisingly hang tough before falling
Robert Griffin III showed at times the explosion that made him the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012, but it wasn’t enough against the Steelers. AP Photo/Don Wright
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One of the biggest COVID-19 outbreaks left the Baltimore Ravens without nine starters, seven Pro Bowl players and the reigning NFL MVP.
But the Ravens showed their decimated roster still had an unwavering amount of resolve.
Baltimore surprisingly kept it close with the NFL’s only undefeated team Wednesday night before falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 19–14, at Heinz Field.
The defense put the Ravens in position for the upset with three defiant stops in the red zone. But the offense couldn’t get enough out of the passing game with a hobbled Robert Griffin III to pull off the win.
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This wasn’t supposed to be a game that came down to the final minute of the game. The Ravens were without Lamar Jackson, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Thanksgiving. Baltimore had just two walkthrough practices over the past nine days. That’s why the Ravens were 10.5-point underdogs, tying the biggest point spread in head coach John Harbaugh’s 13 seasons.
But the Ravens’ defense intercepted Ben Roethlisberger in the end zone and held Pittsburgh to two field goals on the first three red-zone drives. It wasn’t until early in the fourth quarter that a worn-down Baltimore defense gave up its first touchdown and then couldn’t get the Steelers off the field in the final 2 1/2 minutes of the game.
The Ravens (6–5) have now lost three straight games for the first time since midway through the 2018 season. Baltimore, the two-time defending AFC North champion, has officially been eliminated from the division race.
Trace McSorley, who played at Penn State, threw his first NFL touchdown to Hollywood Brown in the fourth quarter against the Steelers. AP Photo/Don Wright
Still, the Ravens made the Steelers sweat even though they had seven Pro Bowl players on the reserve/COVID-19 list: Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews, defensive end Calais Campbell, outside linebacker Matthew Judon, running back Mark Ingram, fullback Patrick Ricard, and long-snapper Morgan Cox.
There is still playoff hope for Baltimore. The Ravens, who face only one more team with a winning record, still has a 77% chance of making the postseason.
Describe the game in two words. Near upset. Coming in for the injured Griffin, Trace McSorley threw his first touchdown — a 70-yarder to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to get the Ravens to 19–14 with 2:58 remaining. But the Ravens couldn’t get the ball back from the Steelers. It was an impressive effort by the Ravens, who had a projected 35.5% chance of winning by ESPN’s Football Power Index.
QB breakdown: In his second start in four seasons, Griffin struggled mightily in the passing game. He was 7-of-12 for 33 yards, the fewest of his 44 NFL starts. Griffin led the Ravens with 68 yards rushing, even though he injured his left hamstring in the second quarter. He was pulled midway in the fourth quarter and had his left hamstring heavily wrapped. Griffin got off to a rough start, who fumbled an exchange with running back Gus Edwards and threw a pick-six in the first seven offensive snaps of the game.
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Pivotal play: In the final minute of the first half, the Ravens drove to the Steelers’ 1-yard line and came away with no points. On second-and-goal, Edwards was stopped short of the end zone with 21 seconds remaining. The Steelers were slow getting off the pile, causing 18 seconds to tick off the clock before Baltimore was able to snap its next play with 3 seconds remaining. Instead of spiking the ball and take a field goal, Griffin floated the pass to tight end Luke Willson, who was unable to hold onto the ball in the end zone as the first half expired. Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who didn’t have any timeouts, had pointed at the officials for a delay of game penalty on the Steelers but didn’t get one as Baltimore went into halftime trailing 12–7.
Up next: Tuesday vs. the Dallas Cowboys, 8:05 p.m. Jackson is expected to return as the Ravens look to avoid their first four-game losing streak since 2016. Baltimore is 4–1 against teams with losing records this season.
Steelers’ Joe Haden picks off RG3 and takes it to the house
Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo
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Less than halfway through the first quarter of the long-awaited Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens meeting, the game is just as weird as one played at 3:40 p.m. on a Wednesday deserves to be.
But with two interceptions and a fumble between the two teams, it’s still the same physical defensive battle the Ravens and Steelers have been known to play. Like the first game between the two teams earlier this season, the Steelers scored their first points of the game on a pick-six.
This time, cornerback Joe Haden intercepted Robert Griffin III, playing in place of Lamar Jackson, who is on the COVID-19 list, at the Baltimore 14. He returned it to the end zone, picking up the first points of the game. It’s the second interception Griffin has thrown against the Steelers in as many games.
The Ravens obtained the possession when Ben Roethlisberger threw a pick in the end zone out of an empty set on fourth-and-goal from the one just a couple of plays earlier.
And, the Steelers gained that possession on a fumble by running back Gus Edwards on the handoff. It’s exactly the kind of weirdness we all deserve for a game delayed three times and kicking off late Wednesday afternoon to preserve the time of a tree lighting.
NFL defends decision to play Steelers-Ravens
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Ryan Clark calls for the Steelers to stomp out the Ravens from the first whistle in their game on Wednesday. (1:31)
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The NFL defended its decision to play a game Wednesday between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, saying it was confident that a COVID-19 outbreak among Ravens players and staff had concluded and posed no threat for further infection.
“We can say with confidence that there is no active infection among the players, coaches and staff on the Ravens sideline today,” NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said during a conference call two hours before kickoff.
All members of the Ravens’ traveling party returned negative results during rapid point-of-care tests Wednesday morning. Before that, however, the organization had produced 10 consecutive days of at least one positive test, including at least 14 players. The Ravens were set to take on the Steelers without quarterback Lamar Jackson, among many other key players.
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But Sills said the league had used its contact tracing tools, from electronic tracking devices to genomic sequencing to internal video, to project the Ravens’ likely course of the transmission based on close contacts of positive individuals. The league’s model came within one day of accurately predicting the end of the outbreak, Sills said.
“We can really drill down and understand, did the virus pass from Person A to Person B to Person C? Or are these separate strains of transmission that come out of the community?” Sills said. “We take all the pieces of the puzzle together to continue to assemble a more clear picture of the outbreak. … We’ve also used a guiding principle of when it’s safe to resume and consider playing games, and that is when we know that transmission is understood to have stopped and that we don’t have concerns about ongoing individuals turning positive or being at risk. We’ve done that consistently throughout this outbreak with Baltimore.”
Commissioner Roger Goodell, meanwhile, called it a “remarkable achievement” for the league to have made it through 12 of its 17 regular-season weeks without canceling a game. He said the league’s “collective goal” is to complete the season and added “we are on a path to do that” despite rising infection rates around the country. The league continues to discuss its options for the playoffs, including the possibility of modified local bubbles for teams that advance. Goodell has ruled out a conventional bubble that would put the league under one roof.
Speaking for the first time since he refused to delay Sunday’s game between the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos, for which all four Broncos quarterbacks were placed in COVID-19 isolation, Goodell reiterated that the league will not take competitive implications into account.
“Health and medical decisions have and always will take precedence over competitive considerations and business interest,” he said.
Three Broncos quarterbacks were classified as “high-risk” close contacts of quarterback Jeff Driskel — who returned a positive test last Thursday — because they did not consistently wear masks or maintain social distance during a gathering at the team facility two days before. Sills has credited the “high-risk” classification for reducing the spread of infection in team facilities, and according to Goodell, more than 20 high-risk players, coaches or staffers have tested positive for COVID-19 while in isolation.
Sills said that policy, as well as another that has placed all 32 teams into “intensive” protocols, has helped lower daily positivity rates. A total of 156 people returned positive tests between Nov. 15–28, an average of 11.1 per day, according to NFL data. But in the past three days, Sills said, there have been a total of 10 confirmed positive tests around the league.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ Maurkice Pouncey placed on COVID-19 list
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Ryan Clark calls for the Steelers to stomp out the Ravens from the first whistle in their game on Wednesday. (1:31)
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PITTSBURGH — After three postponements, Wednesday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens is officially on, but the Steelers won’t have a key member of their offensive line.
Veteran center Maurkice Pouncey was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list just hours before the game, the team announced.
Without Pouncey, the team will turn to center JC Hassenauer to start in his place. The Alabama product has played center primarily in cleanup minutes this season, and he’s taken special-teams reps in every game.
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Pouncey is the fourth Steeler on the current list, along with James Conner, Stephon Tuitt and Jerald Hawkins.
Though the Steelers lost Pouncey, they did get back special-teams coordinator Danny Smith, who was out with an illness designation on Saturday. He was cleared to return to coach against the Ravens. Quarterbacks coach Matt Canada, who was out with the same designation, has also been cleared to return.
From Robert Griffin III to Dez Bryant: Meet the Ravens’ outbreak replacements
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Adam Schefter explains that the Ravens vs. Steelers start time of 3:40 p.m. ET on Wednesday is due to the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting. (0:34)
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The Baltimore Ravens will play at the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday afternoon because of 10 days of positive tests for COVID-19, three postponements and the Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center.
This is so 2020. Actually, it’s more like 2012.
Instead of Lamar Jackson throwing passes to Mark Andrews, a national television audience (3:40 ET, NBC) will watch Robert Griffin III tossing the ball to Dez Bryant. It was eight years ago when Griffin was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Bryant caught 92 passes. Now, they’re being asked to step up and help the Ravens upset the NFL’s only undefeated team.
Robert Griffin III, who has started just four games in the last two seasons, will try to rekindle his 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year magic against the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire
One of the largest outbreaks in professional sports has decimated the Baltimore roster. The Ravens currently have 17 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, which includes six Pro Bowl players and the reigning NFL MVP in Jackson.
“It’s never about who’s not playing,” Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon said at the start of the outbreak before he tested positive. “It’s always about who is playing.”
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So, who exactly is playing for Baltimore?
The Ravens will have 11 different starters from their season-opening game. Baltimore called up 10 practice squad players just 90 minutes before kickoff to fill out their 48-man game-day roster
Here is the game-day roster:
Quarterback: Griffin, Trace McSorley, Tyler Huntley (practice squad). Griffin, 30, makes his second start in four years. In last season’s finale, he knocked off the Steelers with a less-than-stellar performance while many Ravens starters rested. Griffin was 11-of-21 for 96 yards and one interception. If McSorley is unable to play, the primary backup is Huntley, an undrafted rookie who went 23–10 at Utah. With no preseason games this year, Huntley has yet to take a snap in an NFL game.
Running back: Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Ty’Son Williams (PS). J.K. Dobbins, Mark Ingramwere not activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list after having not practiced since testing positive on Nov. 22. The expectation is Edwards will get the start and will be backed up by Hill, a seldom-used 2019 fourth-round pick, and Williams, who was just elevated off the practice squad. Edwards has totaled 217 yards rushing in his past two games against Pittsburgh.
With the Ravens missing 16 players and the wide receiver corps underperforming, could Dez Bryant be Baltimore’s X factor? Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Wide receiver: Marquise Brown, Bryant, Miles Boykin, Devin Duvernay, James Proche. One of worst-producing wide receiver groups lost its most consistent player, Willie Snead, who tested positive over the weekend. Brown, who was supposed to Baltimore’s №1 wide receiver, has totaled six catches in the past four games. Bryant led all Ravens wide receivers last game with four receptions for 28 yards. Could Bryant become Baltimore’s X factor?
Tight end: Luke Willson (PS), Sean Culkin (PS), Eric Tomlinson (PS). The Ravens lost their top two tight ends, Andrews (tested positive) and Nick Boyle (season-ending knee injury), over the past two weeks, along with their Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard (tested positive). That leaves Baltimore with three practice squad tight ends who have combined for 10 catches over the past two seasons.
Offensive line: Orlando Brown Jr., Tyre Phillips, Bradley Bozeman, Ben Powers, D.J. Fluker, Trystan Colon-Castillo, Ben Bredeson, Jake Rodgers, R.J. Prince (PS). The Ravens’ top two centers, Patrick Mekari and Matt Skura, are on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Baltimore’s options to replace them are either Bozeman, who has never started an NFL game at center, or Colon-Castillo, an undrafted rookie who has yet to play one NFL snap. Either way, this will mark the sixth different starting offensive line combination this season.
Baltimore will be missing three starters off the defensive line, leaving Derek Wolfe as the lone Raven with experience. Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire
Defensive line: Derek Wolfe, Yannick Ngakoue, Justin Ellis, Broderick Washington, Aaron Crawford (PS). This has been the position hardest hit by the coronavirus. Three defensive linemen, including Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell, are on the reserve/COVID-19 list. With Brandon Williams ruled out due to an ankle injury, that leaves Wolfe as the only remaining starter, along with a former Raiders fourth-round pick (Ellis) and a rookie fifth-round pick (Washington) who has played 46 snaps this season.
Outside linebacker: Jaylon Ferguson, Tyus Bowser, Aaron Adeoye (PS), Chauncey Rivers (PS). Baltimore is without its two leaders in quarterback hits, Judon (17) and Pernell McPhee (11), both of whom are on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Bowser and Ferguson, who have combined for 13 quarterback hits, will replace them. The bigger issue is whether they can set the edge like Judon and McPhee do against the run.
Inside linebacker: Patrick Queen, L.J. Fort, Malik Harrison, Chris Board, Kristian Welch. This position was unaffected by the outbreak.
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Cornerback: Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Jimmy Smith, Tramon Williams, Davontae Harris. The only concern is whether Smith, who is questionable with ankle and back injuries, will play. It’s injuries, not the coronavirus, that have taken a toll on this position. Baltimore has five cornerbacks on injured reserve.
Safety: Chuck Clark, DeShon Elliott, Anthony Levine, Jordan Richards. Rookie safety Geno Stone tested positive Tuesday. He has played two games this season and played only on special teams.
Special teams: Justin Tucker (K), Sam Koch (P) and Nick Moore (LS/PS). This marks the first time in six years that Morgan Cox, who is on the reserve/COVID-19 list, will not be Baltimore’s long-snapper. The Ravens made a smart move carrying Moore, a former member of the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers, on the practice squad all season.
Steelers should dominate a COVID-19 depleted Ravens squad
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Adam Schefter explains that the Ravens vs. Steelers start time of 3:40 p.m. ET on Wednesday is due to the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting. (0:34)
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Ravens (6–4) at Steelers (10–0)
3:40 p.m. ET | NBC
Matchup rating: 90.1 | Spread: PIT -10 (41.5)
What to watch for: The Ravens were able to run all over Pittsburgh earlier this month, and with the game delayed an extra day, the Ravens’ run game will be back at almost full-strength with Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins expected to be removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday. But without Lamar Jackson, who remains on the COVID-19 list, the Ravens’ offense will undoubtedly look a little different. But the Steelers are plenty familiar with his replacement, Robert Griffin III as he was the last quarterback to beat the Steelers, dating all the way back to last year’s season finale. Look for the Steelers to dial up the pressure and make him uncomfortable — something that could be even more effective after an extended break for the Ravens. — Brooke Pryor
Ravens coach John Harbaugh shakes hands with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin after Baltimore’s 22–20 win. Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Bold prediction: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will throw four touchdown passes. Since 2013, he is 4–1 against the Ravens at Heinz Field, throwing 13 touchdowns and three interceptions (104.0 passer rating). And in Baltimore’s four losses this season, the defense has given up 10 touchdown passes and recorded one interception. — Jamison Hensley
Stat to know: The Steelers are the 14th team since the 16-game schedule was introduced (1978) to start with a 10–0 record, and only one of those teams finished with fewer than 13 wins (the 2015 Patriots went 12–4). Pittsburgh can clinch a playoff spot in Week 12 with a victory Thursday and losses by the Raiders and Dolphins on Sunday. It would match the earliest clinching since the playoffs expanded to 12 teams in 1990 (now 14 teams), but only one of the six teams that clinched a spot in Week 12 has gone on to win the Super Bowl (Washington in 1991).
What to know for fantasy: Baltimore wide receiver Marquise Brown has seen his fantasy point total decline in each of his past five games. See Week 12 rankings.
Betting nugget: Pittsburgh is 8–2 ATS this season, the best mark in the NFL. Read more.
Hensley’s pick: Steelers 24, Ravens 3
Pryor’s pick: Steelers 30, Ravens 14
FPI prediction: PIT, 53.8% (by an average of 1.3 points)
Thanksgiving Day throwback: A 2013 matchup — the only other such meeting between these teams on Thanksgiving — ended with a failed game-tying 2-point conversion attempt for Pittsburgh, resulting in a 22–20 Ravens win. But the game is remembered for a 73-yard kickoff return. Baltimore returner Jacoby Jones sprinted up the left side and appeared destined to take it to the house, but he nearly ran into Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who was very close to the field of play. Jones didn’t score, and the drive ended with a field goal. Tomlin was fined $100,000 for the incident.
Matchup must-reads: Ravens reeling after a week of COVID-19 positive tests. … Comeback player of year? Steelers’ Roethlisberger also making push for first MVP … A Thanksgiving trip: Revisiting Steelers-Ravens and Mike Tomlin’s sideline sidestep in 2013 … How good are the Steelers? Ranking Pittsburgh against other 10–0 teams
Inside the outbreak: The latest in the Ravens’ COVID-19 saga
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Adam Schefter announces the NFL has decided to move the Ravens-Steelers to Wednesday amid COVID-19 concerns. (2:04)
Dec 2, 2020
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — One of the biggest outbreaks in sports has decimated the Baltimore Ravens’ roster and postponed one of the NFL’s best rivalries three times.
The Ravens have gone from a preseason Super Bowl favorite to the face of the NFL’s tumultuous and unpredictable 2020 season after at least a dozen players, including the reigning NFL MVP in Lamar Jackson, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Week 12. The Ravens had as many as 20 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including seven Pro Bowl players from last season and accounted for 85 starts this season.
As of Tuesday morning, Baltimore had 10 straight days of positive tests. The coronavirus has spread throughout the organization, infecting players, coaches and support staff. There are at least 30 members of the organization who have either tested positive or were identified as a high-risk close contact, a source said.
The Ravens’ Week 12 game against the rival Steelers, which was originally scheduled for Thanksgiving night, has been moved to Sunday to Tuesday to Wednesday.
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Here’s a look at how one of the toughest weeks in the Ravens’ franchise history unfolded and where it currently stands:
Wednesday, Dec. 2: The Ravens were tested in the morning, just hours before kickoff. All tests were negative, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. So Baltimore will play a game that was originally scheduled for Thanksgiving. This ended 10 straight days of at least one Ravens player testing positive. At least 14 Baltimore players have tested positive during that time, including seven Pro Bowl players.
Tuesday, Dec. 1: Rookie safety Geno Stone tested positive along with an equipment manager, according to a source. The Ravens learned of the latest positive tests just before traveling to Pittsburgh. The team reduced the number of players on its reserve/COVID-19 list for the first time since its outbreak began on Nov. 22. Baltimore activated four players: NT Brandon Williams, QB Trace McSorley and injured CBs Tavon Young and Khalil Dorsey. The Ravens now have 16 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Monday: Nov. 30: The Ravens had their 9:30 a.m. morning practice canceled by the NFL a day before their scheduled game in Pittsburgh, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The league was awaiting results of the latest tests before allowing the players to practice, a source added. The Ravens waited most of the day not knowing whether they would practice again that afternoon and board a plane to play the NFL’s only undefeated team. The day ended with the game between AFC North rivals getting moved for the third time in six days. Baltimore hasn’t had a full team practice since Nov. 20, a span of 10 days.
The Ravens issued a statement about the latest postponement:
“As we continue to follow the advice of the NFL’s health experts, as well as the Ravens’ medical professionals, we are preparing for our game against the Steelers.
This evening, we hosted a safely distanced walk-through/conditioning session at the Under Armour Performance Center. Players arrived already prepared to work out on the field, and they did not enter the locker room or training room.
We intend to hold another walk-through session on Tuesday, in preparation for traveling to Pittsburgh Tuesday evening.”
Sunday, Nov. 29: Snead IV tested positive. He was the seventh starter on the Baltimore offense to either test positive or get identified as a high-risk close contact. This marked the eighth straight day of at least one positive test for the Ravens.
Saturday, Nov. 28: Two Pro Bowl players, Andrews and Judon, tested positive. Andrews is one of two current NFL players with Type 1 diabetes. The Ravens placed six more players on the reserve/COVID-19 list: Holden, LB Jaylon Ferguson, OT D.J. Fluker, DT Broderick Washington, CB Khalil Dorsey and CB Tavon Young. The Ravens have placed 18 players on the list in the past six days.
Friday, Nov. 27: The Week 12 game between the Ravens and Steelers is moved from Sunday to Tuesday. Further, Baltimore is now scheduled to play host to the Cowboys at 5 p.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 7. Will Holden, a practice squad player who suited up for the Ravens’ last game, tested positive. It’s the sixth straight day of at least one positive test.
Reigning MVP Lamar Jackson this week became the highest-profile player to test positive for COVID-19. The Ravens believe he contracted it during the game against Tennessee last weekend. Rob Carr/Getty Images
Thursday, Nov. 26: The Ravens’ outbreak creates its biggest headline when Jackson tested positive. He is among the four latest Ravens players to test positive, along with a staff member, a source said. The Ravens believe Jackson was infected Sunday, when he took snaps from Mekari during the game and was in close contact with Dobbins and Ingram because his locker is right next to theirs, a source said. Under league rules, Jackson will quarantine for 10 days, which means he would miss Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh, as well as Thursday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.
In a span of five days, Baltimore has had 12 players test positive. Ravens coach John Harbaugh told his players they wouldn’t return to the team facility until Monday at the earliest in the interest of team safety.
“We just want to contain this outbreak! Speaking from experience … you don’t want to catch COVID!,” Campbell wrote on Twitter. “This virus is brutal! I pray no one else has to go thru this. This is bigger than football.”
Wednesday, Nov. 25: At 12:50 p.m. ET, the NFL announced that the Thursday night game between the Ravens and the undefeated Steelers was being moved to Sunday afternoon. This decision comes 31 hours before the scheduled kickoff. It has since been moved again, to Tuesday night.
That evening, the Ravens released a one-sentence statement that a staff member was disciplined “for conduct surrounding the recent COVID-19 cases that have affected players and staff at the Ravens.” A source confirmed this was the strength and conditioning coach who had tested positive last week and didn’t follow league COVID-19 protocols.
Defensive end Jihad Ward, who was expected to replace McPhee (who is on the reserve/COVID-19 list), tested positive. He is the eighth Ravens player to get infected. A position coach as well as a support staff member also tested positive.
Tuesday, Nov. 24: The team facility is shut down a second time at noon. By that time, the Ravens had already conducted meetings and another on-field workout, a source confirmed.
At this point, the Ravens were still scheduled to leave the next day for Pittsburgh for their Thanksgiving night game at Heinz Field. The team had chartered an extra plane to increase social distancing.
Then, three more players — defensive end Calais Campbell, starting center Patrick Mekari and backup center Matt Skura — tested positive. There’s also a report that third-string quarterback Trace McSorley, who was already on the list after being identified as a close contact last week, also tested positive. That brings Baltimore’s positive tests for players to seven.
J.K. Dobbins was one of 12 Ravens players who tested positive for COVID-19 this week. Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Monday, Nov. 23: The Ravens’ team facility is closed in the morning, but the NFL authorized Baltimore to reopen in the afternoon. After virtual team and position-group meetings, the team conducted a walk-through during which everyone wore masks.
“We all knew that us playing football would put us at a bigger risk,” Judon said after the walk-through. “We knew we [could] obviously get the virus, and we all knew that this wasn’t something to be played around with.”
Outside linebacker Pernell McPhee, who always ended his media sessions this season by saying, “Stay positive, test negative,” becomes the third player this week to test positive. Nose tackle Brandon Williams is identified as a “high-risk” close contact and is put on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Sunday, Nov. 22: Running backs J.K. Dobbins and Ingram tested positive for COVID-19 just hours after the Ravens’ emotional 30–24 overtime loss to the Titans. These are the first reported cases of the week involving Ravens players in what would become one of the largest outbreaks in the league.
Thursday, Nov. 19: A strength and conditioning coach for the Ravens tested positive, according to a source. He didn’t report symptoms and didn’t always wear a mask inside the team facility, the source added. To make matters worse, the coach didn’t wear his tracing device at all times, which made it more difficult to determine “high-risk” close contacts.
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NFL playoff picture 2020: Week 12 standings, bracket, scenarios and outlook for the postseason
Dec 1, 2020
- Kevin SeifertESPN Staff Writer
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The NFL just moved through one of the most eventful weekends in recent memory, as it managed a COVID-19 outbreak in Baltimore, the sudden loss of all four quarterbacks in Denver and the unexpected three-week closure of the 49ers’ stadium and practice facility. The league’s playoff picture, meanwhile, remained remarkably unchanged.
The most notable development was entirely expected: The Jacksonville Jaguars were eliminated from postseason contention after losing at home to the Browns. With five weeks left in the season, here is a closer look at where things stand in the 2020 playoff picture, using ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) for context when appropriate.
AFC
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (11–0)
FPI chances to make playoffs: 99.9%
FPI chances to win division: 97.4%
The Steelers were originally scheduled to play the third game of Week 12, but thanks to three separate COVID-19 delays, they ended up playing the last. Their closer-than-expected victory over the depleted Ravens allowed them to maintain the top spot in the AFC — a loss would have pushed them to the №2 spot! — but they did not yet clinch a playoff spot.
Up next: vs. Washington
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Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers game postponed again, to Wednesday at 3:40 p.m. ET
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Adam Schefter announces the NFL has decided to move the Ravens-Steelers to Wednesday amid COVID-19 concerns. (2:04)
Dec 1, 2020
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The COVID-19 outbreak in Baltimore has led to the Ravens-Steelers game being postponed to Wednesday.
The game is scheduled to kick off at 3:40 p.m. ET. It becomes the first game of the NFL season to get postponed three times. The game is kicking off at 3:40 p.m. because NBC, which is broadcasting the game, wanted to honor its commitment to broadcast the 88th Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Wednesday night, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
With the latest postponement, the Steelers’ Week 13 game on Sunday against the Washington Football Team will now be played Monday at 5 p.m. ET, and the Ravens’ Week 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys, which had already been moved once to Dec. 7, will now be played Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 8:05 p.m. ET.
While the Steelers-Washington game was pushed to Monday, the Ravens’ game against the Cowboys was pushed to Tuesday because of scheduling, a league source told ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
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“These decisions were made out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts,” the NFL said in a statement.
The Steelers preferred to play the Ravens this week, rather than postponing to later in the season, like a Week 18 game, because of the “can of worms” that could open, sources told Pryor. The Steelers were also in favor of pushing the Sunday game against the Washington Football Team to Monday for an added day of rest, sources said.
The Week 12 game between the Ravens and Steelers that was originally scheduled for Thanksgiving night — and was moved to Sunday and then Tuesday night — was shifted for the third time. This will mark the NFL’s first game on Wednesday since the 2012 season opener between the Cowboys and New York Giants, which was scheduled for that day to avoid a conflict with President Barack Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday.
The latest postponement came after the Ravens players said Monday in a teleconference meeting that they did not want to play Tuesday because of concerns over safety. Baltimore had another positive test on Monday, making it nine straight days with at least one player testing positive. The source added that one suggestion from the players was to move the game to Thursday, but the NFL compromised by shifting it to Wednesday.
The Ravens practiced Tuesday after holding a walkthrough on Monday evening, a source told ESPN. Baltimore hadn’t had a full practice since Nov. 20, a span of 11 days. The source added that the plan remains for Baltimore to travel to Pittsburgh later Tuesday.
The Steelers, meanwhile, aren’t hitting a total reset on their usual pregame schedule. They held their usual Saturday walkthrough on Monday morning, and while they held a light walkthrough Tuesday morning, it wasn’t the usual day-before schedule, a source told Pryor.
The team was also expected to hold a few meetings Tuesday before going to the team hotel Tuesday night.
On Tuesday, the Steelers announced that quarterbacks coach Matt Canada (illness) has been cleared to return to the building and will coach in Wednesday’s game. The coaching staff, though, is still short-handed with special teams coordinator Danny Smith (illness) out.
For the Ravens, Monday was perhaps the strangest day in what has been one of the most challenging weeks in franchise history. Players had reported to the team facility about a half hour before the scheduled 9:30 a.m. practice when the NFL canceled it to wait for the latest test results, a source said. The Ravens waited most of the day not knowing whether they would practice again that afternoon and board a plane to play the NFL’s only undefeated team. The day ended with the game between AFC North rivals getting moved for the third time in six days.
Baltimore is in the midst of one of the largest outbreaks in professional sports. The Ravens have had 22 players test positive or get identified as a high-risk close contact over the past nine days.
At least a dozen Ravens players have tested positive, including reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, along with five Pro Bowl players: defensive end Calais Campbell, tight end Mark Andrews, outside linebacker Matthew Judon, running back Mark Ingram and fullback Patrick Ricard.
The Ravens still have 20 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Baltimore added four players (Andrews, Judon, wide receiver Willie Snead IV and cornerback Terrell Bonds) and removed four players (outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson, offensive lineman D.J. Fluker, cornerback Iman Marshall and defensive tackle Broderick Washington). Marshall will revert to injured reserve.
Running backs JK Dobbins and Ingram will be eligible to play Wednesday but 13 Ravens players, including Jackson, will remain on the reserve/COVID-19 list, a source told Schefter.
As of Monday evening, the Ravens have 38 players on their 53-man roster after guard Tyre Phillips (shoulder) was activated off injured reserve and cornerback Davontae Harris was officially signed.
Monday’s round of Ravens tests produced one new positive result, but it’s a player on injured reserve who hasn’t had close contact with anyone else, a source told ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
The only other game this season that had previously been postponed twice was a Week 5 game between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots. Positive coronavirus tests in New England pushed that game from Oct. 11 to Oct. 12 before it was played on Oct. 18.
The Ravens-Steelers game becomes the second Wednesday game in the NFL since 1948. The last one before the 2012 season opener was Sept. 22, 1948, when the Los Angeles Rams played the Detroit Lions.
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