Kyle

Hamilton

Hamilton was a surprise addition to the injury report on Friday, being listed as a limited participant because of the ankle issue. Per Rapoport, Hamilton will still need to go through a pre-game workout before the team makes a final call on his status. The standout defensive back has 87 tackles, seven pass breakups, and one sack this year.

It’s a surprise listing and comes with a Friday limited session. Hamilton would be a huge absence for the Ravens defense if he can’t push through this listing and play on Sunday night. We’d tentatively tag him as a true game-time decision.

Head coach John Harbaugh had announced both Bateman and Hamilton to be full participants on Tuesday, but the team’s official injury report has them listed as limited participants. It’s not the first time Harbaugh and the Ravens have had discrepancies in practice reporting, but we’ll take the official limited listing as the truth for now. Bateman opens the week with back-to-back limited practices and has a shot to return to his starting role on Thanksgiving against the Bengals. Meanwhile, Hamilton has played through injuries before and we would not rule out the same happening again this week.

Hamilton looks on track to play Thursday despite being pulled from Baltimore’s Week 12 game against the Jets multiple times. The star safety is the straw that stirs Baltimore’s drink on defense and they’ll badly need him as they try to keep control of the AFC North with another win on Thursday.

Hamilton was already playing through a shoulder injury entering Week 12, and was knocked from Sunday’s win over the Jets with an ankle injury that he suffered after slipping on the turf. Hamilton is one of the premier defenders in the league and would make for a massive loss if the Ravens are without him against Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and the Bengals.

Hamilton was running down Tyrod Taylor in the fourth quarter when his right foot slipped on the turf, appearing to roll his ankle. The star safety remained down after the play before hobbling his way to the sideline with a trainer. Hamilton was already playing through a shoulder injury and was in obvious pain after the play. With a short week to prepare for Thursday’s game against the Bengals, it wouldn’t be surprising if we saw him miss Week 13.

Sanders took over after halftime for starting QB Dillon Gabriel after Gabriel’s concussion. Sanders nearly engineered a comeback drive at the end of the game, but the rookie’s performance was far from perfect. He is quick to leave the pocket and tosses errant passes, notably throwing an interception straight into Ravens CB Nate Wiggins’ hands on the Browns’ eighth drive. Sanders then fired a pass straight into a Ravens S Kyle Hamilton’s hands on the ninth drive, but Hamilton embarrassingly dropped the ball, punted it post-play and was flagged for a penalty. Browns rookie WR Isaiah Bond briefly got open in the end zone on the final drive, but a scrambling Sanders delivered a poor pass, leading the receiver by too great a distance. Sanders would be a rough start in Week 12, even if options are limited in superflex, and even if he is playing against the Raiders. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said post-game that Gabriel remains the starter.

Neither are CB Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring), ILB Roquan Smith (hamstring), or CB Marlon Humphrey (illness) — and outside of Humphrey missing Wednesday’s practice all four of those players got in full sessions all week. Baltimore’s defense finally looks to mostly be recovered from their early October swoon. Will they actually play better in Week 8? That’s the real question.

The Ravens’ defensive health is improving, though it still lacks a capable pass rush. CB Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) is practicing in full, as are S Kyle Hamilton (groin) and LB Roquan Smith (hamstring). This unit was one to target for fantasy purposes pre-bye, in Weeks 1-6, and will likely remain fantasy-friendly until it improves its defensive-front personnel. This week’s results against the Bears are worth watching.

Neither are T Ronnie Stanley (ankle) or CB Marlon Humphrey (calf) — Baltimore’s defense should at least feel a little more NFL-quality than they were last week against the Texans. The Roquan Smith-shaped hole at linebacker will be a challenge to overcome. Hamilton, Humphrey, and Stanley each wound up missing just one game with their respective injuries.