Haloti Ngata Will Play Despite Shoulder Injury
By Samuel Njoku
The Ravens played the Chiefs on Sunday in a game that was all about defense. Games such as the one fans witnessed last week usually leave many players battered and bruised. That wasn’t the case with Baltimore. For the second straight week in a row, the Ravens injury report has been almost empty. With the exception of Terrell Suggs, Baltimore will be at full strength heading to their game against the Cowboys.
Jah Reid, OT, (leg): Probable
Jah Reid has been hampered by a calf injury he re-aggravated in the preseason. Due to the injury, he has yet to play a down of football in 2012. That may be about to change heading into Sunday’s game against the Cowboys. Reid participated fully in practice this week and has been listed as probable on the injury report. Now the question remains whether or not he’s in game shape. Reid admitted last week that it would take him some time to get back into football shape after being cleared for play. The other lingering issue rests with open active spots. There may not be enough space in the active lineup to get him on the field. If he does play, it’ll be interesting to see how his calf holds up.
Haloti Ngata, DT, (shoulder): Probable
The only other player appearing on the Ravens injury report was Pro Bowl DT Haloti Ngata. The 330 pound defensive lineman has been limited in practice all week. When asked about the injury, Ngata downplayed the situation.
“I’m good, I’m ready to go,” stated Ngata. “It’s something small. I fell down and messed up my shoulder.”
It isn’t clear if Ngata injured his shoulder during the Chiefs game or not. But after a week of uncertainty, it is refreshing for fans to know that Ngata will be set to go against the Cowboys. Ngata has been one of the few bright spots on a defense that has struggled so far this season. His play has been so superb that he’s already being mentioned as a possible candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. With Suggs winning the award last season, it would mark the second time the Baltimore Ravens fielded a DPOY in consecutive years since Ray Lewis and Ed Reed accomplished the feat in 2003 and 2004.
Cowboys P Brian Moorman will not play
Field position may play a pivotal role in this game as Cowboys starting punter Brian Moorman has been ruled out for the game on Sunday. Moorman suffered a groin injury after being signed to replace injured Chris Jones in Week Four. Chris Jones is listed as questionable this week. Fourth downs will be something to look closely at in this matchup.
Jay Ratliff and Kenyon Coleman will play on Sunday
The Cowboys used to bye week to get healthy on the defensive side of the ball. Jay Ratliff, who has yet to play this season, will be active against Baltimore on Sunday. The Cowboys will get one of the better nose tackles in the game against a Ravens’ team that likes to run the ball. Defensive end Kenyon Coleman missed the Week Four matchup against the Bears but is also listed as probable for Sunday.
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Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. He can be reached for comments at SamuelN870@gmail.com. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.
