OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens are getting healthier at just the right time as the divisional round of the NFL playoffs is right around the corner.
On Wednesday All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews was designated as a full participant at practice, sparking hopes in Ravens fans that he could make a return this weekend.
He spoke to the media for the first time, stating how proud he was of the team's performance during his absence.
“It’s incredible. It's incredible. You’re just watching [my teammates]... It’s tough to watch them sometimes, but just the way that they’re playing ... They’re fighting, clicking on all cylinders and just carrying that into the playoffs. We have a lot of playmakers that are playing really good ball right now and a coaching staff that supports them. That's what it’s about; it’s a team game [and a] team effort, and that’s what we’ve got: a great team.”
Andrews went down during the Ravens' primetime game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first quarter. After the game, head coach John Harbaugh said that the injury 'appeared to be season-ending.'
The next time Harbaugh would take the podium, brighter news would come.
He said that Andrews had the potential to return if the Ravens could make a deep playoff run.
Fast forward to today, the Ravens are the 1st seed and secured the bye week before the divisional round.
A big part of clinching that spot was second-year tight end Isaiah Likely, who stepped in and became a force for the team.
"You see it game by game. [He was] getting better and better and making big-time plays. That’s a credit to how hard he’s worked. It's been awesome to see him do that. We’re thankful to have him,” said Andrews.
With the possibility of both Andrews and Likely being on the field being up in the air on Saturday, Andrews said that he will not rush coming back if it is detrimental to the team.
"It’s how I feel at the end of the day. Just knowing how good this team is, how good our players are, how good our tight ends are, if I feel like I’m going to be helpful to the team, I’m going to go. If I feel like I’m close but not there, [I’ll] let these guys go and hopefully get [there] next weekend,” said Andrews.
The Ravens will have one more practice on Thursday, which is most likely when the decision will come down.
Either way, Andrews has confidence that the Ravens will be able to pull out the win whether he plays or not.
You can catch Ravens vs. Texans on WMAR this Saturday, kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m.
