With the Ravens having clinched a playoff spot, Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews, starting running back J.K. Dobbins and starting right guard Kevin Zeitler are among the inactive starters Week 18 against the Bengals.
Tyler Huntley (shoulder/wrist) will also rest. With Lamar Jackson (knee) already ruled out, undrafted rookie quarterback Anthony Brown will make his first NFL start.
The Ravens cannot win the AFC North crown Sunday. Even though there are some playoff seeding implications, and the possibility of hosting a Wild-Card playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens are taking the long-term approach of trying to be as full strength as possible for the playoffs.
Andrews made his third Pro Bowl this year and leads the Ravens with 73 catches for 847 yards and five touchdowns. Not playing Week 18 will give Andrews and other inactive starters more time to rest for the playoff opener.
Dobbins was given a rest day from practice Wednesday but practiced Thursday and Friday. Sitting out Week 18 gives Dobbins extra rest heading into the postseason. Dobbins underwent microscopic knee surgery this season after tearing his ACL in 2021 and has run effectively since returning with 397 yards on 57 carries in the last four games, including two 100-yard games. With Dobbins out, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and Kenyan Drake are the active running backs.
Zeitler is one of the NFL’s most durable offensive linemen and practiced all week. With Zeitler out of the lineup, Trystan Colon may start in place of Zeitler as he did in Week 14.
Huntley was limited in practice all week, and not playing against the Bengals gives him more time to rest should the Ravens need him to start their first playoff game. Brett Hundley was elevated from the practice squad Saturday and will back up Brown.
An undrafted rookie from Oregon, Brown has already delivered once for the Ravens in Pittsburgh after Huntley left the game with a concussion in the third quarter. In his first NFL action, Brown calmly entered the…
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