The Baltimore Ravens will try to defend their Super Bowl championship this season. They'll have to do it without Dennis Pitta.
The Ravens tight end will miss the 2013 season after suffering a fractured hip during Saturday's training-camp practice, a source informed of the injury told NFL.com's Albert Breer.
The Ravens announced earlier in the day that Pitta had been ruled out for "at least" the Sept. 5 opener at Denver. That diagnosis quickly grew worse after Pitta had surgery Saturday night.
According to the Ravens' official website, Pitta collided with safety James Ihedigbo on a jump ball in the back of the end zone Saturday. Trainers tended to Pitta, who covered his face with a towel as he was carted off the field.
Pitta comes off a season in which he set career highs in receptions (61), yards (669) and touchdowns (seven) for the Super Bowl champions. The fourth-year pro made a tangible impact during the playoffs, finishing with 14 catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns in four victories.
"Obviously he has been a very, very productive guy for us, and he's made a lot of big plays around here," Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell told the team's official website before Pitta was deemed out for the season. "We'll see what happens. Somebody is going to have to step up, and we do have some capable guys all across the flanks."
Some of those "capable guys" include Ed Dickson, who along with a combination of Alex Silvestro, Matt Furstenburg and Billy Bajema will be asked to pick up the slack in Pitta's absence. What's tricky here is the lost chemistry that Pitta has built with quarterback Joe Flacco. They were one and the same during late-season contests in 2012.
Baltimore also traded away Anquan Boldin this offseason and currently doesn't have a clear answer across from Torrey Smith at wide receiver.
Pitta was supposed to play a major role in this scheme. Now the Ravens are in the abyss.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
