The Baltimore Ravens soared to 9-2 Monday night, but lost a key piece along the way.
Center Matt Skura will miss the rest of the 2019 regular season with a knee injury suffered in Baltimore's 45-6 win over the Los Angeles Rams, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported, per a source informed of the situation. The team later confirmed the news.
Skura is currently second in Pro Bowl voting, illustrating his popularity among Ravens and NFL fans. His departure due to injury will be difficult for his teammates to bear, but there's hope that his absence won't be as noticeable at least in one phase of Baltimore's offense. Pro Football Focus ranks Skura as the NFL's 22nd best center in pass blocking with a grade of 63.9, which places him directly behind veteran Eagles center Jason Kelce, but well off the mark established by the league's elite.
Pass blocking for Lamar Jackson can make evaluating a lineman a little murky, but can also make things easier on a lineman who is tasked with keeping a defender off a hyper-mobile passer. The run-blocking department might see a hit, though, as Skura is tied for 11th in the NFL among all centers with at least 250 snaps played in run blocking grade, earning a flat 61 mark from PFF. Then again, Baltimore is averaging a league-best 210.5 yards per game on the ground, so even a slight downgrade would still keep the Ravens near the top of the league.
The Jackson element should again make his replacement's job a little easier, seeing as it's incredibly difficult to take down Jackson as a passer and equally as tough to get to him as a runner. The Ravens should be able to shoulder Skura's loss better than the average team because of this.
That doesn't diminish Skura's importance, though. As a two-year starter who went from the practice squad to the lineup first at guard and then center, Baltimore will be hard-pressed to find someone with as much dedication as Skura. They'll also have to rely on a backup to make the ever-important pre-snap reads and calls up front.
Again, though: They're all fortunate to be blocking for the most dynamic player in football. We'll see how this affects Baltimore moving forward.
Other injuries we're monitoring around the league:
»The Tennessee Titans announced that outside linebacker Cameron Wake and defensive back Chris Milton have been placed on injured reserve. In corresponding moves, the team promoted outside backer Derick Roberson and defensive back Kareem Orr to the active roster. Wake, a former four-time Pro Bowler with the Dolphins, has played in nine games but registered no starts. According to the team press release, he was injured in Sunday's game against Jacksonville. Wake tallied five tackles and 2.5 sacks in nine games.
»Atlanta Falcons star receiverJulio Jones (shoulder) did not practice on Tuesday. Tight end Austin Hooper (knee) also did not practice, but running back Devonta Freeman (foot) was a full participant. The team also announced it had released defensive end Austin Larkin.
»Chicago Bears offensive lineman Bobby Massie (ankle), tight end Adam Shaheen (foot), wide receiver Taylor Gabriel (concussion), linebacker Danny Trevathan (elbow), tight end Ben Braunecker (concussion) and defensive back Sherrick McManis (groin) all did not practice again on Tuesday.
»Buffalo Bills receiver Robert Foster (hamstring) and center Mitch Morse (hand) were both limited in practice Tuesday. Tackle Ty Nsekhe (ankle) did not practice.
»New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Terron Armstead (ankle) did not practice for a second straight day. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) was limited for a second consecutive day.
»The Denver Broncos have claimed defensive back Shakial Taylor off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts.
»Detroit Lions pass rusher Trey Flowers (concussion) returned to practice on Tuesday in a limited role. Quarterback Jeff Driskel (hamstring) was also limited. Starting quarterback Matthew Stafford (hip/back) did not practice as expected.
»The Washington Redskins announced Tuesday that they released defensive end Ryan Bee.
»The Green Bay Packers signed offensive tackle Yosh Nijman to the active roster from their practice squad and signed tackle Cody Conway to the practice squad.
