OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- When the Baltimore Ravens' offensive line returned to work Wednesday, Jared Gaither was lined up with the starters at his customary left tackle position during blocking drills.
After missing two games with a scary neck injury that caused him to be carted off the field Oct. 4 against the New England Patriots, Gaither is expected to return Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
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His neck is "pretty much 100 percent," Gaither said, adding that he didn't expect any position change after speculation arose that he might be shifted to right tackle.
"I expect to be back where I left off," he said.
On Monday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh declined to specify whether Gaither would play left or right tackle.
In Gaither's absence, first-round draft pick Michael Oher started at left tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Minnesota Vikings. Now, Oher is going back to his normal right tackle spot.
"Jared looks great," Oher said. "He's been working hard to come back. He looks like the old Gaither to me."
When asked if he believed he would return to right tackle, Oher replied: "Of course. Why not?"
Against the Broncos, both Gaither and Oher figure to be tested by NFL sacks leader Elvis Dumervil. The speedy outside linebacker leads the NFL with 10 sacks.
Dumervil is tied as the second-fastest player to reach 10 sacks since it became an official NFL statistic in 1982, matching former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan's total for six games in 2001.
"He's an explosive player, a great player," Oher said of Dumervil. "He has a high motor."
The Broncos lead the NFL in scoring defense (11.0 points) and third-down percentage (26.9 percent). Dumervil has registered seven sacks on third downs.
"The Broncos are going to test everybody's pass protection, for sure," Harbaugh said. "Our pass protection has been good, but it needs to get better. What makes them good is they beat blocks one-on-one. They do a nice job of bull-rushing, and they do a nice job of getting on edges. They're relentless, they never stop and they've got some talented, fast guys."
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
