LONDON — Ravens outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney missed practice Wednesday due to illness, while safety Geno Stone was sidelined as the team held its first session at Tottenham Hotspur’s training facility.
Clowney, who played 39 snaps in Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been a sound run defender this season, and he’d be called upon Sunday to help stop the Tennessee Titans’ star running back Derrick Henry.
“We’ve got some guys who are a little bit sick; they missed practice because they were sick,” coach John Harbaugh said, adding that he’s confident Clowney will be good to go for Sunday.
Stone, meanwhile, was held out of the open portion of practice as he worked under the supervision of an athletic trainer. With the return of starter Marcus Williams, Stone played just 20 defensive snaps Sunday, a season low.
Odafe Oweh, who’s been sidelined since Week 2 by an ankle injury, also did not take the field Wednesday.
Swing tackle Patrick Mekari, who left the loss to Pittsburgh with a chest injury, was at practice. So, too, was right tackle Morgan Moses, who sat out Sunday’s game after missing most of last week’s practice with a shoulder injury.
Preaching patience to Beckham
Both the Steelers and his own teammates tested Odell Beckham Jr. in his first game back from the ankle injury he suffered in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Beckham had gone through a week of practice before taking the field with energy, showed off by his skipping, dance moves and generosity of high fives. But on his first target, the Steelers were all over him. Beckham came down with the catch but immediately ran to the sidelines and then the locker room.
“He’s feeling it just a little bit,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a soft tissue type of situation, but he should be fine.”
When Beckham returned, quarterback Lamar Jackson showed the same propensity for looking to the veteran in tough situations. But Jackson tested Beckham’s ankle too much, throwing him a high pass while he was being covered by the taller, younger and healthier Joey Porter Jr. It did not end well. Porter intercepted it, and the Steelers went on to score.
Two missed games and seven catches for 79 yards across three games is probably not the start Beckham was envisioning. Harbaugh said they’ve talked a lot through the challenges, and he’s confident the receiver will be an important factor for this offensive.
“He just wants to do more,” Harbaugh said. “He wants to be involved. And I just think you got to be patient. It’s a long season. He’s going to be healthy. He practices hards and well. I know he’s going to be there for us.”
Pushing through the pain
Safety Marcus Williams (pectoral) was one of the big injuries to start the Ravens’ season, and he was one of the big returns for the Ravens in Week 5. Then the game started, and Williams didn’t play a big role.
Williams looked like he wasn’t quite back to full speed or strength as he struggled to make the same hard-hitting tackles he did before. He’s still dealing with some pain and range of motion issues, but Harbaugh said they’re “good” with where he’s at.
“It’s not easy [to play with it], and I think it’s only going to get better,” Harbaugh said. “He was good, solid, it’s sound. And I think he’ll get more comfortable with it as we go along.”
