DEC 19 RAVENS ADD FORMER TERP TO PRACTICE SQUAD Per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the Baltimore Ravens are bringing a former Maryland Terrapin back to the Chesapeake, as running back Jake Funk will be added to the team’s practice squad. Combined with the return of Melvin Gordon to the active roster, Baltimore (11-3) continues to adjust its rushing attack in the wake of Keaton Mitchell’s season-ending injury
Funk racked up 2,070 yards from scrimmage over four years with the Terps and was later chosen in the seventh round of the 2021 draft by the Los Angeles Rams. As a rookie, the Gaithersburg native appeared in 10 games during Los Angeles’ run to Super Bowl LVI, primarily partaking on special teams. Funk previously played four games with the Indianapolis Colts this season.
DEC 16 BENGALS WIN THRILLER OVER VIKINGS, KEEP PRESSURE ON RAVENS The first of three NFL games on Sunday, as the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Minnesota Vikings 27-24 in an overtime thriller
Cincinnati, once left for dead after Joe Burrow went down for the season, has now won three straight games thanks to the steady hand of backup quarterback Jake Browning.
With their hot streak, the Bengals are keeping pace in the very crowded AFC playoff picture. Saturday’s win propels them up to the No. 6 seed with an 8-6 record, at least for the time being. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, and Denver Broncos, who also entered the day at 7-6, play later, with the former two facing each other. The Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills, who also have the same record, play on Sunday
Meanwhile, the Bengals also keep the pressure on the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens, who hold the conference’s top seed at 10-3. The Ravens are two games ahead of the Cleveland Browns for the division lead, but with all four teams still alive for the division title, Baltimore can’t afford to get complacent.
No matter what happens, it’s sure to be a thrilling end to the season.
DEC 15 STALEY OUT, RAVENS COORDINATOR A POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT? On the heels of a 63-21 thrashing by the Raiders on Thursday Night Football, the Chargers have fired their coach, Brandon Staley, and general manager Tom Telesco.
Staley went 24-24 in parts of three seasons with the Chargers. He previously served as an outside linebackers coach for the Chicago Bears (2017-18) and Denver Broncos (2019) before becoming the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams (2020).
With the vacancy, as with most NFL teams searching for new a coach, the Chargers could be looking for successful coordinators from other organizations. That should include both Ravens coordinators
Baltimore’s offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, 57, is in his first season with the team and has turned around an offense that struggled the past couple of seasons. Monken has pro experience elsewhere as the Jaguars wide receivers coach from 2007-2010, the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator from 2016-2018, and the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2019.
The Ravens’ defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, heads one of the best defenses in the league but has no other pro experience with any other team. Macdonald is on the young side at 36, but will no doubt get a shot at some point
Macdonald’s entire pro coaching career has been with the Ravens except for the 2021 season when he spent the year as Michigan’s defensive coordinator before returning to Baltimore in the same capacity in 2022.
DEC 13 WALLACE WINS AFC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK Baltimore Ravens return specialist Tylan Wallace is taking home some hardware.
On Wednesday, Wallace was announced as the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after returning the game-winning punt for a touchdown in overtime against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday
Wallace was replacing the injured Devin Duvernay, who left the game with a back injury. Duvernay was placed on injured reserve, meaning Wallace will have to step into the role further on Sunday when the Ravens visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday Night Football.
DEC 12 RAVENS CONTROL DESTINY FOR NO. 1 The Baltimore Ravens are in full control of their postseason destiny after Monday night’s Week 14 close
With the Miami Dolphins’ improbable 28-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Monday, Baltimore (10-3) is in full control of its postseason fate and holds the inside track for the top overall seed and the first-round bye that comes with it. They currently lead the Dolphins (9-4) by one full game and are up by two on fellow division leaders Kansas City (8-5) and Jacksonville (8-5) after their respective losses to Buffalo and Cleveland. Baltimore will earn the top seed by winning each of its final four games and currently has Miami beat on the strength of victory tiebreaker if it were to come into play
The road to the top seed won’t be easy: Baltimore is set to face the AFC South leader Jacksonville on Sunday night (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) before a Christmas Day showdown with the NFC-leading San Francisco 49ers. The Ravens and Dolphins are also poised to do battle on New Year’s Eve, shortly after Miami faces the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys.
DEC 10 WALLACE WINS FOR RAVENS The Baltimore Ravens are winners today by a score of 37-31 after an overtime punt return from Tylan Wallace, who filled in for the injured Devin Duvernay
Burrow, the Bengals’ franchise thrower, suffered a season-ending wrist injury in the 34-20 loss in Baltimore. He did not appear on the pregame injury report but video later emerged of Burrow wearing what appeared to be some sort of covering on the hand/wrist that was later injured. Burrow has since claimed it was a compression sleeve to prevent swelling on high-altitude flights.
DEC 7 HURST SPEAKS ABOUT INJURY Former Baltimore Ravens tight end Hayden Hurst, the team’s first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Amnesia by an independent neurologist, according to a social media post from his father, Jerry Hurst
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