{"id":5713,"date":"2024-11-29T03:14:37","date_gmt":"2024-11-29T03:14:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=5713"},"modified":"2024-11-29T03:14:37","modified_gmt":"2024-11-29T03:14:37","slug":"key-defensive-player-will-return-to-action-for-ravens-in-week-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=5713","title":{"rendered":"Key defensive player WILL return to action for Ravens in Week 13"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"dek prose mb-2.5 italic text-secondary\">The Ravens&#8217; defense has unexpectedly been<\/p>\n<p class=\"dek prose mb-2.5 italic text-secondary\">The Ravens&#8217; defense has unexpectedly been a weakness this season but the team should get a valuable run stopper back soon.<\/p>\n<div class=\"author-link mr-2.5 flex items-center text-sm\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"dek prose mb-2.5 italic text-secondary\">a weakness this season but the team should get a valuable run stopper back soon.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aspect-video w-full max-w-full object-contain object-center px-4 lg:px-0\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ravens-news-Key-defensive-lineman-closing-in-on-return-to-action-for-Baltimore.jpg?w=1200\" alt=\"Michael Pierce in a Baltimore Ravens uniform with a red and white first aid symbol as Pierce could return from injury soon as the ravens prepare to face the eagles in week 13.\" \/><\/p>\n<article class=\"article-body prose max-w-none pb-7 pt-5 prose-figure:max-w-full prose-ol:pl-10 prose-img:max-w-full prose-video:max-w-full md:prose-ol:pl-6 [&amp;_iframe]:m-auto [&amp;_iframe]:block [&amp;_iframe]:max-w-full\">The\u00a0Baltimore Ravens\u00a0were\u00a0victorious in the Harbaugh Bowl\u00a0on Monday night in Week 12. With the big win in primetime, Baltimore is just a half game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North. The team moved up to the fifth seed in the conference heading into Week 13 as the\u00a0playoff picture starts to come into focus.<\/p>\n<div class=\"aspect-video w-full\">\n<div class=\"not-prose flex aspect-video w-full items-center justify-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Ravens got\u00a0more good news\u00a0Wednesday as nose tackle Michael Pierce has been designated to return from the injured reserve, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport on X. The veteran defensive lineman\u2019s 21-day window is now open and he\u2019s reportedly already returned to practice.<\/p>\n<div class=\"not-prose align-center\">\n<div class=\"min-w-[300px] overflow-x-hidden text-center font-secondary uppercase my-2.5 min-h-[280px] md:min-h-[250px]\">\n<div id=\"content_1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Pierce has been sidelined with a calf injury since the Ravens\u2019 Week 8 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The nine-year veteran is one of the team\u2019s most valuable run stoppers. While Baltimore has been uncharacteristically awful defending the pass this season, ranking 31st in the league against opposing passing games, the Ravens are still an elite rushing defense.<\/p>\n<p>Through Week 12, Baltimore is second in the NFL against the run, allowing just 77.9 yards per game. However, in the four matchups Pierce has missed, the team has given up 94 rushing yards per contest as well as three scores on the ground.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Run stopper Michael Pierce is preparing for his return to the Ravens<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3142906\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3142906\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3142906\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Michael-Pierce.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Michael-Pierce.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Michael-Pierce.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Michael-Pierce.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Michael-Pierce.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Michael-Pierce.jpg?resize=150,84 150w\" alt=\"Jan 20, 2024; Baltimore, MD, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws a pass against Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce (58) during the first quarter of a 2024 AFC divisional round game at M&amp;T Bank Stadium. \" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3142906\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Pierce joined Baltimore as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and spent the first four years of his career with the Ravens. After a two-year stint with the Minnesota Vikings, he returned to Baltimore in 2022.<\/p>\n<div class=\"not-prose align-center\">\n<div class=\"min-w-[300px] overflow-x-hidden text-center font-secondary uppercase my-2.5 min-h-[280px] md:min-h-[250px]\">\n<div id=\"content_2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"not-prose flex w-full flex-col gap-4 divide-y divide-solid divide-[#58585820] bg-[#FAFAFA] px-4 pt-5\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col\">\n<p>The Ravens signed\u00a0Pierce to a two-year, $7.5 million extension\u00a0prior to the 2024 season. In seven games this year, the 32-year-old NT has 15 combined tackles with one sack and one pass defended. While those numbers are certainly not gaudy, Pierce\u2019s role on this defense is to plug up the middle, shutting down running lanes and occupying blockers, which helps the Ravens\u2019 defensive playmakers get to the quarterback.<\/p>\n<div class=\"not-prose align-center\">\n<div class=\"min-w-[300px] overflow-x-hidden text-center font-secondary uppercase my-2.5 min-h-[280px] md:min-h-[250px]\">\n<div id=\"content_3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Baltimore\u2019s elite offense has largely masked a surprisingly subpar defense this season. Quarterback\u00a0Lamar Jackson is turning in another MVP-caliber\u00a0performance and it seems his only weakness is an\u00a0inability to beat the Steelers. The addition of\u00a0Derrick Henry\u00a0has paid dividends.\u00a0Henry has been absolutely dominant, already topping 1,300 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in 12 games.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the defense comes together with the addition of Pierce as the team makes a push for the division crown. The Ravens will take on the 9-2 Philadelphia Eagles at home on Sunday. The Eagles head to Baltimore with a seven-game winning streak and control of the NFC East.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"flex-row flex-wrap items-center text-primary\">\n<div class=\"author-link mr-2.5 flex items-center text-sm\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Ravens&#8217; defense has unexpectedly been The Ravens&#8217; defense has unexpectedly been a weakness this season but the team should get a valuable run stopper back soon&#8230;. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5718,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Key defensive player WILL return to action for Ravens in Week 13 - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=5713\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Key defensive player WILL return to action for Ravens in Week 13 - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Ravens&#8217; 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