Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

John Harbaugh taps into 'The Office' to avoid injury jinx

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Ravens are among the healthiest teams in the NFL -- for once.

In addressing Baltimore's lack of injuries, coach John Harbaugh didn't knock on wood. He quoted the popular TV series "The Office."

"You kind of just leave some things alone sometimes," Harbaugh said after Thursday night's 33-7 preseason win over the Los Angeles Rams. "Not that we're superstitious. How does the old saying with Michael Scott go? 'I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.'"

The Ravens haven't lost a player to a significant or season-ending injury, and they've played two preseason games and have gone through 15 training camp practices.

The only two starters who didn't suit up for Thursday's preseason game were guard Marshal Yanda and safety Tony Jefferson. Yanda has been practicing on a limited basis after having offseason shoulder surgery, and Jefferson expects to return soon after hurting his hamstring.

At this point last year, the Ravens had lost seven players to season-ending injuries: tight ends Dennis Pitta and Crockett Gillmore; cornerback Tavon Young; running back Kenneth Dixon; guards Alex Lewis and Nico Siragusa; and returner Tim White. Baltimore also went through all of training camp and the preseason without quarterback Joe Flacco, who was sidelined because of a back injury.

Flacco is the healthiest he has been since 2014, and it shows on the field. He is rolling out of the pocket, and he has been scrambling more in practice.

"He gets out and makes plays on the move; he can throw on the run," Harbaugh said. "He has always had that ability. Now, the injury part of it, to your point -- I guess it's good to see him back 100 percent."

QB depth chart: Flacco remains the unquestioned starter. The debate is whether Lamar Jackson or Robert Griffin III will be his primary backup. The decision will be based on the development of Jackson, who took a step forward in replacing Flacco after the opening series. Griffin quarterbacked most of the second half and delivered his second straight impressive outing, completing 5 of 7 passes for 88 yards and one touchdown.

Getting new targets involved: On his first and only series, Flacco hit Michael Crabtree for 30 yards, connected with John Brown for 17 yards and found Hayden Hurst for 12 yards. Crabtree and Brown are among Baltimore's top free-agent signings this offseason, and Hurst was the team's top pick in this year's draft. "I think once the regular season starts, this isn't going to mean anything," Flacco said. "But what it does for our confidence as a group, our confidence as a team, that will carry us pretty far into the season."

This rookie could start: Offensive tackle Orlando Brown. He has started both of the Ravens' preseason games, and it looks as if the right tackle job is his to lose. Brown is now the favorite to start at right tackle, the position his father played for the Ravens 13 years ago. On Thursday, Brown allowed no pressures on 35 pass plays, according to Pro Football Focus. "Obviously, there are some things that he can work on, but you can't ignore that he's got ability," Flacco said. "He's so big, he swallows people up. He has natural ability to play that position and be a really good football player, so it's exciting to see."

Redemption route: Wide receiver Breshad Perriman had the best game of what has been a disappointing career, catching three passes for 71 yards. He even hauled in a 32-yard touchdown from Griffin. This is what the Ravens had long envisioned out of their 2015 first-round pick. "I think the Breshad Perriman thing might be the story [of the game]," Harbaugh said. "Here is a guy that has been battling back from injuries. Obviously, he is taking a lot of heat. He has been under siege with it -- and that's part of it. But I think he deserves a lot of credit for the way he has handled it. So I'm just really happy for him -- he deserves it." Perriman is still considered to be on Baltimore's roster bubble.

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