Patrick Ricard, Jimmy Smith Inactive vs. Cleveland Browns for 2021 Week 14

Dealing with several injuries, Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard won’t be in the lineup Sunday against the Browns.

Ricard (knee/back) is inactive and will miss his first game of the season, subtracting a key blocker from Baltimore’s lineup. Ricard to is not only a key part of the running game, but would also help the Ravens offensive line block Cleveland pass rushers Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. Quarterback Lamar Jackson has been sacked an NFL-high 37 times this season.

Ricard was already dealing with a back issue and a knee injury was added to Ricard’s injury report on Saturday. He is coming off offseason hip surgery, but Ricard has been tough player to get out of the lineup. He is a devastating blocker who can be used across formations, and his offensive role has increased this season, playing a career-high 342 snaps already.

The Ravens will be without both of their top running game blockers as tight end Nick Boyle (knee) is also inactive and will miss his second straight game. Boyle practiced on a limited basis Friday, but after playing 32 snaps in his season debut in Week 11, he was limited to 10 snaps in Week 12 and didn’t play last weekend against the Steelers.