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Ravens' Durham Smythe Suffered Reported Achilles Tear
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- Ravens' Durham Smythe Suffered Reported Achilles Tear
(Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)
The Baltimore Ravens were hit hard with injuries in Week 4, as quarterback Lamar Jackson, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, guard Andrew Vorhees, and tight end Durham Smythe were all ruled out due to different ailments.
The worst-looking case for the listed names was Smythe. After he had fallen to the turf, he clutched at his leg and looked to be in some serious pain. The Ravens tight end was ruled out with an Achilles injury, and it is now being reported that he has a full tear of the Achilles tendon.
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NFL insider Ian Rapoport offered the update, stating that the fear that Smythe tore his Achilles has now been confirmed.
As soon as Smythe hit the turf and grabbed at his ankle area, the training staff had rushed out to attend to him. The tight end then had to be hoisted off the field, and he was seen not putting any pressure on the affected leg.
Having an Achilles injury doesn't always necessarily mean that it leads to a tear, but this is the case for Smythe.
This is a huge hit to the Ravens offense, as Smythe was hugely responisble for blocking situations. He was brought over to do just that, as he has remained one of the better blocking tight ends in the league.
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With Smythe now out, Baltimore will likely rely on rookie tight end Josh Cuevas more. Cuevas and Matt Hibner were both drafted, but the former has been more of a factor in the blocking game.
The Ravens might also search for some more depth on that front. Mark Andrews, Cuevas, and Hibner are now the only remaining healthy tight ends on the roster.
Smythe being out will put a damper on this Week 5 offense. The team is also potentially dealing with the reality of not having Jackson in the lineup, and Vorhees.
Jackson has a reported sprained ankle , which may lead to him missing a game or two. That has not been confirmed yet, but the injury reports will paint a clearer picture.
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The same goes for Vorhees. The right guard went down with a foot injury, leading to Emory Jones Jr. stepping in as the third-stringer.
Baltimore did pick up some depth pieces ahead of Week 4, which may play a factor.
With Smythe out, and Jackson and Vorhees potentially following, the Ravens offense will have lost three key players on offense are they are set to face the Atlanta Falcons.
