The Baltimore Ravens cruised to victory, 25-9, over C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans on Sunday. It was a commanding victory to begin the season, with Lamar Jackson and rookie wideout Zay Flowers looking comfortable in Todd Monken's newly installed offense.
Unfortunately, the victory has been stained by a couple of disheartening injury updates. Running back J.K. Dobbins is expected to miss the rest of the season with a presumed ruptured Achilles, only the latest major knee injury for the 24-year-old out of Ohio State.
One season-ender would have been enough to leave a bitter taste in the mouths of victorious Ravens fans, but safety Marcus Williams also suffered a potentially catastrophic injury. The 27-year-old, in his second season with the Ravens, is feared to have suffered a torn pec.
This is rotten news all around, and it leaves the Ravens with a lot to figure out after what should have been a very positive opening week.
Baltimore Ravens expected to miss Marcus Williams for remainder of season
Williams, a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, spent his first five seasons with the New Orleans Saints before making the move to Baltimore last season. He played 10 games in his first campaign with the Ravens, accumulating four interceptions and a fumble recovery to go along with 61 tackles.
He's a central figure in the Ravens' defensive backfield. If Williams misses time as expected, Brandon Stephens will step into the starting full safety slot. Stephens, a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, appeared in 15 games (four starts) for Baltimore last season, defending seven passes and accruing 37 tackles.
It's hard to shine a positive light on the Ravens' win after these developments. Injuries are a part of football, but that doesn't make it any less brutal for the players and the team. Baltimore has kinks to work out — especially with better competition on the horizon — but it's hard to get caught up in X's and O's with two players about to hit IR.
The Ravens' pass defense was not particularly stringent last season. If Williams is out of commission, others will have to pitch in to keep Baltimore's defense from spiraling back into a state of disrepair.