The season-ending knee injury suffered by defensive tackle Geno Atkins has been the biggest recent injury news for the AFC North-leading Bengals.
Atkins is a major loss to the defensive front, the kind of loss that makes is crucial for players in other spots to step up their productivity to keep the team on the winning side of things. Other injury news isn’t great in Cincinnati, however.
Tight end Jermaine Gresham missed practice on Thursday with a groin injury. Gresham was a limited participant in Wednesday’s work because of the injury and the downgrade doesn’t bode well for his chances of playing against the Ravens. Gresham has been a frequent and reliable target for Andy Dalton this season and losing him would hurt the Bengals’ ability to rebound from a poor offensive performance against the Dolphins in Week Nine.
Linebacker Rey Maualuga and defensive tackle Devon Still were also out of practice for the Bengals. Maualuga may need a couple more weeks after injuring his knee and suffering a concussion against the Jets while Still is trying to recover from a dislocated elbow. Geoff Hobson of the Bengals website doesn’t expect either player to be on the field against Baltimore.