HC John Harbaugh 'optimistic' about injured Ravens

The Ravens (12-3) saw several players go down with injuries in their 33-19 win over the 49ers (11-4) in Week 16. However, head coach John Harbaugh isn't too worried about any of them missing time.

"It doesn't look bad for anybody," Harbaugh told reporters after the game. "We will see tomorrow to ensure that. We're fairly optimistic about everybody."

It's music to fans' ears as they watched former first-round safety Kyle Hamilton (knee), offensive linemen Patrick Mekari (head) and Kevin Zeitler (thigh) go down during the game. All three players would be big blows to Baltimore if they suffered serious injuries, but Hamilton would have certainly been the worst.

The No. 14 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft added another five tackles, two interceptions and three passes defensed to his dominant 2023 campaign before leaving the game. He now has 81 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, four interceptions, 13 passes defensed and one touchdown on the year.

The only thing that seems to be able to stop the Ravens at this point is injuries, which is why Monday night was so scary. The team lost dynamic RB Keaton Mitchell to a season-ending knee injury in last week's win and RB J.K. Dobbins in Week 2.

Of course, the most important player who must stay healthy is QB Lamar Jackson, who is in the thick of the NFL MVP race. But Baltimore has clearly built one of the best rosters in the NFL and has a real chance to win the franchise's third Super Bowl this season.

The Ravens can lock up the AFC's No. 1 seed in Week 17 with a win over the Dolphins (11-4), which would give them the opportunity to sit their starters in Week 18 and during the Wild Card round of the playoffs. If Baltimore can get healthy during that span, the rest of the league should beware.