Ravens safety Dawan Landry latest step toward recovering from a spinal concussion came this week, as he no longer has to wear a neck brace.
Landry has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans, along with cornerback Samari Rolle (neck) and defensive tackle Kelly Gregg (knee). A fifth-round pick in 2006, Landry suffered the frightening injury on Sept. 21 late in the first half against the Cleveland Browns when he took a knee to the helmet from running back Jamal Lewis.
Landry said he expects to play again this season, but has not set a possible date for his return.
“The doctor didn’t give me a timetable,” Landry said. “He said just to take my time and gradually work my way up. I’m going work with [head trainer] Bill [Tessendorf] and start strengthening my neck.”
Prior to the injury, Landry had never missed a game in his first two NFL seasons and had started 32 of his first 34 games. He had 14 tackles in the Ravens first two games this season. Landry said dealing with the first major injury of his career, gave him a new perspective on how lucky he is and how close he was to losing everything.
“This is a blessing,” Landry said. “God has been good to me. I’m able to walk around and some people don’t get that chance. I’m just fortunate to have a second chance and I’m just waiting for my time.”
Smith could play
Ravens coach John Harbaugh has not ruled out playing second-year quarterback Troy Smith this season, even as rookie Joe Flacco has impressed the team through his first three games.
Smith appeared poised to take over the starting job in the preseason before missing a month while recovering from a severe case of tonsillitis. The 2006 Heisman Trophy winner and fifth-round pick last year had lost about 20 pounds due to the illness, although he has slowly gained much of it back.
Smith has begun practicing with the team and was not listed on the injury report. It’s also uncertain whether Smith or veteran Todd Bouman will be the second quarterback against the Titans.
“We can definitely envision Troy playing,” Harbaugh said. “Troy’s a really good football player. He’s proven that. And he’s going to be on the field for us this year in some form or fashion, for sure.”
Scott not impressed
Ravens linebacker Bart Scott believes the Titans are a mirror image of the Ravens in many ways, including Tennessee’s commitment to playing defense, running the ball and having a quarterback that manages the game. But Scott did not seem too concerned about Titans running back LenDale White — who is second on the titans with 161 yards rushing after leading the team with 1,110 yards on the ground in 2007. This season, the 6-foot-1, 235-pound White — who has struggled at times with his weight — has taken a back seat behind rookie Chris Johnson. The fleet-footed Johnson, who ran a 4.24 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in February, has rushed for 337 yards and two touchdowns.
When asked to compare the two Titans, Scott replied: “Let’s see: a fat guy and the fastest guy in the 40. Not fat, I’m sorry. Plump.”
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