Ravens head coach Brian Billick echoes Phillips' sentiments.
Though right tackle Orlando Brown and tight end Todd Heap could play after missing last week's loss to Buffalo, Billick has a long list of ailing players that Baltimore needs to compete for a playoff berth this year.
``I'm still looking at things from an evaluation standpoint,'' Billick said. ``It's still too early to do anything beyond that. We have enough players that I still have to get a feel for as we approach the 65-man cutdown date.''
Brown has been out of football since Dec. 19, 1999, when an official threw a weighted penalty flag and struck him in the right eye. His most recent injury, a sore knee, has kept him sidelined the last two weeks.
Receiver Frank Sanders, another high-profile free agent signee, left the 20-19 loss to the Bills with two dislocated toes. Travis Taylor, who caught four passes for a career-high 127 yards in a 20-17 loss in Atlanta year, has a sprained ankle.
Two reserves, wideout Jarvin Hunter (torn Achilles) and rookie tight end Trent Smith (broken tibia) are out for the season.
Atlanta's defense is without strong safety Cory Hall, whose strained groin will sideline him for the second straight week. Defensive lineman Travis Hall (abdomen) returns after missing the 27-21 loss to Green Bay.
Rookie Demetrin Veal (knee, ankle) played his way into the rotation early in training camp, but missed 10 days before returning Thursday. Reserve linebacker Twan Russell played in only three games last year because of knee surgery, and he's been dogged by pain and swelling since camp opened July 25.
Nickel cornerback Tod McBride (broken thumb) won't return until Week 2.
``Seems like it's the secondary that's had the hardest time,'' Phillips said. ``We want to look at some of our young players, but some of the guys like Waine Bacon and Tawambi Settles have had things holding them back.''
The Ravens' defense has concerns about all four starting linebackers. Rookie Terrell Suggs, the 10th overall pick, missed the last two practices with a sprained neck. Peter Boulware has a strained neck, Ed Hartwell a swollen eye.
Bernardo Harris (fractured fibula) won't return until November, and Cornell Brown (sore hamstring) was hurt last week.
Superstar Ray Lewis won't play much because he's recovering from reconstructive shoulder surgery that sidelined him for the last 11 games last year.
Even punter Dave Zastudil (hamstring) has been hurting for the last 10 days.
Baltimore spent most of last season talking about injuries. In addition to Lewis, the Ravens lost starting quarterback Chris Redman for the last 10 games with a ruptured disc in his back. A knee injury allowed defensive end Michael McCrary to play in just five games.
Cornerback Alvin Porter only hopes Baltimore doesn't suffer more setbacks when it faces Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, receiver Peerless Price and running backs Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett.
``Whenever you're dealing with a quarterback with as many weapons as he has, with both his arm and legs, it's a heck of a challenge,'' Porter said. ``That's a good running game they have. It's a good combination, a quick scat back and a hard-nosed, run-you-over type of back who also has speed. It'll definitely be a challenge to keep them from running the ball on us.''
Other than losing fullback Bob Christian to a career-ending concussion in Week 16, the Falcons have avoided major injury problems on offense. Reserve center Roberto Garza (triceps) returned to practice this week and will work with the second team after his temporary replacement, Martin Bibla, failed to fall on a loose ball that Green Bay's Bobby Jackson returned for a 2-yard touchdown.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/8/174278