According to reports Joe Flacco is not one hundred percent recovered from his knee injury. This is a preseason game. The score doesn’t matter. Even if Flacco’s knee felt brand new, the Ravens could not justify putting him on the field.
The Ravens have made a commitment to play it cautious in the very young 2016 season. No players with injuries played last Thursday night. The Ravens cannot afford to gamble on their season before it even gets underway.
Here we have another example of the risks outweighing the benefits. Flacco has looked sharp in practice. While you want him to get some work in before the regular season, what difference does an extra series or two really make?