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OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh would not speculate on who might be available on offense for Thursday's night game against the Miami Dolphins. Injuries have wreaked havoc on Baltimore's roster and there are numerous players who are week-to-week as far as their availability. The Ravens had 15 players on the injury report this week leading up to the game.
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"Whoever you see jogging out there at kickoff, they'll be playing," Harbaugh said. "Up until that point, I don't know. I probably would like to be coy with you and say, 'I'm not going to talk about it,' but, at this point, it's just like, 'We'll see.'"
All three of the Ravens' top receivers -- Mike Wallace (concussion), Jeremy Maclin (shoulder) and Breshad Perriman (concussion) -- are uncertain for the game. This means quarterback Joe Flacco has a short week to work with other less experienced players who might get extended playing time.
It's not an ideal situation, but one that Flacco has embraced.
"I think your role is constantly changing as the year goes on, depending upon what happens," Flacco said. "But the biggest thing in these situations is to keep the confidence going. We have a lot of guys that we are rolling in there that have just shown up and are actually playing a bunch of snaps on Sunday. The biggest thing you can do is give these guys confidence and make sure they know what they are doing come Sunday and feel good about it."
The Ravens (3-4) have lost four of their last five games and trail the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) by two games in the AFC North. Baltimore will have a tough test against Miami (4-2) and its defense, which is ranked third against the run.
The Dolphins will likely start Matt Moore at quarterback after Jay Cutler suffered a rib injury Sunday against the Jets. Moore entered in the third quarter and helped Miami rally from a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit for a key 31-28 victory.
Harbaugh said facing Moore will not dramatically alter the game plan.
"Both quarterbacks run the same offense; the rest of the guys out there will be the same guys," Harbaugh said. "So, you're preparing for the complete group, more than you are any one player. Each of the two quarterbacks brings a little something different. Matt Moore is a great quarterback; he's proven that. We've played him before. We understand what he brings to the table, and that'll be our focus and preparation. If that changes, we'll just have to adjust."
The Ravens, though, will have to play better against the run. Entering the game, Baltimore has the league's 32nd-ranked run defense.
"Oh man, it's a yucky taste in our mouth right now," cornerback Brandon Carr said about the team's struggles against the run. "All hands are on deck right now. All 11 guys, back end and the front seven, of course, we're going to iron this thing out. It's a long season, we're halfway there, and we've got a lot of great football to play still."
Harbaugh acknowledged the Ravens likely need to win 10 games to avoid missing the postseason for the fourth time in five year. This increases the pressure to earn a victory Thursday against Miami.
It's ostensibly a must-win game.
"You've got to be tough, you've got to go play on Thursday night against a team that's on a roll," Harbaugh said. "That's our job. We have to get it done, but our guys are up for it."
