Chris Carr

Ravens cornerback Chris Carr saw a specialist in Texas this week to get another opinion on his injured left hamstring, an injury that forced him out of last Sunday's victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Carr has been dealing with hamstring soreness since early in training camp. "It's been frustrating because there's been a lot of work put into it. It's just been one of those nagging things, but I think it's going to be better pretty soon," Carr said. "That's what I'm looking for. I went to Texas and saw somebody, and got another way of looking at the injury.

Chris Carr conceded that being a healthy scratch for Sunday's win against the Houston Texans for the first time in his seven-year career was a sobering moment. "Yeah, I was disappointed," he said. "But that's one of those things that at this point in my career and at this point in the season, it should be selfless. So I was upset, but I was like, 'OK, I have to gather my feelings and root for my team,' because the ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl, and that's what we want to do. So yeah, I was upset because I'm a competitor and I want to be out there, but you definitely have to realize that it's bigger than you, it's bigger than any one player.

Prior to this season, Chris Carr had never been injured, playing in 96 consecutive games. But the Ravens cornerback sat out seven contests because of hamstring and back injuries. Carr endured another “first” as he was deactivated in the team's 20-13 victory over the Houston Texans in Sunday's AFC divisional playoff round despite being healthy for the first time in his career. Coach John Harbaugh said the decision to scratch Carr - who started all 16 games at cornerback last season - was based on the need to activate six defensive linemen against Houston running backs Arian Foster and Ben Tate.

Prior to this season, Chris Carr had never been injured, playing in 96 consecutive games. But the Ravens cornerback sat out seven contests because of hamstring and back injuries. Carr endured another “first” as he was deactivated in the team's 20-13 victory over the Houston Texans in Sunday's AFC divisional playoff round despite being healthy for the first time in his career. Coach John Harbaugh said the decision to scratch Carr - who started all 16 games at cornerback last season - was based on the need to activate six defensive linemen against Houston running backs Arian Foster and Ben Tate.

After weeks of waiting patiently for his turn, Chris Carr's reward Sunday is his first start of the season, against the reigning Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who torched the Green Bay Packers for 503 passing yards and three touchdowns Sunday. That suits the fifth-year cornerback just fine. "I've been out there," Carr, 26, said Wednesday. "It's not like I've been on the bench the whole entire season and all of a sudden I'm right in there.

1 Run the ball. Ravens get back to running the ball. The Ravens dominated the Bengals with their ground game last season, rushing for 376 yards in two meetings. Cincinnati has allowed a running back to gain at least 93 yards in consecutive games. 2 Protect Flacco. Keep defensive end Antwan Odom off Joe Flacco. If Jared Gaither is sidelined with a neck injury, rookie Michael Oher will go head-to-head with Odom, who leads the NFL with eight sacks. 3 Make big returns. The Bengals have the NFL's third-worst punt coverage team, giving up an average of 15.2 yards on nine returns.

In a repeat of Thursday, inside linebacker Ray Lewis and cornerback Chris Carr were absent from the portion of Friday's practice open to the media. Lewis, a 12-time Pro Bowl selection, did not practice Wednesday and Thursday. He has been hobbled by an injured toe on his right foot that has forced him to miss the Ravens' past two games. Carr, did not practice Thursday after being limited Wednesday by a recurring back ailment. Carr also missed the win against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night.

For now, it appears that left guard Ben Grubbs and cornerback Chris Carr are in danger of missing Sunday's game at the Tennessee Titans. Grubbs, the starting left guard since 2008, was absent for the third consecutive day. He has been dealing with what the team described as a toe injury. If Grubbs cannot play, recently-signed Andre Gurode is listed as his backup. Gurode, a five-time Pro Bowl center, made 38 starts at guard in his first three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Ravens secondary could be getting closer to full strength. Rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith, who hasn't played since Week One because of a high ankle sprain, returned to practice on a limited basis today. He hasn't practiced since sustaining his injury, but he looked pretty comfortable running and hitting the blocking sled. Smith was joined on the practice field by cornerback Chris Carr, who has missed three of the Ravens' five games with a hamstring injury. Carr was also a limited practice participant, but he fielded some punts so that is probably a good sign that he is feeling much better.

Linebackers Jameel McClain and Brendon Ayanbadejo, who were considered game-time decisions for today's AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Houston Texans, will both play today. McClain (knee sprain) and Ayanbadejo (quad) were both limited participants in practice all week. However, they both looked mobile during pregame workouts, and did enough to convince the coaching staff that they are ready to go. The only surprise inactive was cornerback Chris Carr who wasn't on the injury report all week.

Ravens cornerback Chris Carr is everywhere, all at once. He had played in 97 straight games before being injured in this year's season opener, where he was part of a defense that forced a franchise-record seven turnovers in a 35-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. On the field, Carr is praised for his initiative, versatility and camaraderie with his teammates. Off the field, he's spent time interning at a law firm, a profession he plans to pursue after football. Last winter, the engaging political science major from Boise State was presented with the media's Good Guy Award for his accessibility and candor.

The pain in Chris Carr's back has subsided, but the Ravens cornerback said he's not trying to accelerate his return to the team. With the team poised to make a playoff run, Carr can afford to be a little conservative in his rehabilitation. “As soon as I feel like I'm 100 percent, I'm going to come out,” he said Thursday. “I guess just mentally, there's more comfort there knowing that there might be a longer season. … The length of the season really hasn't put a timetable on me. It's just given me more encouragement to deal with it mentally.” Carr has missed the Ravens' last two games because of recurring back pain, which he called “excruciating.” He did not practice Wednesday and was absent from the portion of Thursday's session open to the media, casting doubt on his availability for Sunday's home game against the Indianapolis Colts.

In a repeat of Thursday, inside linebacker Ray Lewis and cornerback Chris Carr were absent from the portion of Friday's practice open to the media. Lewis, a 12-time Pro Bowl selection, did not practice Wednesday and Thursday. He has been hobbled by an injured toe on his right foot that has forced him to miss the Ravens' past two games. Carr, did not practice Thursday after being limited Wednesday by a recurring back ailment. Carr also missed the win against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night.

For the second straight day, rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith participated in practice - the first time he's practiced in back-to-back sessions since the week leading up to the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That was also the day he suffered a high left ankle sprain, which has sidelined him for almost the entire season. The first-round pick's activity could be interpreted as a positive step towards suiting up for the Ravens' contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars Monday night.

The Ravens secondary could be getting closer to full strength. Rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith, who hasn't played since Week One because of a high ankle sprain, returned to practice on a limited basis today. He hasn't practiced since sustaining his injury, but he looked pretty comfortable running and hitting the blocking sled. Smith was joined on the practice field by cornerback Chris Carr, who has missed three of the Ravens' five games with a hamstring injury. Carr was also a limited practice participant, but he fielded some punts so that is probably a good sign that he is feeling much better.

When Ravens cornerback Chris Carr missed a game because of injury for the first time in his NFL career this season, he bought a hyperbaric chamber to aid healing. So far, it hasn't helped. Carr has missed two games with a hamstring injury, and he missed practice Wednesday. When he met with reporters before practice, he voiced frustration with the injury. "It's frustrating because up to this year, I never missed a game before," Carr said. "So, missing one game, I'm like, 'How do people do this?