Baltimore Ravens seeking bounce-back against 2-0 Broncos

The Baltimore Ravens have had plenty of time to think about their last game, and it probably didn't make anyone on the team smile.

The Baltimore Ravens have had plenty of time to think about their last game, and it probably didn't make anyone on the team smile.

The Ravens (1-1) followed up a Week 1 domination of Buffalo with a relative dud in Cincinnati on Sept. 13. So while the rest is nice, it gave the players and coaches time to go over the mistakes in the 34-23 loss to the Bengals.

The focus has turned to the Denver Broncos, Baltimore's Week 3 opponent. The Ravens and Broncos have a rich history -- Baltimore upset the Broncos in Denver in the 2012 Divisional Round on its way to winning the Super Bowl -- but that won't be on the mind of the players. What is on their mind is getting to 2-1 and forgetting about losing in Cincinnati.

"Everything is tough," coach John Harbaugh told reporters. "Guys make plays, guys make mistakes, games go down to the wire, somebody gets blown out that you don't expect to get blown out. You just can't beat yourself up too much, because if you do, that just takes you to a downward path."

The Ravens haven't had much of a rushing game in the first two weeks. They are averaging just 91.5 yards a game on the ground, with no back having more than 48 rushing yards.

The Broncos, meanwhile, have found a rhythm with their rookie backs -- the undrafted Phillip Lindsay and third-rounder Royce Freeman. Lindsay is the first undrafted rookie ever to amass more than 100 scrimmage yards in each of his first two games, and Freeman has been the early-down back for quarterback Case Keenum.

Denver is 2-0 after a last-second win over Oakland and has to travel across the country for its first road game. The good news is the Broncos will face a banged-up Baltimore defense. Defensive tackle Willie Henry (abdomen) was one of five players not to practice Wednesday and isn't expected to play Sunday. Linebacker C.J. Mosely (knee) could be out for a couple of weeks with a bone bruise.

Baltimore signed linebacker Albert McClellan, who was among the team's final preseason cuts, to provide depth.

Denver, on the other hand, is relatively healthy. Keenum didn't practice Wednesday because of a sore knee, but coach Vance Joseph said Keenum will definitely play Sunday. Cornerback Adam Jones is still getting into playoff shape after signing just before the season, but the only serious injury is to tackle Jared Veldheer, who is in the concussion protocol.

Despite the long plane trip to Baltimore, the Broncos aren't planning on flying out until Saturday.

"It's all about mindset. We're not going to worry about how far we're traveling, what time the game starts -- we don't care," Joseph said Wednesday. "It's going to probably rain on Sunday. We don't care. Our attitude this year is, 'We don't care about where we go or who we play or when we travel or where we travel.' We're just going to go play."

Baltimore's issues spilled off the field when the NFL fined the team $200,000 on Wednesday for improper use of headsets during the preseason. The fine is for violating the league's coach-to-player communications policy, according to the NFL Network. The rule prohibits multiple players from being on the field at the same time as the communication devices.