Ravens QB Joe Flacco (ankle) took reps Wednesday and is expected to start Sunday.

Joe Flacco didn't participate in workouts during the bye week, but the Ravens quarterback is expected to practice Monday when the team begins its preparations for the undefeated Denver Broncos.

"I could play today if we had to," Flacco said Wednesday, the Ravens' last practice before taking four days off for the bye. "It's no big deal."

Flacco hurt his right ankle in the first quarter of Sunday's 33-31 loss at the Minnesota Vikings. After his left foot was stepped on by Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, Flacco said, he went to step back with his right foot and rolled it.

Joe Flacco didn't participate in workouts during the bye week, but the Ravens quarterback is expected to practice Monday when the team begins its preparations for the undefeated Denver Broncos.

"I could play today if we had to," Flacco said Wednesday, the Ravens' last practice before taking four days off for the bye. "It's no big deal."

Flacco hurt his right ankle in the first quarter of Sunday's 33-31 loss at the Minnesota Vikings. After his left foot got stepped on by Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, Flacco said he went to step back with his right foot and rolled it.

Ravens TE L.J. Smith (hamstring) was not on the filed for all his reps today. Regardless, he's not someone to count on at this stage, even with Joe Flacco emerging as a viable passing QB.

With a rookie at QB, sophomore RB will be relied on heavily.

Kevin Smith's role in the Lions' offense got immeasurably more significant when rookie Matthew Stafford was named starting QB.

Not that he wasn't going to be important anyway, but there's nothing more valuable to a rookie QB in the NFL than having a reliable RB -- a guy that can handle some of the load and shoulder some of the pressure. Just ask Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco.

Ryan was the first QB taken in last year's Draft and started right away for the Falcons. Flacco, as a rookie, beat out incumbent Kyle Boller for the starting spot with the Ravens. Both led their teams to the playoffs and both had one thing in common: the support of an excellent rushing attack. The Falcons ranked second in rushing, the Ravens fourth.

Smith rushed for 976 yards in 2008, fourth-best among NFL rookies, with eight touchdowns. But those numbers have to be better if he's going to help shoulder some of the burden from Stafford.

QB Joe Flacco and defense carried the Ravens past the Panthers in preseason week 3. Flacco proved too much for the poor-tackling Panthers, throwing for 247 yards and one touchdown.
Derrick Mason caught six passes for 71 yards, and Kelley Washington moved to the front of Baltimore's crowded receivers race by catching three passes for 66 yards.

Joe Flacco finished the Ravens preseason opener 9/15 for 103 yards.

Peter king reports.... Ray Rice made the best offensive play I saw all week. Circling out of the backfield into the right flat, he reached for a Joe Flacco pass thrown high and caught it one-handed, with the nose of the lasered ball nestling against the palm of his right glove. Rice never put his other hand on it. Happened so fast. For that reason and many others, I would not be surprised if Rice beats out Willis Mcgahee for the starting job.

Who steps up at Ravens WR? With Derrick Mason announcing his retirement, the Ravens need someone to become Joe Flacco's go-to guy. Veterans Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams will get the first shots, but Kelley Washington, Marcus Smith and Justin Harper, who impressed earlier this week during practices for rookies and select veterans, have the most to gain from this opportunity.

A week before the first full-team practice at Ravens training camp, the team's wide receiver position remains up in the air.

The Ravens still don't know whether Derrick Mason will rescind his decision to retire or whether any of the receivers trying out today will pan out (though Drew Bennett is the early favorite, according to a team source).

Perhaps the best-case scenario is adding a veteran before training camp and welcoming back Mason during the first couple of weeks, a combination that would patch up a questionable group at wide receiver for second-year quarterback Joe Flacco.

Coach John Harbaugh said Thursday that he's hopeful Mason will return but that he couldn't predict what the team's No. 1 receiver will do.