It has been seven weeks since Isaiah Likely had surgery on his fractured left foot. The injury happened barely a week into training camp, and it crushed his early momentum. Now, with Baltimore getting set for a prime-time battle against Detroit, the timing feels tempting. But the Ravens know this isn’t just about one game. With 14 more ahead, the decision to play or sit will have a ripple effect way beyond Monday night.

Still, the progress is hard to ignore. Likely has managed only three limited practices since getting back on the field last Friday before the Browns game. Yet, even in short sessions, he feels like things are moving in the right direction. The Lions game might come too soon, but the young tight end has found hope in every step forward.

“Taking it day by day right now,” Likely said when asked if he would play against the Lions following Friday’s practice. “Trying to get my feet back underneath me. Being a presence out there is good for me. Y’all know I want to be out there.”

And yes, Isaiah Likely knows the bigger picture. “You always want to look at the long game,” Likely told reporters Friday. “In this league, it’s a turtle’s race. I mean, in this league, it’s a turtle’s race. I mean, you don’t want to get in September 80 percent and then really understand that, you know, January is so far away.”

He leaned on the Ravens’ new performance and wellness facility to push through the hardest days. The glass walls let him watch his teammates. It was fun. Still, for someone who set career highs in catches (42), receiving yards (477), and touchdowns (6) last year, it must sting to sit out games.

 “I mean, we just put up 40 plus back to back,” he added, referring to the Ravens’ Week 1 and 2 scorelines. “So knowing that the offense is well capable to be able to be themselves, whether I’m on and off the field, knowing that, you know, I’m in no rush and they’re not rushing me to get back because I mean, me limited isn’t helping anybody. I mean, you guys want to see me be me.”

That’s how he handled it — with patience, some humor, and a lot of fire still waiting to be unleashed. The Ravens, however, despite their high scores, still have a few things to address when it comes to rushing.

Ravens know they need to run the ball better without Likely

The Ravens know the ground game wasn’t good enough in Cleveland. Twenty-one carries turned into just 45 yards, with Derrick Henry held to 23. That kind of stat line doesn’t happen often for Baltimore, but it hit hard. Everyone in the building owned it on Friday, and the message was clear — they need to bounce back fast with the Lions on Monday night.

Offensive coordinator Todd Monken didn’t sugarcoat it either. “They’re really good, and we didn’t execute at a high level,” Monken said. “Didn’t coach well enough, didn’t play well enough. The tape tells the story. They’re going to make plays on their own. We just can’t add to it. We’ve got to play better.”

Henry’s 23 yards were his lowest as a Raven, and when asked about what comes next, he made it personal. “Be better and [let] that never happen again,” Henry said. “Continue to get better. Me, myself first, be better with the football and be more efficient, be more explosive. I always look at myself first. I always point the finger at me and say I need to be better. If they’re stopping the run and there’s nowhere to go, then make one.”

The Lions have been giving up 106 yards per game on the ground, and the Ravens see a chance to reset. Center Tyler Linderbaum echoed that belief. The Ravens have plenty to clean up, especially considering the games they have ahead of themselves. But they aren’t letting one off-night define them. With Isaiah Likely out, they’ll lean even harder on the run to find their rhythm against Detroit.