After Sunday’s game, I would have bet the farm on Ray Lewis suiting up for the Ravens on Thanksgiving.  In fact, I think I ended my Quick Hits post with that exact prediction.

Lewis was sidelined with a toe injury against the Bengals for the first time since 2007.  The future Hall of Famer proved to be a great motivator on the sideline for the Ravens and his teammates made sure the media heard about it after the game.  “The man personally mentored every man on this defense,” Terrell Suggs said.

First of all, we’d say that this was for 52,” Ed Dickson said according Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times. “We know how big his heart is and how badly he wanted to be out there.”

Dickson wasn’t the only Ravens player that talked about Lewis’ health, Dannell Ellerbe also hinted that Lewis’ injury just barely kept him out of the game.  “He wanted to go out there and test it, but we need him for the rest of the season,” Ellerbe said.

I was optimistic that Lewis would return for the Harbowl until I read Jason La Canfora’s column on NFL.com that talked more about the severity of his injury.  “Lewis’ injury is not season-ending,” La Canfora wrote.  That’s good, I didn’t even know anyone thought it was.  “The Ravens expect him to return this season and doctors have given him a similar diagnosis.”   La Canfora says that team officials will let Lewis decide whether he plays or not on Thanksgiving.

Lewis was limited in Monday’s practice, but I still trust T-Sizzle.  “He’ll be back next week and we’ll be 10 times better.”