OWINGS MILLS, Md. — John Harbaugh’s mood was exactly how you might predict it to be 24 hours following the Ravens’ third loss against a sub-.500 team this season.

The Baltimore coach was tense and defensive, clenching his teeth in response to a few questions and providing noticeably short answers on a number of occasions. While Harbaugh was clearly ready to move on to this week’s matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, his thoughts remained unchanged regarding the Ravens’ 22-17 defeat to the lowly Seahawks.

“It feels the same way that it did [Sunday] night,” Harbaugh said. “Very disappointing loss, one that we have to regroup from, improve in a lot of different areas, and get ready to play this week. Every week in this league is a new week. Every game is a new game. At the end of the year, they count up how many you win and how many you lose.”

As media asked him about the psychology connecting the Ravens’ three losses to teams with losing records and the team’s spirits in the aftermath of the surprising defeat, Harbaugh’s explanation for the loss was blunt: three turnovers, two missed field goals, an erratic passing offense, and a defense that couldn’t get off the field in the game’s final drive.

“We put ourselves behind the eight ball [in] too many situations and then ended up losing by just five points in a tough environment,” Harbaugh said. “You play better football, you win football games like that. That goes to all of us. That’s what we have to do — we have to coach better, we have to play better — and we’ll win those three football games [we lost].”

Answering many questions with the same theme — only different wording — Harbaugh closed the press conference with the quote of the afternoon when pressed about a perceived attitude of simply moving on to the next week before taking the proper time to focus on mistakes after three defeats to teams with losing records.

Did the Ravens take time to lick their wounds before picking themselves up off the mat on Monday?

“Licking wounds? No, we’re not licking any wounds,” Harbaugh said. “We are moving on. We correct our mistakes, and we go practice on Wednesday. And we get ready to play on Sunday.”

Running away from the run?

A heated topic of discussion on sports talk radio and internet message boards was the Ravens’ one-sided offensive attack that featured 53 passing attempts to only 12 run plays. After an initial uproar was created when Ray Rice received only eight carries in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last month, the star running back received only five rushing attempts against the Seahawks.

The argument can certainly be made that offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and the Ravens panicked too soon in abandoning the run, but an early 10-0 deficit and two lost possessions in the first half — thanks to kick returner David Reed’s two fumbles — threw the offensive game plan out the window. Harbaugh also acknowledged that quarterback Joe Flacco checked out of a run play on the opening drive of the second half when he had his pass tipped into the air and intercepted, leading to another short field goal by Seahawks kicker Steve Hauschka.

“When you don’t have very many plays [in the first half], it’s hard to build up your running game,” Harbaugh said. “When you’re down, you have to throw it to get back in the game. I think every game is different. You’ve got to do in any particular game what you’ve got to do to try to move the ball.”

While many continue to call for Cameron’s job with the Ravens’ perceived refusal to run the football, Harbaugh made it clear that there was no plan to have such offensive imbalance. However, the game situation of being down two possessions and a 4-3 defensive front that continues to give the Ravens problems made it difficult to establish the ground attack.

“In the end, we definitely want to have more runs,” Harbaugh said. “I think that’s indicative of having the lead and having more plays, especially early in the game. The way the game went, we had to throw it. And based on some fronts they were giving us early, we felt like we had to throw it, too.”

Searching for answer at kick returner

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At one point during the first half of an inexplicable 22-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, I quipped that the Ravens should petition the NFL to play the Pittsburgh Steelers every week.

In retrospect, maybe it wasn’t such a crazy idea.

After securing one of the most significant wins in the 16-year history of the franchise in Pittsburgh last week, the Ravens once again proved the margin for error in the NFL is too small to expect to win on the road with anything less than your best performance. Three turnovers, a one-dimensional offense, and a tired defense aren’t going to get it done, even against a 2-6 team that had lost four of its last five games.

While much blame will fall on the shoulders of kick returner David Reed’s two fumbles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron for only giving running back Ray Rice five carries, there were far too many problems across the board as the Ravens dropped their third game of the season against sub-.500 teams — Baltimore had only one in John Harbaugh’s first three years as head coach — and lost their hold atop the AFC North.

The Ravens are now 2-3 against teams with losing records this season while they are 3-0 against those with winning marks (Pittsburgh was 0-0 in Week 1, of course).

Simply put, the Ravens aren’t ready to be an elite team that disposes of inferior competition. For whatever reason, Baltimore has been unable to handle the success of beating quality teams and has followed such feats with mistake-laden, uninspired play against teams it’s supposed to handle without many complications.

After falling behind two scores in the first quarter, the coaching staff panicked despite having come back to win in the Ravens’ two previous games against the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead of mixing in the run with 30 minutes to play after trailing 19-7 at halftime, Cameron put the game solely on the shoulders of quarterback Joe Flacco in the shotgun much earlier than the Ravens really needed to.

This wasn’t a three-possession deficit like the Ravens faced against Arizona two weeks ago. And the Seahawks defense clearly doesn’t possess the pedigree of a Steelers defense where you simply presume you won’t be able to gain yardage on the ground.

Yet, the Ravens put everything on Flacco all afternoon, who performed exceptionally in come-from-behind victories in their last two games, but the sum of the parts simply isn’t good enough for the Baltimore passing game to expect such success every single week.

Flacco missed open receivers, including a wide-open Torrey Smith streaking down the right sideline at one point, but his receivers let him down with drops on several key occasions as well. Flacco tossed it 52 times for 255 yards and a touchdown, but a meager 4.9 yards per attempt just doesn’t justify the complete abandonment of the running game after an early 10-0 deficit. The heroics in Pittsburgh aside, Flacco and his receivers just aren’t ready to be Tom Brady and the Patriots or Aaron Rodgers and the Packers where you can throw and throw and throw some more to be successful every single week.

As was the case in a loss to Jacksonville last month, giving Rice — your best offensive player — 13 total touches just isn’t nearly enough. And while it’s true the Seahawks ran the same 4-3 defense that’s given the Ravens difficulty all season, it’s not an excuse to fail in even trying to mix in the ground game.

Of course, the Ravens’ inept special teams put Cameron and the offense in a difficult position. To fumble two kickoffs — plays that are meant to swing field position in your favor — is a formula for disaster. The second-year kick returner Reed should find himself fortunate to still have a job this week, let alone remain as the team’s primary returner.

Two more missed field goals from 50 yards or more from Billy Cundiff can — mathematically speaking — be pointed to as the difference in the game. Awarded a five-year, $15 million contract in the offseason, Cundiff cannot be expected to connect on every long try, but a far better clip than the 1-for-6 he has this season isn’t unreasonable.

And, yes, even the vaunted defense failed the Ravens when it mattered most. Though only two of the Seahawks’ six scoring drives were longer than 20 yards, Ray Lewis and the defense took the field with 5:52 remaining in the fourth quarter after a Ed Dickson touchdown catch narrowed the margin to 22-17.

Instead of forcing a three-and-out and affording Flacco an opportunity at a third-straight game-winning drive in the final minutes, Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch ran for 32 yards on seven carries and quarterback Tarvaris Jackson twice completed passes on third down to move the chains and keep the ball out of the Ravens’ hands. Though the Baltimore defense spent 35:01 on the field, it failed to look like that championship-caliber unit that could get a stop when it was needed the most.

As much as the Ravens talked all week about the need to build on the elation of sweeping the regular-season series with Pittsburgh last week, they sure didn’t come out and play like it.

Credit Pete Carroll and the Seahawks — proving once again that no game in the NFL is a slam dunk — but the Ravens tripped and fell down the steps to greatness for a third time this season. They have to find a way to play their best football every week, regardless of who they’re playing, and avoid playing to the level of their competition.

As strange as it sounds, one of the biggest challenges in sports is being able to handle success.

The good news is Baltimore still has seven games remaining on the schedule to figure it out.

The Ravens are good — even very good, at times.

But they’re just not ready to be great.

After Baltimore Ravens victories, Ryan Chell and I award players who made positive contributions with “Pats on the Ass” during the “Nasty Purple Postgame Show” on AM1570 WNST.net.

To just about everyone’s surprise, there were no Pats to be given following the Ravens’ game Sunday, as they fell 22-17 to the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field.

So instead of offering “Pats on the Ass”, Ryan and I instead offered “Slaps to the Head” postgame. A slap on the side of the head from a coach tends to come along with them saying something along the lines of “you’ve gotta do better than that.”

Same rules as there were with Pats. Two offensive players, two defensive players, and a wild card (Special Teams player, coach, or another Offensive or Defensive player). One player gets “two slaps” (or a slap on both sides of the head), it’s the opposite of a “Player of the Game” honor.” Ryan and I select five different players after each game.

Here are our five Ravens that have “gotta do better than that.”

Glenn Clark’s Slaps…

5. Ray Lewis

4. Anquan Boldin

3. Jarret Johnson

2. John Harbaugh

1. David Reed (Two slaps)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Despite the notion that Haloti Ngata’s thigh injury is not considered serious, the Pro Bowl defensive tackle was missing from practice for the second straight day on Thursday.

Ngata was nicked up during the Ravens’ 30-27 win over the Arizona Cardinals despite the team reporting no new injuries following the game. While concern has grown with the hulking defensive lineman missing from practice again, Ngata is still expected to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Left guard Ben Grubbs practiced for the second straight day after he was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday. The fifth-year lineman appeared to be more active than he was the day before as he fired out from a three-point stance with the rest of the starting offensive line during positional drills.

Return specialist David Reed (knee) returned to practice after not participating on Sunday, but wide receiver Lee Evans (ankle) and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (thigh) were not present during the portion of practice. Evans is expected to miss his sixth straight game as he deals with “stress” in his left ankle.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens released their final injury report of the week on Saturday with the expected news that wide receiver Lee Evans and guard Ben Grubbs would be out again after not practicing all week in preparation for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night.

However, rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith is probable to play after missing the last four games with a high ankle sprain sustained early in the Ravens’ season-opening win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 11. Smith practiced fully for the second straight day on Saturday and appears more likely to play than fellow cornerback Chris Carr, who is listed as questionable after practicing on a limited basis all week.

“I feel good,” Smith said before the injury report was released. “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to play this game, but I feel good. I mean, I’m optimistic like I said before, [but] I really don’t know what the coach is going to do with it.”

Many have speculated whether the Ravens should play Smith against the Jaguars, who are ranked last in the league in passing offense, or hold him out to get another week of practice under his belt before returning to action against the Arizona Cardinals next week. Coach John Harbaugh is weighing the risks and rewards with the idea that the rookie cornerback will need time to re-adjust to the speed of the professional game.

The Ravens are ranked seventh in pass defense despite Smith and Carr missing most of the season to this point. Is that a factor to consider in giving Smith an extra week to heal?

“That’s probably part of it, but the other side of the coin is you want to get a young guy out there playing,” Harbaugh said. “He needs to play too; he hasn’t played much. He played very little in the preseason. I think that’s going to be tough for him. Both of those things go through our minds.”

Evans will miss his fourth straight game and will be replaced once again by rookie Torrey Smith in the starting lineup. Andre Gurode will make his fourth straight start at left guard with Grubbs having not played since the season opener. Harbaugh feels the frustration shared by fans regarding the status of the Ravens’ two offensive starters.

“It’s just probably slower than any of us imagine that those guys would be,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve just got to keep fighting in there and try to get them back. I think it’s going to be one day we’re going to walk in here and they’re going to go through a full practice and they’re going to feel good and they’ll be ready to go. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.”

Grubbs’ injury has drawn comparisons to former Ravens left tackle Jonathan Ogden, whose toe ailment contributed to an early exit to a certain Hall of Fame career in 2007. Harbaugh had previously said in mid-September that an MRI showed no structural damage or long-term concern regarding Grubbs’ right toe, and the Ravens coach stood by that claim on Saturday.

“Still waiting for him to respond,” Harbaugh said. “It’s the process of getting the swelling out, getting the bruising out, and the healing process that takes place. I know that’s pretty vague, but that’s the best I can do.”

Still not cleared for contact after sustaining a concussion on Oct. 2, safety Tom Zbikowski is listed as doubtful and likely to miss his second straight game as he continues to deal with symptoms. The strong safety practiced on a limited basis on Saturday and said it was a good day for him in terms of not feeling the effects of the concussion.

Zbikowski is listed behind Bernard Pollard at strong safety on the Ravens’ official depth chart.

“Obviously, it’s never as fast as you want it to be,” Zbikowski said. “You want to be back as soon as you can, but once again, it’s a brain injury. It’s not a hamstring injury or something like that where you make it a little worse — it’s something I’m taking a pretty good precaution on before I get out there.”

Return specialist David Reed was the only new addition to Saturday’s injury report after being limited with a finger injury in the final practice of the week. He is listed as probable on the official injury report for Monday’s game, but the condition could factor heavily in the decision whether he or Bryan McCann handles kickoff return duties.

BALTIMORE
OUT – WR Lee Evans (ankle), G Ben Grubbs (toe), RB Anthony Allen (thigh), LB Dannell Ellerbe (thigh)
DOUBTFUL – S Tom Zbikowski (head)
QUESTIONABLE – CB Chris Carr (thigh)
PROBABLE – CB Jimmy Smith (ankle), WR David Reed (finger), LB Jarret Johnson (back)

JACKSONVILLE
OUT – S Courtney Greene (hamsting)
DOUBTFUL – T Eben Britton (back)
QUESTIONABLE – G Jason Spitz (quad)
PROBABLE – DT Tyson Alualu (knee), CB Derek Cox (groin), S Dawan Landry (thigh), T Eugene Monroe (shoulder), WR Kassim Osgood (hamstring), RB Montell Owens (knee), G Will Rackley (knee), LB Clint Session (elbow), T Guy Whimper (hip)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — With the Ravens enjoying their bye last week, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron spent time evaluating every aspect of the offense through four weeks of the season.

His verdict was predictable, saying the Ravens aren’t really doing anything consistently great on the offensive side of the football, but he did make an interesting observation regarding opposing defenses. Despite Lee Evans playing only two games and the Ravens relying on rookie Torrey Smith as a starting receiver opposite Anquan Boldin, Cameron believes opposing defenses are respecting the potential of the Baltimore passing game despite only being ranked 18th in the NFL.

“What I do really like is the fact [that] I sense that people feel like they better back up,” Cameron said. “And I think that fits our style as a team. We want to be a vertical passing team — that’s the first thing we talk about — and secondly, a high (completion) percentage team”

Of course, potential is one thing and production is another as Joe Flacco’s 49.3 percent completion percentage must improve if the Ravens are to consistently move the chains and register enough points every week. Evans’ health will also play a major factor as the 30-year-old veteran did not practice on Thursday after returning to the field earlier in the week.

The Ravens have attempted 25 passes that traveled longer than 20 yards in the air (completing five) after four games. In 2010, Baltimore threw only 73 passes greater than 20 yards in the air (connecting on 26).

Stretching the field makes sense with the speedy Smith already producing a three-touchdown effort against the St. Louis Rams, but having sufficient time will be a challenge on Sunday as the Texans’ 3-4 defense likes to get after the quarterback. That pressure is a major reason why Houston has improved from 30th overall in pass defense last season to sixth in 2011.

Though coping with the loss of top pass rusher Mario Williams for the season, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips won’t relent in trying to make Flacco uncomfortable in the pocket. Defensive end Antonio Smith has 4 1/2 sacks, and talented 2011 second-round pick Brooks Reed will take Williams’ spot in the lineup.

Having coached with Phillips when the two served as coordinators with the San Diego Chargers from 2004 through 2006, Cameron knows exactly what to expect on Sunday — at least from a philosophical standpoint.

“It’s going to be pressure,” Cameron said. “His answer has always been, ‘If they are not having success with pressure, more pressure.’ I think that is going to be the key for us, just making sure that we handle the pressure they bring. They have gotten to every quarter that they have played so far.”

Swatting Schaub

The Oakland Raiders battered and bruised Texans quarterback Matt Schaub throughout the game last Sunday, but a surprising statistic from the Raiders’ win in Houston was the number of passes knocked down at the line of scrimmage.

Despite the 6-foot-5 Schaub towering over a majority of defensive linemen he encounters, the Raiders batted down six passes, collected three sacks, and recorded 12 hits on the quarterback in their 25-20 victory.

It’s the same blueprint the Ravens will attempt to follow after registering 11 sacks in their first four games. Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is known for his ability to bat down passes at the line of scrimmage if he doesn’t get to the quarterback.

“You want to get [Schaub] off the spot,” defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said. “You want to get pressure up the middle, and if the ball’s coming out and you’re not going to get the sack, we always talk to our guys about getting their hands up. So, we’re looking to try to get some of the same production.”

Concern for Schaub’s health grew on Wednesday as the veteran did not participate in the Texans’ practice with what was listed as a right shoulder injury. However, Pagano and the Ravens fully expect the talented passer to play on Sunday. Schaub was a limited participant in Thursday’s workout in Houston.

“[The Raiders] beat him up pretty good, but he’s a tough kid,” Pagano said. “He’s a great competitor. Even though I guess he didn’t go [Wednesday], it’s probably just a precautionary thing. He’s going to be there [on Sunday].”

Returning returners

After shuffling a variety of return options in and out of the lineup through the season’s first four weeks, the Ravens may be finding some stability with the return of wide receiver David Reed. The kick return specialist practiced fully on Thursday and appears to be ready to return to action after suffering a shoulder injury in Week 2 against Tennessee.

Reed set a franchise record with a 103-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to begin the second half against the Texans last year to give the Ravens a 28-7 lead. The second-year Utah product also had a 77-yard return in the 26-13 loss to the Titans on Sept. 18.

Despite playing in only one game this season, Reed leads the team in kick return yardage (125 yards on three returns) over rookie LaQuan Williams (109 yards on five run-backs). Reed is confident he will quickly become a factor for the kickoff return unit despite a near-month layoff.

“It’s tough, and I have to get my body back into it,” said Reed, who stated his shoulder has held up well in practice this week. “It’s just a couple days of practice; that ought to do.”

With Reed being a full participant on Thursday, all indications point to him regaining his spot as the kick returner, but the Ravens aren’t revealing any plans yet.

“We’ll wait and see until Sunday,” special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg said. “But, it’s good to see him out there running around. He’s got a lot of energy. He’s excited to play. I hope he does.”

Cornerback Bryan McCann will also play a large role in special teams after being signed to a two-year contract by the Ravens during the bye week. McCann brings experience as both a punt and kick returner after handling both jobs for the Cowboys last season.

Considering the Ravens would like to avoid using safety Ed Reed as their primary punt returner, McCann might find himself returning punts even though he’s listed fourth on the team’s official depth chart updated earlier this week. The reason why is No. 1 returner Lardarius Webb is heavily relied upon as a starting cornerback and the next two on the depth chart, Chris Carr and Tom Zbikowski, are currently injured.

“He brought experience in the defense and experience in the return game,” Rosburg said of McCann. “Of course, when we’re covering kicks, he’s got to be able to do that, too. We’ve given him a lot of reps this week. We’re excited to see what he can do.”

Oher’s brother follows him to Baltimore

Ravens right tackle Michael Oher will have a familiar face right here in Baltimore as his step-brother, Sean Tuohy Jr., has accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Loyola University.

Fans will be familiar with Tuohy as the kid step-brother of Oher — known to friends and family as SJ — that was depicted in the movie “The Blind Side” as a spirited confidante instrumental in Oher’s college recruitment. That part of the movie was portrayed accurately, but the Ravens’ third-year lineman did not play a similar role in Tuohy’s recruitment.

“I thought he would go to Ole Miss (where Oher and Tuohy’s parents attended college), but he has his own mind,” Oher said. “I’m going to enjoy having him up here.”

At 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Tuohy will play point guard for Jimmy Patsos’ Greyhounds.

“He’s a smart player,” Oher said. “He can find the open guy. He knows how to play the game. I enjoy watching him.”

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — If Wednesday’s injury report was an encouraging shot in the arm as the banged-up Ravens officially turned their sights toward the Houston Texans, Thursday might feel like a swift kick to the gut.

After returning to practice on a limited basis a day earlier, wide receiver Lee Evans (ankle) and left guard Ben Grubbs (toe) were not practicing during the portion of practice open to the media on Thursday, point the needle in the wrong direction in terms of their status for Sunday. Grubbs was on the field without a helmet as he watched his fellow offensive linemen participate in positional drills while Evans was not present during the first 30 minutes of practice.

Safety Tom Zbikowski (concussion) was also missing during the open portion of the workout after practicing on a limited basis on Wednesday. The fourth-year safety had not been cleared of contact as of Wednesday and experienced concussion-related symptoms during the bye week.

Evans, Grubbs, and Zbikowski joined cornerbacks Chris Carr (hamstring) and Jimmy Smith (ankle) as the five players not participating during the open portion of Wednesday’s workout. For the second straight day, Smith was on the field in street clothes, but the rookie was only walking.

Running back Anthony Allen (thigh), linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (hamstring), safety Haruki Nakamura (knee), and return specialist David Reed were all present and working during the open portion of practice after being listed as limited participants on Wednesday’s injury report.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — After John Harbaugh’s Monday press conference cast doubt on the status of the eight injured Ravens players entering the bye week, Wednesday afternoon’s practice might lift spirits as six of the wounded returned to the practice field.

The most notable returns were wide receiver Lee Evans (ankle) and left guard Ben Grubbs (toe), but the two offensive starters were joined by safeties Tom Zbikowski (concussion) and Haruki Nakamura (knee), return specialist David Reed (shoulder), and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (hamstring) as participants during the portion of practice open to the media.

Cornerbacks Jimmy Smith (ankle) and Chris Carr (hamstring) were not practicing during the open portion. However, Smith was dressed in street clothes and only walking across the width of the side field. It wasn’t a level of activity indicative of a player close to returning to the field.

Carr was not present and indicated in the locker room that he would only return to the field at 100 percent after experiencing a setback on the Thursday leading up to the Jets game.

Evans and Grubbs had reportedly practiced on Monday — a workout closed to the media — and were dressed in full gear for Wednesday’s workout. Grubbs has not played in a game since the season-opening win over Pittsburgh while Evans hasn’t practice or played since the Week 2 loss in Tennessee.

Zbikowski has yet to be cleared for contact after sustaining a concussion in the Week 4 win over the Jets, but the safety was dressed to practice and working out individually on the sideline. Nakamura took part in kickoff and punt team drills during the special teams portion of practice, a strong indication that the Ravens hope he’s able to return to the field against the Houston Texans.

Ellerbe, a strong special teams player, was not participating in any special teams drills and was working on his own despite being dressed to practice.

With eight players shelved with injuries as the Ravens entered their Week 5 bye, the early-season respite was viewed as the perfect elixir to build upon a 3-1 start and an early lead in the AFC North.

However, after coach John Harbaugh expressed optimism last week that the Ravens would have their full regiment of players available against the Houston Texans on Sunday, the early post-bye prognosis had mixed results following Monday’s practice. The week’s first official injury report will not be released until Wednesday afternoon, but the biggest headline was the revelation that rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith would likely miss his fourth straight game while recovering from a high ankle sprain.

The status of others, including starting left guard Ben Grubbs (toe) and starting wide receiver Lee Evans (ankle), remains in question. Grubbs and Evans reportedly practiced on Monday, but both players must wait to see how their bodies respond after long layoffs. Grubbs practiced on a limited basis on the Thursday prior to the Jets game in his only work since the Ravens’ season-opening win over Pittsburgh. Evans has not practiced or played since the Week 2 loss to the Titans.

“I haven’t really gotten anything definitive,” said Harbaugh in assessing the overall health picture. “And, as a coach, you hope for something on Monday that would be somewhat definitive, and there’s nothing there. So, we’re in a wait-and-see mode. Probably won’t give away much anyway as the week goes on, but as of right now, I don’t know who’s going to be back. A couple of guys practiced, a couple of guys didn’t. We’ll just have to see where we’re at.”

The Ravens also hope to see the returns of cornerback Chris Carr (hamstring), safety Haruki Nakamura (knee), linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (hamstring), return specialist David Reed (shoulder), and safety Tom Zbikowski (concussion). Nakamura and Reed did some work during Monday’s practice, but Zbikowski’s status remains a concern after sustaining a concussion in the 34-17 victory over the New York Jets on Oct. 2.

“I would like to be able to have an answer [on Zbikowski] for you, not that I would necessarily tell you, but with concussions, I have no idea,” Harbaugh said. “Until the doctor says he is cleared, you just go, ‘OK, see you when you are cleared.’ He has not been cleared yet.”

It’s unknown whether Carr or Ellerbe practiced on Monday, as neither were available for comment following practice.