Ravens welcome extra time to prepare for Broncos

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Keep grinding. That was the message John Harbaugh had for his players as they had they watched tape and absorbed a disappointing loss to the division-leading Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night. Now, the Ravens (1-1) have a couple of extra days to prepare for the Denver Broncos, who improved to 2-0 with a victory over Oakland on Sunday. The key for the Ravens is maintaining the overall confidence heading into Week 3 despite the recent subpar performance. Harbaugh watched several top-tier teams struggle on Sunday. "Everything is tough," Harbaugh said. "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. "You can't do it. What it's going to boil down to in the end is who is mentally tougher over the long haul." Baltimore will enter the game without top linebacker C.J. Mosley, who is out with a bruised left knee, and Maurice Canady, who was placed on IR with a thigh injury. Mosley had been in charge of calling the plays on defense. Safety Eric Weddle will now assume that role while Mosley is sidelined. On Monday, the Ravens added depth by signing veteran linebacker Albert McClellan, who played six years in Baltimore before being released Sept. 1. "Albert is a veteran player," Harbaugh said. "He's a very good football player. He knows everything we do. He gives us a lot on special teams, as well. "He can play middle linebacker, to your point. It's a very good point. I would say (he) kind of solidifies us in there a little bit, having so many young players in the group." Baltimore dominated Buffalo 47-3 in the opener. However, the Ravens (1-1) struggled on a short week against the Cincinnati Bengals, falling behind by three touchdowns before losing 34-23. The secondary allowed A.J. Green too much space and he finished with three scores. Harbaugh, however, is not overly discouraged by the result because it's still early in the season. He knows the landscape around the league can change dramatically week to week. "Nobody in the NFL is a good football team yet," he said. "It remains to be seen who the good football teams are, and that's what we've got to try to become." The Ravens will have one advantage over the Broncos with the extra days to rest from the previous physical game against the Bengals. This should allow several players to be fully healthy for the matchup. "That;s valuable to have that," Harbaugh said. "As far as recovery and things like that, and studying. This will be our opportunity. Everybody will get that at some point in time during the season, so it has value." To help bolster the offensive line, the Ravens held tryouts Saturday for guards Jonathan Cooper, Jamil Douglas, Jordan Morgan, Austin Pasztor and Ian Silberman; centers Dillon Day, Hroniss Grasu, T.J. Johnson and Wesley Johnson; and tackle Darrell Williams. Safety Kai Nacua was signed to the practice squad. -- CB Maurice Canady was placed on injured reserve with a thigh injury. However, Ravens coach John Harbaugh expects Canady to return this season. Canady also missed time last season with a knee injury. -- LB Albert McClellan resigned with the Ravens. McClellan is a special teams ace who played six years in Baltimore before being released Sept. 1. He also provides experienced depth at linebacker. -- LB C.J. Mosley suffered a bruised knee Thursday night against the Bengals and is out indefinitely. Mosley has made the Pro Bowl in three of the last four years and led the Ravens with 132 tackles last season. -- RB Kenneth Dixon, who is on injured reserve with a knee injury, could return this season, coach John Harbaugh said. Dixon also missed all of last season with a knee injury. He was listed as No. 3 running back on the depth chart and led the team with 44 yards rushing and one touchdown in the 47-3 victory over the Bills before suffering the injury. -- S Kai Nacua was signed to the Ravens practice squad. He spent the entire offseason with the Ravens and had a solid training camp before dealing with an undisclosed injury. Nacua, who signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent last season, could get an opportunity on the active roster if the Ravens suffer another injury in the secondary, which is already missing two players. -- CB Jimmy Smith must serve two more games in his suspension before returning to the team. The Ravens' secondary struggled without him in the lineup against the Bengals. Smith will likely resume his starting role when he returns.