Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell made his long-awaited return in a 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football, but he did not see much playing time.

Mitchell played just two snaps on offense, taking the ball once for no gain against Cincinnati, and the play was wiped out due to a penalty awarded to the Bengals. He also played seven snaps on special teams and returned a kickoff for 30 yards in the third quarter.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh doesn’t think things will stay that way as Mitchell tries to recover from the ACL tear he suffered on Dec. 17. Harbaugh noted at one point that his team hoped Mitchell would get touches from halftime. next to backfield Derrick Henry and Justice Hill.

“Keaton (Mitchell) is a really good football player, so of course there is some special teams element to the running back role.” Harbaugh said Monday:. “Boy, I like him to have the ball in his hands, that’s why we had him there for the kickoff. I’m sure he’ll have it in other phases, but we’re actually going to start running him offensively as well. I see a bit of a three-headed monster there, potentially we’ll see where that goes in the next games and hopefully “This is something that can start to develop for us.”

Mitchell was a spark in the Ravens’ offense last season, averaging 8.4 yards per carry and 10.3 yards per catch in eight games. He finished last season with 47 carries for 396 yards and nine catches for 93 yards.

baltimore It currently has the most efficient running game in football, averaging a league-best 182.6 yards per game and 440.2 total yards per game. Henry has been at the heart of that, leading the NFL with 1,120 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. Hill has been a weapon in the passing game with 272 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

It will not be easy to find balance with Mitchell on the field as he tries to recover from his injury. But if he can return to last season’s form, there’s no reason for that. ravens He can’t have the three-headed monster Harbaugh imagines.

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