The Baltimore Ravens have sorely missed Dennis Pitta this season, but the sure-handed tight end is on his way back.
The team announced Wednesday that Pitta will practice for the first time Wednesday since undergoing surgery in August to repair a dislocated hip suffered during training camp. However, neither Pitta nor the Ravens had a timetable for the player's return to game action.
Baltimore held out hope that Pitta -- in a contract year -- might play again in 2013, placing him on short-term injured reserve back in September. A late November return has long been mentioned as a possible target after he began working out regularly last month.
The Ravens are set to play the New YorkJets, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings over a 15-day stretch.
Still alive in the wild-card picture at 4-6, Baltimore and quarterback Joe Flacco could use Pitta's playmaking ability in an offense bereft of reliable targets outside of deep threat Torrey Smith. The tight end position has been a black hole this season for the Ravens, with the ancient Dallas Clark nothing more than a patch after the much-ballyhooed Ed Dickson failed to deliver as a pass-catcher.
We recapped every Week 11 game on the latest "Around The League Podcast."