Ravens mascot injured in halftime football game

Injuries are often the most significant news from the NFL’s preseason.

Not even the mascot is safe sometimes.

Poe, the Baltimore Ravens’ bird mascot, was carted off at halftime of Saturday night’s game against the Washington Commanders with an apparent injury. 

ESPN reported that the mascot was hurt while playing in a halftime football game between a squad of mascots and a youth football team.

Poe remained on the field for nearly five minutes because, according to the report, observers were unsure whether he was really injured.

One report said that the person in the suit may have suffered a torn ACL.

The Ravens would win the contest, 17-15, extending their record preseason winning streak to 23 straight games. 

The Commanders pulled within two with 5:31 remaining when Sam Howell threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Bonnafon. A 2-point conversion pass was incomplete, helping preserve the streak, but Baltimore defensive back Kevon Seymour injured an ankle on the play. Teammate Zakoby McClain appeared to fall on Seymour’s right leg.

It was in this preseason matchup last year that the Ravens lost running back J.K. Dobbins to a season-ending knee injury. They seemed to avoid anything that serious this year — although in addition to the injury to Poe, Baltimore also announced that defensive tackle Aaron Crawford went down with a groin problem.

Neither team was taking too many chances: Quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Carson Wentz were among those who didn’t play.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.