BEREA — Left guard Eric Steinbach missed his second straight practice Thursday with a shoulder injury and will likely be a gametime decision Sunday.
While it seems like the perfect time for Ryan Tucker to make his season debut, the veteran isn’t sure he’s ready following a broken hip in the offseason.
“It’s day by day still,” he said Thursday. “It’s not up to my standards yet, but it’s coming.”
Tucker was limited in practice Thursday, but has done more this week than in the previous two.
“We’ll see as the week goes on whether he’s ready or not,” coach Romeo Crennel said. “He’s trying to do everything he can to get ready.”
Tucker has taken a cautious approach throughout his rehabilitation and doesn’t want to risk a setback when he’s so close to returning to the field.
“The first time out there, I was a bit scared,” he said. “(Breaking a hip) is something you don’t want to do over again. I’m over that hurdle and now I’m trying to get the speed part of the game back.
“I wish I could snap my fingers, but that’s not how it works.”
If Steinbach and Tucker can’t play versus the Ravens, Seth McKinney would start at left guard and Rex Hadnot at right guard.
Tucker played right tackle for most of his career and has done some work there in practice recently, so he may be in line to take over for Kevin Shaffer when fully healthy. But speed is at a premium at tackle, so Tucker could be eased in at guard, where strength is more important and Tucker shined last season.
Either way, Tucker said it’s up to the coaches whether he plays this week.
“They’re not rushing me, not pressuring me,” he said. “It’s their decision. I’m just trying to get back.”

Happy in Baltimore

Elyria’s Haruki Nakamura, a rookie safety for the Ravens, grew up a fan of the Browns and Buccaneers and said it’ll be special facing his hometown team.
“I’ve gotten a ton of text messages and voicemails and people are saying, ‘Too bad you’re not playing for the Browns,’” Nakamura said Thursday by phone. “It’ll be fun, it’ll be exciting.”
Nakamura (5-foot-10, 205 pounds) attended St. Edward High School and the University of Cincinnati. He was a sixth-round draft pick in April.
He said the Ravens (1-0) expect the Browns’ best after an 0-2 start.
“They’re an explosive team,” he said. “We know they need this game. We’re going to play hard-core football.”
Nakamura played special teams in the opener, making a solo tackle and assisting on another. He said former Browns special teams coach Jerry Rosburg has Baltimore prepared for returner Joshua Cribbs.
“We’ve been solid in special teams down through the preseason,” Nakamura said. “We’re confident coming in.”

Injury report

Receiver Donte Stallworth (quadriceps) missed practice again, along with linebacker Willie McGinest (hamstring) and special teamer Kris Griffin (calf), but Crennel wouldn’t rule them out for the game.
• Cribbs returned to practice but was limited.
• Crennel said running back Jamal Lewis hurt his ankle Sunday against Pittsburgh and is also dealing with a hamstring injury suffered in the preseason. Lewis was limited in practice but is expected to play.
• Receiver Braylon Edwards hurt his shoulder against the Steelers, according to Crennel.
“He got banged in the game,” Crennel said.
Edwards hasn’t talked to reporters since last Friday. He was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday.

Double Whammy

Defensive lineman Shaun Smith was fined $5,000 for a major face mask on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, according to a league spokesman. If that weren’t bad enough, Smith lost a sack when the Elias Sports Bureau watched film of the game.
On the face-mask play in the second quarter, the ball came out of Roethlisberger’s hand as his arm was moving forward, hit the back of the offensive lineman and bounced back to him, according to Elias. The play was changed to a minus-7-yard pass to himself.
• Steelers linebacker James Farrior was fined $7,500 by the NFL for making an obscene gesture toward Browns fans.

Simply the best

Kicker Phil Dawson was blown away by punter Dave Zastudil’s outing Sunday night in winds that gusted to 60 mph. Zastudil averaged a net of 52.8 yards.
“It was the most impressive performance I’ve ever seen,” Dawson said. “Had the wind been at his back every punt, it still would’ve been the most impressive performance I’ve ever seen, but all five of his punts were into the wind.
“To do what he did on a night like that, I can’t overstate how impressive that was.”
Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.

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