Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco did not practice this week because of a swollen ankle.

Head coach John Harbaugh even joked that Flacco was wearing a shoe that was “four sizes too big.”

In reality, Flacco was walking around the locker room fine and did not seem to be suffering any pain.

Flacco was held out as a precautionary measure.

“He says he’s feeling great,” Harbaugh said.  “He’s flexible, he’s walking around pretty normally on it. I think he’s about four shoe sizes bigger right now than it was before, so he’s really swollen. He says it feels remarkably well, so he should be back practicing Monday.”

Flacco agreed.

“I could play if I had to,” Flacco said on Wednesday. 

The second-year signal-caller originally hurt his ankle early in the Ravens’ 33-31 loss to the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday.  That game, he was sacked three times and hit another nine.

“I got my left foot stepped on in the first quarter, and it caused me to roll up my right ankle,” Flacco explained.  “The rest of the game, I kind of just got stepped on a couple of times. It’s no big deal. I’m walking pretty good today and running pretty good.”

In addition, starting left tackle Jared Gaither said he expects to be “100 percent” when the Ravens play the Denver Broncos on Nov. 1.  Gaither has missed the Ravens’ last two contests because of a neck injury.

Wideout Kelley Washington was also banged up in the Vikings game.  He was sidelined for a series when he took a blow to his helmet from Minnesota safety Medieu Williams in the fourth quarter.

“It wasn’t anything serious,” Washington said.  “It was just a good, clean hit.  I was able to get back in there later but had to clear my head a little.”