John Harbaugh will decide whether to rest starters on Monday

[Steely McBeam]

The Ravens have locked down the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a full week to go. So what will they do about playing their starters in Week 17, against the Steelers?

At this moment, they don’t know. Coach John Harbaugh told PFT by phone after Sunday’s 31-15 win at Cleveland that a decision will be made on Monday.

Harbaugh said that he’ll meet with the team’s player leadership council before making the call on whether to rest starters, and that challenge will be to balance avoiding injuries and ensuring that the team won’t be stale after what would be a three-week break between games.

“We have to improve and get better,” Harbaugh said. “That’s what matter most.”

So that’s what Harbaugh will have to decide. How can the team get better in advance of a division-round game against a team like the Chiefs or Patriots or Texans or Titans or Steelers if the Ravens don’t play for 20 or 21 days? With running back Mark Ingram suffering an injury on Sunday and tight end Mark Andrews hobbling a bit and quarterback Lamar Jackson at one point looking wobbly on a knee, is it worth the risk in the name of keeping the saw sharp?