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We reported last night that Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco will take it easy over the next few days after being hit by a helmet below the knee on Monday night.

The Ravens have provided a more concrete explanation of what that means. The team announced on Wednesday that he has been fitted with a knee brace, and that he’ll be limited in practice.

While Flacco reportedly didn’t need an MRI to assess potential damage to his knee, it’s obvious that there’s an injury of some sort. And the use of a brace confirms what we all saw on Monday night — the low hit from Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy scared Flacco.

The inability of Flacco to fully prepare for Sunday’s date with the Patriots should give them some concern, too, as the defending Super Bowl champs try to extend a late-season four-game winning streak.