Ravens, Saints Preseason Game to Be Played as Scheduled Despite Hurricane Harvey

The NFL preseason game between the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints scheduled for Thursday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans will reportedly be played as planned.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network provided the update Wednesday afternoon. Adam Schefter of ESPN had previously reported there were ongoing "discussions" about whether to play the exhibition contest due to the potential impact of Hurricane Harvey.

The league already decided to cancel a game set for Thursday between the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. The decision was made to give Texans players a chance to return to their families in Houston, which is the area Harvey has most impacted.

Texans superstar J.J. Watt has spearheaded an effort on social media to bolster the relief efforts. His most recent update said $5.1 million in donations had been received:

Brandon Griggs of CNN noted Tuesday the latest estimates showed 11 trillion gallons of rain had fallen on Texas, leaving an estimated 30,000 people in need of temporary shelter and 58 counties facing a disaster declaration.

The Greater Houston Partnership and Moody's Analytics projected the total cost of Harvey in terms of the loss of economic activity and property damage at $50 billion, according to Collin Eaton of the Houston Chronicle.

Meanwhile, the Weather Channel forecasts the remnants of the system are going to move through Louisiana as it starts to move East after an extended stay in the Gulf region.

If the game between the Ravens and Saints does ultimately get canceled, both teams would next see the playing field in Week 1 of the regular season next month. Baltimore will travel to face the Cincinnati Bengals, while New Orleans also takes to the road to face the Minnesota Vikings.