Owings Mills, Md. ? The Baltimore Ravens expect Jamal Lewis to play Sunday night against the Washington Redskins. However, they already are preparing for the possibility an NFL suspension would take away their standout running back for up to four games.

Lewis probably will be suspended, and perhaps fined, by the NFL if he pleads guilty Thursday to drug charges in Atlanta, as expected.

“A drug-related violation is grounds for discipline from the league,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday.

The Ravens figure to hear from the league about a disciplinary measure during their bye week, which begins after the Washington game.

“I don’t know, but I would guess there might be some resolution during the bye week,” Ravens coach Brian Billick said. “I would certainly think so. And once we have that resolution, then we can plan with a little more detail.”

Under the deal being considered, Lewis would plead guilty to using a cell phone in violation of federal law and serve a sentence of six months after the 2005 season. Once the plea is on the record, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue can move ahead with his review of the case.

“They will set the parameters for how we go forward, and under what conditions legally,” Billick said, referring to the legal system. “The next part of the process is obviously what the league wants to do.”

Lewis will miss practice Thursday while in Atlanta federal court, but Billick intends to have him back for Friday’s practice and in the backfield Sunday night when Baltimore (2-2) ties to bounce back from Monday’s 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I’m comfortable that he’ll have enough time to be ready for Sunday’s game,” Billick said. “It’s our understanding that it’s very unlikely that there will be any judgment with regards to what the league chooses to do that would impact this game.

Baltimore running back Jamal Lewis reaches out for a one-yard touchdown against Kansas City safety Jerome Woods. Lewis, who scored in the Ravens' 27-24 loss to the Chiefs on Monday night in Baltimore, is expected to plead guilty Thursday to drug charges and might be suspended by the NFL.

“Beyond that, I don’t think anything has changed from how we originally planned to deal with these circumstances.”

The Ravens figured they would lose Lewis during his trial, which was scheduled to begin Nov. 1. Now, they anticipate losing him for from one to four weeks, beginning with the Oct. 24 home game against the Buffalo Bills.

Regardless of the length of the suspension, Billick will summon backups Chester Taylor and Musa Smith to run in Lewis’ place. Taylor has 121 yards rushing on 21 carries this season. Smith has not run the ball, but has seen extensive action on special teams.

The Ravens remain steadfast in support of Lewis, their most prolific offensive player and a soft-spoken individual who last season ran for 2,066 yards.