Getty Lamar Jackson's latest setback puts the Ravens' playoff hopes in jeopardy.
The Baltimore Ravens were already struggling offensively before the team’s worst-case scenario happened against the Denver Broncos in Week 13. Lamar Jackson suffered an apparent knee injury at the end of the first quarter and was replaced by Tyler Huntley.
Jackson has since been ruled out, per Sunday Night Football on NBC:
Lamar Jackson has been ruled OUT vs. the Broncos.
After the game, which the Ravens won 10-9, head coach John Harbaugh offered a vague timeline about Jackson’s return, although the injury isn’t season-ending, per Ravens Vault co-host Sarah Ellison:
John Harbaugh said that Lamar Jackson’s knee injury is not season-ending. He said he’ll be out days to weeks. He said they’ll. know more maybe by Monday, or Wednesday at the latest.
Any prolonged absence is a major blow for a quarterback playing in a contract year and trying to prove he merits a bumper new deal. Jackson’s injury also has worrying echoes of last season when the dual-threat playmaker’s ankle problem condemned an 8-4 Ravens team to miss out on the playoffs.
Injury Woes Grow on Struggling Offense
Jackson was beset by pressure from a tough Broncos’ defense early on. He suffered sacks by defensive tackle DeShawn Williams and edge-rusher Jonathon Cooper.
The latter took Jackson down to end the first quarter:
Jackson subsequently left the field and bypassed the blue medical tent for an immediate trip to the locker room. Initially, the Ravens were willing to list the star QB as “questionable to return” because of a knee injury.
The greater cost of Jackson taking so many hits early was made clear when the Ravens closed the half trailing 6-3 to the 3-8 visitors at M&T Bank Stadium. Many of those hits were yielded by an offensive line missing All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley and soon to lose his replacement.
Patrick Mekari left the field with a foot injury to be replaced by 2022 fourth-round pick Daniel Faalele, according to Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun. Porous protection contributed to the Ravens continuing to struggle inside the red zone.
The offense “scored just two touchdowns in nine red zone trips” against the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars, per Ravens.com’s Clifton Brown. Those issues continued when the Ravens went 0-for-1 inside the 20 during the first half with Huntley in the lineup.
Huntley continued to have issues after the break, tossing an interception to safety Justin Simmons that the Broncos converted into another field goal for a 9-3 advantage.
.@jsimms1119 will take THAT.
📺: CBS
Coordinator Greg Roman’s offense was struggling even before Huntley was called up from the bench. Jackson was just “3-of-4 for 11 yards” on his first two drives, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
Numbers like those can be attributed to Jackson’s ongoing lack of standout wide receivers, as well as a growing list of casualties compiled by Hensley:
Injuries continue to hit this Ravens offense.
🏈QB Lamar Jackson is questionable to return with knee injury
🏈LT Ronnie Stanley (ankle) is sidelined for 2nd straight game
🏈RB J.K. Dobbins (knee) is currently on IR
🏈WR Rashod Bateman (knee) is out for season
Jackson’s name stands out among the walking wounded. His latest setback could undermine his case during the inevitable contract talks between the face of the franchise and general manager Eric DeCosta this offseason.
It’ll be tough to justify paying Jackson on a par with Deshaun Watson and Broncos’ starter Russell Wilson when taking a growing injury history into account. Jackson has never completed a full season since entering the NFL in 2018.
He takes a lot of hits because of a run-first playing style, making No. 8 a bigger risk than most players at his position. The cost of his injuries is becoming difficult to bear after the Ravens lost five-straight without him in 2021.
If Jackson’s on the shelf for that timeframe again, the Ravens will be at risk of another playoff near miss.