Lamar Jackson, Patrick Queen Avoid Season-Ending Injuries vs. Broncos

Ravens LB Patrick Queen

Getty Ravens LB Patrick Queen got carted off the field in fourth quarter of a regular season game on December 4, 2022.

The Baltimore Ravens were able to eke out a one-point win over the Denver Broncos 10-9 in Week 13 but did so without the face of their franchise under center for the final three quarters. After getting sacked for a six-yard loss on the final play of the opening quarter, staring quarterback Lamar Jackson, gingerly walked to the locker room with team trainers.

He would not return after being ruled out for the second half with a knee injury but after the game concluded in dramatic fashion with his team on top, head coach John Harbaugh provided a positive update on the health of the former unanimous league MVP moving forward.

“It’s a knee, but it’s not a season-ending type of knee [injury],” Harbaugh said in his postgame press conference on December 4.

He went on to say that the team will have more updates either Monday or Wednesday after further tests are conducted and Jackson could miss anywhere from a number of days to weeks but they’re going to take the wait-and-see approach with their most valuable player.

“We’ll see if he can go back this week. If not, it will be sometime after that shortly,” Harbaugh said.

In Jackson’s stead, third-year signal caller Tyler Huntley stepped in and stepped up to lead the team to a hard-fought come-from-behind victory. Outside of one ill-advised pass that was intercepted, the former undrafted free agent played a very efficient game and came up clutch when the team need it the most.

Down by six points which seemed like an insurmountable deficit with the woeful way the Ravens’ offensive line played pass protection for the vast majority of the game, Huntley marched the offense 91-yard in 16 plays and punched the ball across the goal line himself from two yards out for the game-winning score.

He did his best Jackson impersonation with the way he made impressive plays with both his arm and legs, finishing 27-of-32 for 187 passing yards and leading the team in rushing with 41 yards and a score on 10 attempts.

If Jackson can’t suit up for the Ravens’ big AFC North road matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14, Huntley will in line to make his fifth career start and will likely be backed up by undrafted rookie Anthony Brown who is currently on the practice squad.

Huntley started four games for the Ravens in place of Jackson in 2021 and even though the team went 1-3 with him under center, they were in every game. With a healthier and much-improved defense than the depleted unit from last year, they’ll be in capable and competent hands until their star returns.


Defensive Starter Also Avoided Serious Injury

Jackson wasn’t the only former Ravens first-round pick to leave the game with an injury to a lower extremity and not return. Third-year inside linebacker Patrick Queen had to get carted off the field in the fourth quarter after getting kneed in the leg by friendly fire when both he and defensive tackle Justin Madubuike were making a diving tackle on a Broncos ball carrier.

Harbaugh had a positive update on him as well in his postgame press conference.

“Patrick Queen has a thigh bruise,” Harbaugh said. “The X-rays were negative, so that was very good news.”

Queen has started every game for the team this season and is having his best year to date with a team-leading 85 total tackles. He still finished as the team’s leader in solo tackles against the Broncos with seven and has formed one of the best inside linebacker tandems in the league since the team acquired two-time All-Pro Roquan Smith from the Chicago Bears at the midseason trade deadline.

If he has to miss any amount of time, the Ravens still have Smith and will likely utilize their DIME subpackage with multiple safeties on the field even more until he returns. They also have veteran journeyman Josh Bynes who was the starter next to Queen before Smith arrived and third-year pros Malik Harrison and Kristen Welch as well.


Defense Bounces Back in ‘Big’ Way

After giving up 18 points in the fourth quarter alone last week to an inferior opponent, the Ravens’ defense rebounded and returned to their stingy suffocating form against another in Week 13. They held the Broncos out of the end zone and limited their talented yet underperforming offense to four field goal attempts, including three from 50 yards or longer.

“I’m just happy we finished,” outside linebacker Justin Houston said in his postgame press conference. “We’ll take a win however we can get it. I think, defensively, we played good, but we can be better in all phases. We just continue to build from this point.”

They yielded under yards of total offense for the third time in their last four games after allowing 321 through the air alone against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 12. They stood tall when the offense turned the ball over and gave the Broncos a short field and are still chasing the shutout that has alluded them all season.

“It was a good test for the defense,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey said in his postgame press conference. “We gave them two field goals early, but [in the] second half we kind of tied it up. That one was kind of in their territory already, but it’s good. We’ll still just trying to build. We’re still chasing a goose egg, so we could have played better. Some plays I left on the field, but it feels good to be able to have a good defensive day.”

The last time the Ravens pitched a shoutout on defense came in Week 6 of the 2018 season against Tennessee Titans in a 20-0 victory. The franchise’s standard of playing elite defense is understood and strived for by every member of this year’s loaded unit.

“Everybody is kind of held to that standard, and we fought, we fought, we fought, [and] we got the win” Madubuike said in his postgame press conference. “We’ve got to carry that over to next week and bring more intensity because it’s not going to be an easy game. If everyone on our defense does what they need to do and puts their best effort in, we’ll put ourselves in position to enjoy ourselves.”