The Baltimore Ravens had a successful Week 4 on the field, and as they look forward to Week 5, they still have a major concern moving forward as it relates to Lamar Jackson.
Jackson missed practice on Wednesday with a knee injury according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and while that might sound bad, apparently, the injury isn’t all that serious and the move to hold Jackson out and let Robert Griffin III take the majority of snaps was simply a precautionary move.
Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson did not practice today due to a knee injury that is not considered serious, per source. He was held out of practice for “precautionary reasons.” With Jackson out today, RG3 took the QB reps.
Jackson once again missed practice on Thursday, this time with an illness in addition to his other ailment.
The good news? It still sounds as if both issues are minor heading toward the weekend.
Presumably, the injury was picked up as Jackson was leading the Ravens over Washington this past weekend. This season, Jackson has put up 769 passing yards, 7 touchdowns and just 1 interception. He’s also been a dynamic force with his legs, rushing for 235 yards and 1 score on the ground.
Regardless of the severity, Jackson being dinged up is not a good sign. The Ravens will have to monitor this carefully given Jackson’s importance to the team in both the short and long term. So far this season, the Ravens are 3-1 and are in good shape to be in the mix to do big things in the second half of the season. They have to be careful with the amount of hits he takes, though, in order to keep him fresh.
Jackson missing a pair of practices isn’t good, but it looks as if everything is still alright.
Watch Lamar Jackson’s Touchdown vs. Washington
Jackson, using his trademark speed, weaved through the defense, threw a stiff arm and managed to get himself free and into the end zone for the long touchdown. The play got the Ravens going and helped Washington to fall behind.
Here’s a look:
The 51-yard TD run by Lamar via NFL Films
It’s never easy to rebound after a long run and especially one by Jackson. These kind of plays help rip the heart out of teams, and such was the case on Sunday.
Jackson remains one of the most exciting talents in the league, and plays like this are the reason why.
Lamar Jackson Predicted to Bounce Back
In several cases that assumption is wrong. Interestingly, it’s also wrong in the case of noted Fox Sports host Skip Bayless. Bayless, who is known for his knee-jerk takes in the heat of the moment, is taking a longer approach when looking closer at the future of Lamar Jackson.
Even though Jackson is now 0-3 against Patrick Mahomes in his young career, there was no jovial celebration by Bayless, nor was there an admission of ‘I told you so.’ Rather, Bayless proclaimed that Jackson has much to prove moving forward in his career, but added that he would not bet against him doing so.
Lamar has now fallen to 0-3 vs Mahomes. Lamar has played poorly in his two playoff games, both home losses. Lamar still has much to prove. I would not bet against him.
Bayless is not wrong with this particular take. Jackson does have much to prove moving forward, and until he wins a major showdown game or a playoff game, these worries are going to linger in a big way. Still, time is certainly on the 23 year old’s side and Bayless himself seems to understand that.
In this case, his words should serve as a warning to anyone who has given up on Jackson. Do so at your own peril considering his talent level and what he can still accomplish.
The hope is Jackson can now stay healthy enough to inflict damage on the rest of the NFL moving forward this season.
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Lamar Jackson Injury: Ravens Quarterback Misses Practice Again