Lamar Jackson’s potentially season-ending thumb injury could be viewed as bad luck, but one starter for the Baltimore Ravens is taking “responsibility” for what happened to the franchise quarterback against the Buffalo Bills in Week 8.
Jackson jarred his hand against the helmet of Bills’ pass-rusher Greg Rousseau on his first play of the Ravens’ 36-10 defeat at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, November 1. A post-game update from head coach Jesse Minter revealed two-time NFL MVP Jackson will go onto injured reserve ahead of surgery.
It’s a devastating setback for Jackson, who only returned this week after three games on the shelf nursing an injured ankle. He needed protection, but a pair of Bills’ pass-rushers, including Rousseau, quickly converged on Jackson.
The latter beat an attempted block from Roger Rosengarten, and the starting right tackle took the blame for what happened next. Rosengarten told reporters, including The Baltimore Banner’s Giana Han, “The first play was super unfortunate. Preparation felt good all this week. (I) hit my landmarks and everything, one hand away, you know and gotta get more space away from Lamar. Especially on the first one.”
Rousseau getting one hand on Jackson is the kind of stuff “that falls on my shoulders,” according to Rosengarten.
His honesty’s refreshing, but third-year pro Rosengarten was part of a sieve-like offensive line that left three Ravens quarterbacks battered and bruised during a nightmare trip to Buffalo.
Roger Rosengarten Fronted Up for Offensive Line Failures
Rosengarten and Co. were missing 2026 NFL draft first-round pick Vega Ioane, but his absence hardly excused how often Bills’ pass-rushers had free runs at multiple Baltimore signal-callers.
Jackson lasted one play, while popular backup Tyler Huntley was later forced off after too many hits. Huntley’s turf toe injury forced the Ravens to turn to a relatively unknown third-stringer, undrafted free agent Joe Fagnano.
The Bills worked Fagnano over with a pass rush transformed against the Ravens’ feeble blocking. Buffalo’s defense “entered today with one of the NFL’s lowest pressure rates and lowest sack rates. So far, they have a pressure on over 50% and a sack on 23.5% of the Ravens’ drop-backs,” per Han’s colleague Jonas Shaffer.
Buffalo’s frequent pressure impacted all three Ravens QBs. Baltimore Collective analyst Cole Jackson cited live tracking from Pro Football Focus showing “Fagnano has been pressured on 9/17 dropbacks – Huntley on 4/5 dropbacks – Lamar on 1/1 dropback.”
Those numbers underscore the heat on Ravens’ quarterbacks this season. A growing problem reached its nadir against the Bills, but there’s no easy solution when the Ravens are recycling through hotchpotch front fives.
Ioane’s knee injury prompted an unexpected change at right guard, but that’s not the only problem position. The Ravens are also starting their fourth different center after trading for former Philadelphia Eagles pivot Cam Jurgens.
Some much-needed continuity remains elusive, an issue summed up by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. He noted how “only two offensive linemen have started every game for the Ravens this season: right tackle Roger Rosengarten and left guard John Simpson. This will mark the 6th different starting offensive line combination for Baltimore — and this is 8th game of the season.”
This will mark the 6th different starting offensive line combination for
Fortune hasn’t favored the Ravens, but they’ve also failed to protect their prized asset.
Ravens Face Critical QB Dilemma
The hits keep on coming for the Ravens at football’s most important position. They enter a short week having to choose between a rookie or a career deputy to start against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football.
Fagnano and Huntley sharing their own pain only compounds the problem. Particularly when they took four sacks against the Bills. The Ravens entered the game having already given up 18 sacks and 48 pressures, per Pro Football Reference.
Their issues in protection go beyond the names on the depth chart and beyond Jackson’s injury issues. His problems began when general manager Eric DeCosta opted against paying three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency. DeCosta was content to let Jackson travel behind an O-line missing a sturdy anchor and lacking elite talent outside of ageing All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley.
There’s no easy fix now, but EDC may be forced to trade for a new quarterback. Perhaps a veteran connected to offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
The Ravens need able-bodied passers, but what they need more is blockers who can hold up in protection.
Ravens’ Starter Takes Responsibility for Lamar Jackson’s Injury