The Baltimore Ravens won the battle against the Cincinnati Bengals 34-20 on Thursday night but lost a key player who ultimately could have helped them win the war. Star tight end Mark Andrews suffered an ankle injury on the first drive that knocked him out of the game- and is likely to sideline him for the rest of the season. Ravens star Lamar Jackson, Andrews' quarterback and friend, reacted to the injury news after the game, per NFL.com.
Lamar Jackson calls Mark Andrews' injury ‘tough'
“We've been bread and butter. Peanut butter and jelly. Whatever you want to call it. But that's very tough because that's my boy. That's like receiver one sometimes. And for him to go out first quarter and he'd been having a remarkable year. One touchdown away from a record, I think. That's tough, man. But we got to somehow do it without him. We got (Isaiah) Likely. We got Charlie (Kolar). We got guys who are going to step up, but it's tough.”
Jackson compared the connection he has enjoyed with Andrews to “bread and butter” or “peanut butter and jelly”, adding that the injury is “tough” for him because the star pass-catcher is “his boy.”
As Jackson accurately states, Andrews is such a skilled pass-catcher that he has sometimes served as the Ravens' number one receiver in the offense. And he truly has been a perfect match with Jackson.
Lamar Jackson-Mark Andrews connection
Since the Ravens selected both Jackson and Andrews in the 2018 draft, the two have combined to produce 324 receptions, 4,1561 yards and 37 touchdowns.
Jackson has targeted the tight end position (Andrews) at one of the highest rates since he entered the league, resulting in arguably the most productive QB-TE connection outside of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
Speaking about what makes the connection between he and Jackson so lethal back in October, Andrews said it comes down to “unspoken trust.” That's what will make the injury news that much harder for the Ravens.
How long will Andrews be out for Ravens?
Andrews exited the game on the Ravens' first drive after he was tackled shy of the goal line deep in Bengals' territory. The star tight end stayed down on the turf and was clearly in pain before he limped off the field with the team's training staff.
He was later ruled out for the rest of the game. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh spoke to the media after the contest, telling reporters that Andrews has a “very serious ankle injury” and that it “looks like a season-ending injury.”
The three-time Pro Bowl tight end hauled in 45 receptions for 544 yards and six touchdowns this season before the injury. As Jackson alluded to, the Ravens will turn to backup tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kohar for the remainder of the 2023 campaign.
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