Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh needed to address some panic on Wednesday involving Lamar Jackson. The Ravens quarterback wasn't on the field during practice during the media watching period. Harbaugh, though, fired off a relaxing message involving why Jackson wasn't present.

Jackson earned a rest day from the Ravens, per ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.

“He's been playing great. And we got a lot of football in front of us here. We've got a quick game coming up, so that was warranted today,” Harbaugh added during his media session.

Jackson isn't battling any significant injuries. But he endured a bruising afternoon of three sacks in the 29-24 upset loss against the Cleveland Browns. The two-time Most Valuable Player finished 23-of-38 for 289 yards and tossed two touchdowns. He added eight carries for 46 yards rushing, averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

Harbaugh's words sound like a false alarm got set involving Jackson. He's clarified his status as he and Jackson welcome a fast-rising AFC team this week.

John Harbaugh addresses the next Ravens opponent 

Cleveland Browns defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo sacks Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson during the first half at Huntington Bank Field.
Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Harbaugh is now preparing for a vastly improved Denver Broncos football team.

The AFC West challenger for Sunday shares identical 5-3 records with the Ravens. Denver has also won five of its last six games following an 0-2 start.

Wednesday's session presented the Ravens with an opportunity to raise their energy levels. Harbaugh saw exactly that.

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“Our guys had a great day of football. Appreciated the way we practiced. We're getting on point for a very tough game Sunday against the Broncos at our place,” Harbaugh said. “We're looking forward to the challenge and we're excited to play the game.”

The Broncos' defense has sparked this winning roll they're on. Vance Joseph is the architect of the league's third-best defense against yards.

Denver, under the veteran defensive coordinator Joseph, has bottled the scoring too. The Broncos haven't allowed more than 26 points in each game this season. Joseph's unit also has surrendered 11.6 points per game in each victory.

Sunday's battle additionally pits past Super Bowl-winning head coaches on each sideline. Sean Payton captured Super Bowl XLIV with the New Orleans Saints. Harbaugh guided Baltimore to its Vince Lombardi Trophy victory three years later.

Payton is 165-101 overall in the regular season as a head coach. He's only 13-12 with the Broncos. Although, his Denver teams have gone 12-7 since its 1-5 start during his 2023 debut with the team. That slow start included the infamous 70-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Harbaugh himself has 165 career regular-season victories, though he's spent all 17 of his coaching seasons with one team. Payton has coached for 17 seasons, but 15 with the Saints.

The Ravens and Harbaugh have claimed wins in the last three meetings. Baltimore is currently favored by 9.5 points. Denver, however, is carrying an impressive 3-1 record in away games for '24.

Jackson, meanwhile, is 3-0 lifetime against the Broncos. That includes two victories at M&T Bank Stadium.