Ravens QB Lamar Jackson returned to practice on Tuesday after missing Monday’s walkthrough with a toe issue, a welcome sight as Baltimore prepares for its Thanksgiving showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Ravens have rattled off five straight wins since their bye, and even if Jackson has not been at full throttle as a passer, he has done just enough to keep them tied with Pittsburgh atop the AFC North heading into Week 13.
This is a crucial stretch for Hurts, no doubt. I'll go with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. The two-time MVP has a lot to overcome in December and January, having played through knee, ankle, hamstring, and toe issues this season.
He insists injuries are not affecting his play, but some around the league wonder whether he can really cut it loose in the running game because of the ailments. Baltimore ranks 21st in total offense, a shocking drop of 20 spots from last season despite playing with much of the same personnel.
That ESPN evaluation helps explain why concern is quietly bubbling across the league. Baltimore’s defense has only recently stabilized, the offensive line has not hit last year’s level, and the unit as a whole has looked far more disjointed than a typical Lamar-led attack.
The quarterback himself is trying to steer the conversation away from his health. Asked this week about missing yet another early-week practice with a fresh lower-body issue ahead of the Bengals matchup, Jackson brushed off the growing list of ailments and pivoted to the standings, saying he cannot control when injuries happen and will focus only on winning games.
Pressed on whether the aches are piling up, he allowed only that he feels “better in some areas,” a cryptic answer that did little to calm outside speculation.
For now, the Ravens are betting that rest, game-planning, and Jackson’s competitiveness will carry them through the short week and beyond. If he looks like his old self on Thursday night and carves up a struggling Cincinnati defense, the whispers about his toe and other nagging injuries will quiet in a hurry.
If the offense sputters again and Jackson still looks a half-step less explosive as a runner, the doubts about how far this version of Baltimore can really go in January will only get louder.
