To nobody's surprise, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been one of the best players in the NFL this season. Jackson has carried the team and driven one of the best offenses in the league even while the Ravens try to survive a defense that is still adapting without Mike Macdonald as the defensive coordinator.
Following a shocking Week 8 loss to the Cleveland Browns, Jackson surprised fans around the league when he showed up on the Ravens' injury report with back and knee injuries. The pair of ailments forced him to miss practice on Wednesday and Thursday, and he was carrying a questionable designation heading into Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos.
However, Jackson got a positive update on Friday when the Ravens took him off the injury report, clearing the way for him to start on Sunday, according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk.
“Lamar Jackson said Friday that he is ‘100 percent' starting on Sunday despite missing practice on Wednesday and Thursday. The status report confirms that,” Williams wrote. “Jackson, who was on the injury report with knee and back issues, does not have an injury designation. He was a full participant in Friday’s practice.”
The Ravens will need Jackson out there against a Broncos defense that has been historically good so far this season and has a chance to give this Ravens offense problems.
How Lamar Jackson and the Ravens can attack Broncos defense
Sunday's Ravens-Broncos matchup pits two of the best units in the NFL against each other. Based on EPA per play, the Broncos defense is the best in the NFL and the Ravens offense is the second best unit with the ball, trailing only the Washington Commanders.
That means that this will be a fascinating matchup on Sunday in a game that has huge playoff implications in the AFC. When the Ravens have the ball, it will be a battle of two heavyweights on both sides.
The Broncos defense plays a ton of man coverage and sends a lot of pressure at the quarterback, which is a common tactic that teams have used against Lamar Jackson over his career. Despite still being an excellent passer, Jackson has struggled to beat the blitz and his receivers haven't been able to consistently generate separation.
This current iteration of the Ravens offense should be better equipped to handle that kind of defense. Zay Flowers is a good route runner, as is the newly-acquired Diontae Johnson, who should get some work even though he may not receive a full workload in his first game with the team. That should allow them to survive in the passing game, but it's the worst that they do on the ground that will be the big key.
The Ravens will have the advantage in this matchup when they line up in heavy personnel and run the football down the Broncos' throats. They have been extremely effective with this strategy this season (see the Ravens-Cowboys game), and Jackson's ability to pick up chunks on the ground while Derrick Henry chips away between the tackles will be extremely difficult for the Denver defense to stop.
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