Lamar Jackson’s status for Week 5 is hanging in the balance, and the early read is not encouraging for the Ravens.
The Baltimore quarterback has been diagnosed with a sprained ankle after Sunday’s win over the Tennessee Titans, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Jackson has “only an outside chance” to suit up against the Atlanta Falcons. A longer absence is on the table, too.
Ravens head coach Jesse Minter kept things tight-lipped on Sunday and Monday, offering only that the injury would not be “crazy long-term.” Minter is expected to lean on the team’s injury reports for any real update once practice begins Wednesday.
For now, the signs point away from Jackson practicing this week. That would leave Baltimore to get backup Tyler ‘Snoop’ Huntley ready with the first-team offense, and the timing is less than ideal against a Falcons defense that has looked sharp through four weeks. Atlanta sits near the middle of the league in points allowed, but it has given up the eighth-fewest yards and owns the league’s No. 1 run defense by a wide margin.
That’s a tough setup for a Ravens offense that already leans heavily on the ground game whenever Jackson is out. Baltimore’s offensive line issues have already dragged down Derrick Henry’s production, and Jackson’s absence would only make that problem more pronounced.
The Falcons have allowed teams to move the ball through the air, but not efficiently. If the game turns into a test of Huntley throwing against a skilled, well-coached secondary, Baltimore could be in trouble.
A 3-2 record after a loss to an NFC opponent would not sink the Ravens’ season, especially if the extra time helps Jackson heal. Missing Week 6 against the 3-1 Browns would also be far from ideal, though perhaps manageable. Still, Baltimore will want its quarterback back by the end of October, when it runs into the Bengals, Bills, and Jaguars in back-to-back-to-back weeks.
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