The Ravens are getting their quarterback back at exactly the right time.
After a few weeks without Lamar Jackson, Baltimore will have him under center Sunday against the Buffalo Bills in Week 8, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Zrebiec reported Friday afternoon that head coach Jesse Minter told reporters Jackson will play.
"Minter said that QB Lamar Jackson will play Sunday," Zrebiec shared on Friday afternoon before Week 8.
Jackson has missed three games after suffering an ankle injury in Baltimore’s Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans, and the Ravens have felt it. Tyler Huntley opened with a win over the Atlanta Falcons in his first start, but Baltimore has gone 1-2 in Jackson’s absence and sits at 4-3.
The most painful part came in Week 6, when the Ravens were on the brink of a 2-1 run with Huntley before a late collapse against the Cleveland Browns spoiled it.
Now Baltimore heads into its toughest test since Jackson went down, and it comes with the franchise quarterback back in the lineup. Through four games this season, Jackson had thrown for 967 yards with six touchdowns and just one interception.
His return could also be a boost for Derrick Henry, who has struggled lately, while Zay Flowers and Ja'Kobi Lane are good to go as well. That gives the Ravens a chance to bring more firepower to a Bills defense that has been leaky this season.
The matchup still won’t be simple. Buffalo enters Week 8 at 5-1 and sitting atop the AFC East. But for a Ravens team trying to keep pace in a crowded AFC North, getting Jackson back changes the mood in a hurry.
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