Lamar Jackson appears set to return at the right time for Baltimore.
Ian Rapoport said Tuesday that the Ravens quarterback is expected to play Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, giving the 4-3 Ravens a major boost as they head into a road matchup with a 5-1 team coming off its bye.
“I expect, based on the people I've spoken with, that Lamar Jackson will play” Rapoport said during ESPN's "Big Day with Peter Schrager" program. He followed that up with, "He will be on the field this week against the Buffalo Bills."
Jackson has been out since hurting his ankle in Baltimore's 24-18 win over the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 4.
Tyler Huntley has handled the offense in his place, helping the Ravens to a 30-23 overtime win at the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 11.
Since then, Baltimore has dropped consecutive games, falling 13-10 at the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 18 and then losing 35-13 at home to the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday after failing to score on any second-half drive.
The outlook on Jackson changed after a shaky lead-up to the Bengals game. He looked like he might return last Friday, only to be downgraded to out on Saturday. That makes this latest update feel a lot firmer.
"This was a two-to-three-week injury," Rapoport said. "He is through the third week.
He is believed to be as close to 100 percent as he has been, and the Ravens do expect him to play. And based on the people I'm talking with, I expect him to play as well."
Rapoport added that Baltimore wanted to make sure Jackson would be ready not just for Buffalo, but also for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Nov. 5. Nothing is locked in until Sunday, but the signs point to Jackson being available for both games.
As of early Tuesday evening, DraftKings Sportsbook had Baltimore listed as a 3.5-point road underdog against Buffalo.
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