Ravens two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson has yet to practice in any capacity since injuring his ankle at the end of the first half in a win over the Titans in Week 4, making it increasingly clear who is starting against the Browns Sunday no matter how the team has chosen to couch it.
Talking about the possibility of Jackson playing after not practicing is one thing; doing it is another and rookie head coach Jesse Minter has been decidedly conservative with medical decisions to this point – to his credit – and it would be fairly stunning if Jackson is not ruled out on Friday as he was last week. If the Ravens chose to list him as questionable, given it’s a division game and they want to crate some disbelief in the Browns, they can do that as well, but we would be astonished if Jackson suits up for this game no matter how his ankle feels over the weekend.
From the moment he was first injured we strongly suggested he would be back Week 7 against the Bengals, and nothing that has occurred to alter that conclusion, despite what Minter has hinted and what those ever willing to get used for quasi-stories are willing to “report” (I mean parrot). A player of this magnitude playing the position the way Jackson does, and doing so this early in the season with an injury that is easily aggravated never made sense on any level, and the fact he hasn’t even been limited in real practices – Wednesday and Thursday – tells you all you really need to know.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that new center Cam Jurgens – who general manager Eric DeCosta panicked in acquiring - has never even snapped with Jackson off to the side. And Jurgens has only practiced limited as he gets cleared from concussion protocol and Minter has repeatedly talked about the veteran playing Sunday, though personally I would let rookie Vega Ioane man the position and actually field the same starting offensive line two weeks in a row for the first time all season.
“I think it probably is a much bigger challenge than people understand, because the general public might not know all the things that go into that job,” offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said of trying to bleed Jurgens in under duress. “One, it's a new guy in the building, so he has to get integrated with his teammates. He has to learn the playbook and the new terminology.
“Football is football, but communication's such an important part of that. He has to learn our language and how to speak our language so that he can get the other five guys up front going in the right direction.“
Yeah, I’d punt on that until next week when Jackson is back to practice fully and so if Jurgens. But that’s only the start of the injury riddle. So Snoop Huntley starting at QB appears painfully obvious, but the Ravens and their medical team have plenty to still sort through.
The Rest Of The Injury Report
As to who will catch the football, rookie tight end Matthew Hibner, an ascending player who would ideally begin to phase out fading veteran Mark Andrews, has not practiced all week with a hand injury he suffered in Atlanta. Premier blocking tight end Durham Smythe has already been lost for the season. Minter talked down Rashod Bateman’s shoulder situation earlier in the week, but he went from limited participant to doing nothing on Thursday, never a good sign.
Top receiver Zay Flowers, absolutely joining the elite in the NFL this season, went from finally not showing up on the injury report with his hamstring issue to be listed as limited with a toe injury Thursday.
On defense, pass rusher Mike Green was added to the report as limited with a hamstring and breakout linebacker Trenton Simpson is limited with a hamstring as well and defensive tackle Broderick Washington went from limited to not practicing at all with an ankle.
On the bright side, $30M edge rusher Trey Hendrickson should be removed from the report tomorrow as he has practiced fully all week returning from a procedure on his finger.
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