Last week, Lamar Jackson showed once again why he’s the heartbeat of this Ravens team. Despite missing most of the week with knee and back issues, Jackson still took the field against Denver and absolutely lit it up.
He threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns, leading Baltimore to a 41-10 beatdown of the Broncos. Oh, and he did it with a perfect passer rating, without needing all the practice time. Even with limited reps, Jackson put on a clinic, proving that this guy is in MVP form.
Fast-forward to this week, and we’ve seen a similar setup: Jackson missed Tuesday’s practice with a knee issue ahead of tonight’s matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. So the big question is: will he play, or is that knee still a problem?
Lamar Jackson's injury status for TNF matchup vs Bengals
Good news, Ravens fans: Lamar Jackson is playing tonight.
Head coach John Harbaugh cleared it up, saying, “Lamar will be playing Thursday night.” Jackson practiced on Wednesday and is officially off the injury report, which means he’s ready to go. We saw last week that missing practice hasn’t impacted his game-day focus or fire. Jackson brings the same intensity with or without those reps, and he’ll be back in full form tonight.
#Ravens HC John Harbaugh says that Lamar Jackson will take the field vs. Joe Burrow and the #Bengals:
— The Sports Fellow (@SportsFellow_) November 5, 2024
“Lamar will be playing Thursday night.” pic.twitter.com/VthxlJEk0K
When these two teams met in Week 5, Jackson came up huge. He threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns in an OT win, leading Baltimore to a 41-38 victory. Even with Joe Burrow playing a flawless game, Jackson pulled it off with some unreal throws, including a wild touchdown to Isaiah Likely after dodging a couple of defenders. Derrick Henry didn’t hold back afterward, calling Jackson the “best in the league” and predicting another MVP season.
With Jackson’s playmakers like Zay Flowers ready to step up and Derrick Henry handling business in the run game, expect Baltimore to bring the heat again. The Bengals defense knows what’s coming but has struggled to contain Jackson’s blend of pocket awareness and explosive playmaking.
Bottom line: Jackson’s suiting up, and that’s a massive boost for Baltimore as they look to keep their momentum rolling in the AFC North. With him on the field, the Ravens’ offense goes from good to dangerous.
We all know he’ll be ready to remind everyone why he’s in the MVP conversation again tonight.
We'll update Jackson's status if anything changes.