Season-ending injury for Ravens RB: former Super Bowl champion will replace him

The Baltimore Ravens (11-3) clinched a postseason berth and held their position as the leaders of the AFC North and the AFC as a whole with a 23-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday Night Football.

Baltimore dominated from start to finish, both offensively and offensively, even though the stats weren't impressive on paper. According to The New York Times, the Ravens now have a 71% chance of securing home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Not everything was good news, however, as running back Keaton Mitchell went down with a knee injury and he's already been ruled out for the remainder of the season per head coach John Harbaugh.

The standout UDFA rookie, whose role had steadily increased over the past few weeks, sustained a severe knee injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday's matchup. The injury occurred when Mitchell was tripped by Jaguars strong safety Andrew Wingard after a 13-yard run.

Coach John Harbaugh confirmed the long-term injury, stating it is likely to be season-ending. Before his injury, Mitchell had been effective, rushing for 73 yards on nine carries against the Jaguars.

It's worth noting that Baltimore has been playing without their true RB1 all year long after J.K. Dobbins tore his Achilles in the first game of the season. In his absence, the team relied on Gus Edwards and Justice Hill until Mitchell was able to return from IR.

Now that both Dobbins and Mitchell are out, the Ravens will rely on Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, and practice-squad member and veteran, former Super Bowl champion Melvin Gordon III. He will be moved to the 53-man roster as he's already out of elevations this year.

Mitchell's injury might have a strong impact on Baltimore's outlook and production going forward. The rookie was becoming a key component of the Ravens' offense, averaging over 4.0 yards per carry with more volume and effectiveness than his counterparts of late and experiencing an ever-increasing role each passing week.

On Sunday, Gus Edwards rushed 16 times for 58 yards and another touchdown while Justice Hill had five attempts for 23 yards. Melvin Gordon has not appeared in a game for the Ravens since he last played in Week 4 back on Oct. 1, logging four touches for 44 yards from scrimmage.

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