Prior to kickoff in Week 1, the Baltimore Ravens were tied with the Buffalo Bills as the betting favorites to take home the Lombardi trophy this season, and their star signal caller, Lamar Jackson, was favored to take home the third MVP award of his career. Unfortunately, reality has been anything but.
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The Ravens are currently 1-6, and despite coming off a bye week, the return of Jackson is anything but guaranteed. The season is slipping away with each and every passing day, and it seems as if there will be nothing left for the Ravens when it’s all said and done, but according to John Harbaugh, there are still plenty of lessons that can be learned from times like these.
In fact, it’s these very kinds of bye weeks, the ones that are clouded by losing records and uncertain injury reports, that can ultimately determine the rest of your season. “It’s an exhaustive type of review,” Harbaugh noted when asked about the number of evaluations that come with having a week off.
“You do it as you go and then you kind of step back and really dig in at different kinds of reports and analysis and film study, and you try to build in where you want to go going forward. It’s a real opportunity and we try to make the most of it… I feel really good about what we did. I feel great about what we accomplished.”
Of course, none of those assessments or self-evaluation sessions is going to be good for much if Jackson doesn’t make a return here soon. The Ravens have lost each of their last three games by 14+ points, and while some of that can certainly be blamed on the hobbled state of their defense, there’s no denying how much more productive they are when Jackson is under center.
Baltimore has scored one touchdown in the two weeks that Jackson has been fully sidelined, and with just one win to their name, it won’t take many more losses before they would be officially eliminated from playoff contention. They can prepare for his return all they want to, but if it doesn’t occur in a somewhat timely manner, then it would more than likely be all for nothing.
It’s the most time-sensitive case in the league right now, and the clock isn’t running in their favor. A match-up against the Chicago Bears in Week 8 presents a wonderful opportunity, but if Jackson isn’t there, then the odds of the Ravens actually seizing it will be painfully slim.
‘Tis not the raven tapping at the chamber door, but rather playoff elimination, and for a franchise that was once favored to win it all, there’s nothing scarier than facing that at the Week 8 mark.
