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Jamison Hensley, ESPN Scribbler Team
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson declared he will play “100 percent” in Sunday’s games against the Denver Broncos and then missed two practices this time with back and back injuries. on the knee.
“That was not in doubt,” Jackson said in Friday’s note. “Just resting my body. It’s a long season.”
When the Ravens’ surprising record was revealed Friday, Jackson had no designation for the game.
Wednesday marked the first time this time that Jackson ignored a regular-season lead. The reigning NFL MVP also sat out Thursday, but returned Friday and moved well as a complete player.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh isn’t worried about how Jackson will play in games and then missed some practices in a while, which hasn’t happened since the end of the 2022 season.
“He’ll be ready,” Harbaugh said. “He studied all week. He was involved in all the preparation. He knows the game plan. He knows the opponent.”
Jackson is the quarterback of a Refuse-ranked offense. 1 in total yards (452.1) and 2nd in scoring (30.3 points depending on the game). His 2,099 passing yards are fifth in the NFL, and his 501 rushing yards lead all quarterbacks.
Protecting Jackson healthy is important for Baltimore. Since Jackson was the QB in the making midway through the 2018 season, the Ravens are 63-22 (.741) with Jackson and 4-9 (.307) without him.
Jackson has received 102 hits this season, behind only Daniel Jones (109). Harbaugh indicated he would “absolutely” consider giving Jackson additional days off in the future.
“You have to take that into consideration, certainly,” Harbaugh said. “You want your players to be at their best on Sunday.”
Also for the Ravens, running back Keaton Mitchell is listed as questionable to hold up for the Broncos to be an all-time complete player in practice. Mitchell averaged 8.2 yards per lift in a season-high eight games as a rookie before suffering a season-ending knee injury on Game 14.
The Ravens would like to sideline Mitchell on Saturday so he can play in Sunday’s games.
“It looked good, absolutely, and we’ll have to make a decision as we move forward here,” Harbaugh said. “All of this also has implications for the squad. The main thing as a coach [that] you look [is that] He looks good, so it’s good to see him back. It was a difficult rehab he had and it has been stellar: his progress. So we’ll see where we are.”
The Ravens (5-3) are one game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) in first place in the AFC North. Then, in Sunday’s game against the Broncos (5-3), Baltimore has a handy roadmap for a difficult turnaround, hosting the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday.
