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Baltimore Ravens

Season on the Line for Ravens and Jags

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JACKSONVILLE – Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is hearing his name mentioned in the MVP conversation, but that doesn’t impress him much. The Baltimore star is more interested in making a run for the Super Bowl and Lombardi Trophy, and his top-seeded AFC team can take a big step in that direction when the Ravens visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday night.

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Baltimore (10-3) holds a one-game lead over the Miami Dolphins at the top of the conference. There are nine scenarios in which the Ravens can clinch a playoff spot Sunday should they defeat the Jaguars (8-5).

Linebacker Patrick Queen is one of many Baltimore players eyeing the top seed and first-round bye, especially with the Ravens winning three straight games and seven of their past eight.

“We want it bad,” Queen said. “If we don’t get it, we make the playoffs. We’re still in there.”

Jackson was the NFL MVP in 2019 and appreciates the praise for his 2023 individual season, which includes 2,934 passing yards and 16 touchdown throws. He also has 644 yards and five scores on the ground.

But Baltimore hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2020 season, and Jackson is focused on changing that.

“It’s an honor just being acknowledged — to be in the conversation with great guys,” Jackson said. “But I’m just trying to stay locked in trying to win, because I want (the Lombardi) trophy.”

Jackson is coming off a superb performance in which he passed for 316 yards and three touchdowns and tacked on 70 rushing yards in last week’s 37-31 overtime home win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Baltimore won that contest on a 76-yard punt-return score by Tylan Wallace. The third-year-pro was only handling the duties because two-time Pro Bowl selection Devin Duvernay injured his back earlier in the season.

Duvernay was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, and Wallace now will be the team’s main returner.

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Jacksonville will look to end a two-game slide in which it lost to the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns by a combined seven points.

The Jaguars have seen their lead in the AFC South shrink to one game over the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans. But Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence said he’s not concerned.

“We’re in a fine position, record-wise,” Lawrence said. “We have to take care of business this week and moving forward. We have to take it one week at time. We need to get back on track this week for sure.”

Lawrence has been dealing with a high ankle sprain sustained against the Bengals on Dec. 4. He was questionable for last week’s game against the Browns before playing and getting mixed results — 257 passing yards and three touchdowns but also throwing three interceptions.

He practiced in full on Wednesday and said he’s making progress.

“It’s feeling better. Thankfully, I made out of the game pretty clean,” Lawrence said. “I didn’t re-aggravate it anymore. I’m just trying to keep getting better every day; hopefully it feels even better this week. I was able to move around decent on Sunday, so that was positive.”

As per containing Jackson, the Jaguars rank fourth in the NFL in rushing defense at 92.2 yards per game.

Jacksonville also features two standouts. Pass rusher Josh Allen is tied for third in the NFL with 13.5 sacks, and linebacker Foyesade Oluokun ranks second in tackles with 138. Oluokun led the league in tackles each of the past two seasons.

Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith is tied for third with 136 tackles, while safety Geno Stone is second with six interceptions.

Baltimore safety Kyle Hamilton (knee) was injured against the Rams but was a limited practice participant on Wednesday. Smith (back) also was limited.

For Jacksonville, safety Andre Cisco (groin) and cornerback Tyson Campbell (quadriceps) didn’t practice. Cisco was hurt against the Browns while Campbell missed the contest.

The Jaguars notched a dramatic 28-27 home win over the Ravens last season. Lawrence tossed a 10-yard scoring pass to since-departed Marvin Jones with 14 seconds left, followed by a winning two-point conversion pass to Zay Jones.

–Field Level Media

Banged-Up Ravens vs Bengals on TNF

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Preview) – Two teams reeling from Sunday losses at home will try to regroup and claim a key AFC North win when the division-leading Baltimore Ravens host the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.

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The Ravens (7-3) blew a golden opportunity to put more distance between themselves and the Steelers, Browns and Bengals, losing leads of 17-3 and 31-17 at home to Cleveland in a 33-31 loss. The setback snapped a four-game win streak.

Cincinnati (5-4) also had a four-game win streak snapped when they fought back from a 27-17 hole in the final three minutes, only to watch rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud lead Houston down the field for a game-winning field goal.

“We live, we grow, we get better. Every team is tested, and we’re getting tested. So I’m excited for (Thursday),” said Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, who enters Thursday just one touchdown shy of matching Todd Heap for the team’s all-time mark of 41.

The game against Cincinnati marks the end of a three-game homestand for Baltimore while Cincinnati is in a stretch of four games where Thursday is the only road contest.

Baltimore claimed a 27-24 victory at Cincinnati in Week 2.

Zay Flowers needs just one catch for 51 on the season, which would break a tie with Torrey Smith for the all-time Ravens rookie record. On defense, Ravens safety Geno Stone leads the NFL with six interceptions.

The Bengals’ defense is looking for a better effort after surrendering 17 plays of at least 20 yards in Sunday’s loss to Houston.

Both teams are also dealing with a multitude of injuries heading into a game on only three days of rest.

Ravens starting right tackle Morgan Moses (shoulder) has missed two straight games while Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey (ankle), starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley (knee) and linebacker Trenton Simpson (concussion) left Sunday’s loss to the Browns and did not return.

“I think we’re dealing with it right now. We’ve done a good job of that,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of the injury woes. “We’ve been on the road (a lot). We’ve (played) very tough teams in very physical games, and I feel like our guys have handled it very well.

“We have to continue to do it. That’s probably the main point right now: It’s how we handle that and how we approach it. Our job is to handle it better than our opponents do.”

The Bengals lost star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to a hyperextended left knee when Houston receiver Noah Brown rolled into him on the play before the game-winning field goal.

Hendrickson is expected to miss Thursday’s game, while Hendrickson’s bookend, edge Sam Hubbard, is dealing with a right ankle injury and missed last Sunday’s loss.

Rookie receiver Andrei Iosivas suffered a knee injury but finished the game Sunday against Houston.

The Bengals also missed the services of star receiver Tee Higgins, who is nursing a hamstring injury suffered Nov. 8 in practice. He also sat out last Sunday’s game vs. Houston.

“You’ve got to cram a whole game plan into really about two and a half days,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “And so the team’s got to understand that. We walked off the field Sunday, it was a Wednesday afternoon, post-practice is really the point of the week you’re at. And so, you’ve got to get your bodies right after a physical long game like we had.

“Baltimore had the same thing. I mean, it really similar styles of games that were just played. And our guys have to get themselves ready and our coaches have to do a good job preparing them in a short span this week.”

–Field Level Media

Sunday Night: Cincinnati Bengals Have QB Edge Over Injured Baltimore Ravens

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CINCINNATI – (Staff report by Field Level Media) – With the oft-injured injured Lamar Jackson out, the Baltimore Ravens reportedly plan to use both backup quarterbacks during Sunday night’s AFC wild-card game against the host Cincinnati Bengals.

Multiple reports said the Ravens will deploy the unusual strategy with Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown, despite challenges with each.

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Huntley, 24, is dealing with tendinitis in his right shoulder as well as a wrist injury. He was listed as questionable on the official injury report.

As a starter in his career, Huntley is 3-5. His injured shoulder hampered his performance this season, with Huntley completing just three passes of at least 20 yards in four starts.

When asked at Friday’s practice if he’s ready to return to the field, Huntley reported he has “no nerves.”

Just excited to get back out there after missing one week,” Huntley said. “It’s a privilege to go out there and play football and I appreciate it.”

Meanwhile, the Ravens’ other backup quarterback, Brown, 24, is an undrafted rookie who’s made only one career start, last Sunday’s 27-16 loss to the Bengals. In that game, he threw for 286 yards with two interceptions and a fumble.

The two QBs have different strengths, with Brown the better passer while Huntley is more proficient at using the same run-oriented offense as Jackson.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh has been tight-lipped about the situation, declining to name a starter after Friday’s practice.

“We’ll see when the time comes,” Harbaugh said.

Jackson, who was ruled out for a sixth straight game with a left knee injury, “suffered a PCL Grade 2 sprain, on the borderline of a strain 3” and his knee “remains unstable,” according to Jackson’s own tweet on Thursday.

The Ravens enter Sunday night’s matchup against the defending AFC champion Bengals as a heavy underdog.

–Field Level Media

NFL DESK: Patriots Downed by Ravens

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Lamar Jackson threw for four touchdowns and rushed for another as the Baltimore Ravens held off a late comeback attempt to defeat the New England Patriots 37-26 on Sunday at Foxboro.

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Jackson completed 18 of 29 passes for 218 yards and had 107 yards on the ground on just 11 carries. Mark Andrews had eight receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns for Baltimore (2-1).

New England cut its deficit to 31-26 after Rhamondre Stevenson’s 1-yard rushing touchdown with 12:39 left to play but the Patriots failed to convert a two-point conversion.

New England (1-2) then turned the ball over on its next three possessions. After throwing an interception on the last drive of the game, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones limped off the field with an apparent left leg injury.

Jones threw for 321 yards and three interceptions on 22-of-32 passing. He rushed for one touchdown. DeVante Parker led all receivers with five catches for 156 yards for New England, while Stevenson and Damien Harris each rushed for one score.

The Patriots burst out of halftime, driving 75 yards in seven plays in just under three minutes to go up 20-14. Harris finished off the march with a 2-yard rushing TD.

Baltimore’s Justice Hill rushed 34 yards to the New England 6 on the ensuing drive, setting up Jackson’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Josh Oliver for a 21-20 Ravens lead. It was Oliver’s first career touchdown.

In the first half, Jonathan Jones intercepted Jackson’s pass intended for Rashod Bateman with 8:12 left in the second quarter and returned it to the Baltimore 32. The Patriots took advantage of the short field as Jones walked untouched into the end zone from 3 yards out for a 10-7 lead.

However, Jackson’s 16-yard scoring strike to Andrews with 30 seconds left in the first half put the Ravens back on top. The Patriots pulled within 14-13 before the break, on Nick Folk’s 50-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter.

Jackson also connected with Andrews in the first quarter on a 5-yard shovel pass to get Baltimore on the board.

–Field Level Media