The Baltimore Ravens have found themselves in a hole at the halfway point in the season. They are 2-5 and in third place in the AFC North. However, hope is on the horizon in the return on Thursday of their MVP starting quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
Jackson’s return comes after the Ravens defeated the Chicago Bears 30-16 to ensure that they weren’t in an impossible hole upon Jackson’s return.
Still, the Ravens find themselves in a precarious situation for the rest of the season with little room for error. However, Jackson is up for the task.
Must Win Games
The Ravens will need to win nearly all their remaining games to make the playoffs. Currently, the Ravens are the 12th-ranked team in the AFC and are looking up at three five-win teams for a wild-card spot and the four-win Pittsburgh Steelers for the division. With two games against the Steelers still to come, everything is still in front of the Ravens, but the hard work starts now.
Lamar Jackson emphasized how crucial every game is now when he spoke to the media on Tuesday. Ravens.com provided a transcript of Jackson discussing the must-win nature of the rest of the Ravens’ season.
“Each and every game is going to be like a ‘Win or go home game.‘ We started off … This is the first season ever [that we’re] starting off this slow. So, it’s do or die right now, each and every week,” Jackson said.
Jackson believes the team can go on a run, but he’s focused on the Miami Dolphins this week and taking it one game at a time.
“Yes, but I’m not really worried about a run right now, I have to focus on Miami, because you can never overlook your opponent,” Jackson said. “So, we are going to focus on those guys and try to come out victorious and then move on to next week.”
The Ravens will face an uphill battle running the table, but the return of several key players gives them a shot.
Reinforcements on the Way
The Ravens faced poor injury luck in the first half of the season, not only with Lamar Jackson but also with their defense.
After their bye week and their game against the Bears, though, the Ravens are slowly but surely becoming whole again.
Ravens.com writer Ryan Mink discussed the Ravens regaining their star players to go on a run in his October 29 mailbag article with Clifton Brown.
“The Ravens are significantly better now than they were several weeks ago. It starts with the return of Lamar Jackson, and we’ll get to see how big a difference that makes this Thursday night in Miami,” Mink said. “It extends to the return of other injured star players such as Roquan Smith, Ronnie Stanley, Marlon Humphrey, Kyle Hamilton, and others who missed time.”
Mink also noted that even when their star players return, the Ravens will still need a high level of injury luck to run the table.
“When the Ravens have their full arsenal, which it appears they will against the Dolphins tomorrow, Baltimore is very hard to contend with,” Mink said. “With that said, expecting the Ravens to stay totally healthy the rest of the season is probably also wishful thinking.”
The Ravens have their backs against the wall right now, but they feel they have the right people on their side to get out of this predicament.
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