Jackson is my highest-projected QB on the slate in a game that has the second-highest over/under on the main slate. The Cowboys were just lit up through the air by Derek Carr and gave up 7.8 yards per carry to Deshaun Watson in Week 1. I expect both teams to score a bunch of points, which makes this more of a Jackson game than a Derrick Henry game. The first two weeks of the season, he's averaged 343.5 combined passing and rushing yards per game.
Jackson completed 21 of 34 passes for 247 yards with one touchdown and one interception and added five carries for 45 yards in the Ravens' 26-23 loss to the Raiders on Sunday.
It was a disappointing afternoon overall for Baltimore as it started 0-2 for the first time since 2015, with the Ravens blowing a 10-point second-half lead and Jackson unable to do enough to prevent it when he had the ball. The former MVP's final numbers appeared to be serviceable overall, but he couldn't establish much chemistry with any other pass catcher except for Zay Flowers, who was on the receiving end of his one touchdown pass of the contest. The offense's struggles are particularly concerning considering it's Jackson and his teammates' second season in the system, and they'll now be tasked with trying to get themselves straightened out in an intriguing road matchup against a Cowboys defense that will be looking for atonement in their own right in Week 3.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Not on injury report
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Jackson (undisclosed) was not listed on the Ravens' first Week 2 injury report released Wednesday.
Per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Jackson said that he was healthy enough to take part in Monday's unofficial practice, but the Ravens instead elected to give the quarterback some rest after he was reportedly dealing with some soreness in the aftermath of last Thursday's 27-20 loss to the Chiefs. With Jackson not appearing on the Week 2 injury report, he's officially in the clear to direct the Baltimore offense this Sunday versus the Raiders.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Returns to practice
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Jackson (undisclosed) was spotted practicing Wednesday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.
Jackson was held out of practice Monday after a 27-20 loss to the Chiefs on Thursday, and while he may be listed on the Week 2 injury report, his presence on the field Wednesday suggests that he'll be ready to play this Sunday against the Raiders. He played every snap in the season opener, piling up 273 passing yards and 122 rushing yards against the Kansas City defense.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Expected to be fine for Week 2
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Jackson is a "little bit sore" but is fully expected to be available for Sunday's game against the Raiders, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
After suffering a 27-20 loss to the Chiefs last Thursday in Week 1, the Ravens reconvened for an unofficial practice session Monday, but Jackson didn't participate. Due to the longer turnaround the Ravens will face for Week 2, Jackson's absence Monday looks to be mostly maintenance-related, as the coaching staff likely just wanted to give his body some more recovery time after he carried the ball 16 times in the season opener. The Ravens will release their first Week 2 practice report Wednesday, and Jackson will most likely be listed as a full participant, if he's even included on the report at all.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Doesn't practice Monday
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Jackson did not participate in Monday's practice, and coach John Harbaugh declined to state a reason for the star quarterback's absence, Jonas Shaffer of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Harbaugh joked that the "injury report comes out Wednesday afternoon," so it sounds like an official update on Jackson's status won't arrive until then. Jackson didn't appear to sustain any injuries during last Thursday's season-opening loss to the Chiefs, meaning his absence from practice Monday may have been personal. Barring any further updates, it seems like the expectation should be that Jackson will be in attendance at Wednesday's practice.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Nearly pulls off comeback in opener
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Jackson completed 26 of 41 passes for 273 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions and rushed 16 times for 122 yards in the Ravens' 27-20 loss to the Chiefs on Thursday. He also lost a fumble.
Jackson's final numbers were certainly stellar from a fantasy perspective, but his passing wasn't as efficient as his final line implies, and he also couldn't convert on two final opportunities to tie the game. Jackson did demonstrate excellent chemistry with Isaiah Likely, who easily one-upped fellow tight end Mark Andrews by hauling in nine of Jackson's passes for 111 yards and the quarterback's one touchdown. However, Jackson frequently found himself pulling the ball down and running on his way to his best rushing yardage total since Week 18 of the 2020 season. He also threw well behind a wide open Zay Flowers in the end zone on the second-to-last play and then launched his final pass about an inch too far for Likely, who just missed bringing it down inbounds. Following another disappointing loss to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, Jackson will look to atone with a more balanced effort in a Week 2 home battle versus the Raiders on Sept. 15.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Not playing in preseason finale
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Jackson is not in line to play in Saturday's preseason finale against the Packers, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.
As a result, Jackson's next game action will occur Week 1 against the Chiefs on Thursday, Sept. 5. While the Ravens' franchise QB won't see any exhibition snaps, he will at least have an opportunity to compete against an opposing defense during Thursday's joint practice in Green Bay. As the coming campaign approaches, the 27-year-old is on track to maintain his status as a top-level fantasy QB, provided he can stay healthy.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Won't play Friday
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Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday that Jackson won't suit up for Friday's preseason opener against the Eagles, Jonas Shaffer of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Harbaugh said that Josh Johnson will play Friday, and that Baltimore's starters will see action in the preseason, per Giana Han of TheBaltimoreBanner.com, just not versus Philadelphia. With two more exhibitions on deck after Friday, it's possible the bulk of the preseason action for the Ravens' first-team units could come in the team's final contest Aug. 24 versus Green Bay. Jackson missed a number of practices due to illness early in training camp but has been fully healthy since July 27.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Again sidelined with illness
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Jackson (illness) is not participating in practice Friday.
Jackson is missing his fourth of five training camp practices due to an illness, after having returned to the field Thursday. Per the team, "continues to undergo further evaluation and receive care from our medical team." In Jackson's stead, Josh Johnson figures to again handle the bulk of first-team reps, with rookies Devin Leary and Emory Jones also potentially mixing in. The severity of the star quarterback's illness remains unclear.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Sitting out another practice
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Jackson (illness) remained sidelined at practice Monday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.
Jackson was also unavailable for Sunday's session. In his continued absence a day later, Josh Johnson once again will handle the Ravens' first-team QB reps.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Drops weight over offseason
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Jackson said Wednesday that he dropped weight over the offseason in an effort to be more agile in 2024, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.
Jackson was listed at 215 pounds last season and 225 during the 2022 season. Earlier this month, Jackson indicated he was closer to 205 pounds, but it's unclear if that's his intended playing weight. An even more elusive Jackson would be dangerous to opposing defenses, and adding Derrick Henry and getting Mark Andrews back to full health after his season was derailed by a broken ankle could make the Baltimore offense even more lethal in 2024.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Joined by superstar RB
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Jackson is getting help in the backfield via Derrick Henry, with whom the Ravens agreed to terms on a two-year, $16 million contract Tuesday, Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports.
Jackson will form one of the league's most dangerous backfield tandems by allying with the 30-year-old, two-time rushing champion who spent the last eight seasons in Tennessee and could now finally give Baltimore a sledgehammer in the rushing game to complement the reigning MVP's elusiveness. The pair of Jackson and Henry could give the Ravens a new-look rushing attack finally capable of pushing the team over the edge, with big-play threat Keaton Mitchell (knee) providing a complementary boost. Meanwhile, J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) is scheduled for free agency, while Gus Edwards is scheduled to sign with the Chargers. Jackson tallied career-high marks with 3,678 passing yards and 8.0 yards per attempt in 2023 to go with 29 total touchdowns and 821 rushing yards. Henry, meanwhile, rushed for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns on 280 carries this past season.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Wins second MVP Award
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Jackson was named the Most Valuable Player on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Jackson was the favorite for the award since the Ravens downed Brock Purdy and the 49ers in Week 16 in decisive fashion. His overall resume was deserving of the honor as well, as Jackson tallied 29 total touchdowns while racking up career-best marks in passing yards (3,678) and yards per attempt (8.0). It was the second time that he's been named MVP of the league, with the first coming in 2019.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Key errors in season-ending loss
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Jackson completed 20 of 37 passes for 272 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the Ravens' 17-10 AFC Championship Game loss to the Chiefs on Sunday. He also rushed eight times for 54 yards and lost a fumble while catching one of his deflected passes for 13 yards.
Jackson's final yardage numbers looked perfectly acceptable from a fantasy perspective, but his real-world impact on the game was both more muted and detrimental than those figures imply. The dynamic quarterback struggled with finding open targets against the Chiefs' suffocating coverage throughout the afternoon, and several of his rush attempts were the result of intense pressure from Kansas City. Jackson's second turnover was also critical, as he was picked off in the end zone with 6:54 remaining and the Ravens down by 10 points. The crushing ending to the season aside, Jackson put himself in position for MVP honors by throwing for 3,678 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions while adding 821 rushing yards and another five scores across 16 regular-season games, and in 2024, he'll play out the second year of the massive contract extension he signed this past offseason.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Four total touchdowns in win
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Jackson completed 16 of 22 passes for 152 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday's 34-10 win over the Texans. He rushed the ball 11 times for 100 yards and an additional two scores.
Jackson and the rest of Baltimore's offense got off to a relatively slow start, as they didn't find the end zone until midway through the second quarter. However, he took over from there, throwing for touchdowns of three and 15 yards while also finding the end zone on the ground with rushes of 15 and eight yards. Jackson had thrown at least one interception in each his four postseason games entering Saturday's matchup, though he had no turnovers in the blowout win. He also now has at least 100 rushing yards in three of five career playoff games. Jackson became the first player in NFL history (regular or postseason) to have a game with multiple TD passes and multiple rushing scores while throwing and rushing for over 100 yards to go with a 100-plus rating. He and the Ravens will host either the Bills or Chiefs next Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Won't play in Week 18
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Jackson won't play in Saturday's game against the Steelers, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.
With the Ravens having secured the top seed in the AFC playoffs, Jackson will be rested in the team's regular-season finale. In his stead, Tyler Huntley will draw the start at quarterback this weekend, with Josh Johnson backing him up. Jackson -- the presumptive frontrunner for the NFL's MVP award -- will get an extended breather before the Ravens' postseason opener in the divisional round.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Leads team past 49ers
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Jackson completed 23 of 35 passes for 252 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Monday's 33-19 win over the 49ers. He added seven rushes for 45 yards.
Baltimore ran a pass-heavy offense by their standard, as Jackson reached 30 pass attempts for only the seventh time this season despite playing from ahead for nearly the entire game. He responded with an efficient performance and his sixth multiple-passing touchdown effort of the campaign, which he connected on from six and nine yards away. While Jackson didn't need to use his rushing ability as much given the game script, he still narrowly missed out on 300 total yards. Given Brock Purdy's (neck) struggles on the opposite end of the contest, Jackson may have become the MVP favorite with his performance.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Modest passing numbers in win
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Jackson completed 14 of 24 passes for 171 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 23-7 win over the Jaguars. He added 12 rushing attempts for 97 yards.
Jackson finally broke through late in a low-scoring first half with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely, which made up for an interception on the previous drive and put the Ravens up 10-0 with 1:12 remaining before halftime. The mobile quarterback and second-year tight end combined for another key play in the third quarter, as Jackson escaped a sack attempt and uncorked a 26-yard pass that Likely caught over two defenders at the 4-yard line. Jackson led the Ravens in rushing yards, but he was held to fewer than 200 passing yards for the fourth time in the last seven games. Up next for Jackson and the Ravens is a Week 16 Monday Night Football clash with the 49ers, who boast an 11-3 record identical to Baltimore's.
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Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Rips through Rams
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Jackson completed 24 of 43 passes for 316 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in Sunday's 37-31 win over the Rams. He added 11 rushes for 70 yards.
Jackson erupted in the win, topping 300 passing yards for the second time this season while also topping 40 passes for the first time on the campaign. He spread targets around evenly, finding each of Odell Beckham, Isaiah Likely and Zay Flowers for gains of at least 20 yards as well as touchdowns. Jackson was also active as a rusher, and he managed his highest yardage total on the ground since Week 3. Altogether, it was an excellent performance from Jackson, though it was only his second multi-touchdown performance in his last six games.
