Lamar Jackson did not practice today, marking the 10th consecutive practice that he has missed. It might also signal the fourth consecutive start for Tyler Huntley when the Ravens host the Steelers on New Year’s Day.
John Harbaugh on whether he expects Lamar Jackson to practice this week and whether he still believes Jackson will play this year pic.twitter.com/qYTKXgAHze
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) December 26, 2022
There has to be a ton going on behind the scenes. This PCL injury was expected to keep Lamar sidelined for 1-3 weeks. Sunday will mark 28 days since injuring the knee at the end of the first quarter against the Broncos on December 4. And now you have to wonder if Lamar plans to sit out for the balance of the season. Maybe he doesn’t want to risk further injury in a struggling offense without a new contract. But that’s speculation at this point.
Adding to the speculation are reports that Lamar has opted to stay at home instead of reporting to team headquarters for treatments on his injured knee. If true, this situation has become a real mess and both sides are culpable.
On 105.7 this morning they stated that “it was leaked” he hasn’t been showing up for treatment. pic.twitter.com/fgJwWPwudM
— Spencer N. Schultz (@ravens4dummies) December 28, 2022
It’s no secret in league circles that Lamar is a rather unique personality who marches to the beat of his own drum. Without the guiding hand of an agent coupled with Lamar’s massive importance to the team, there’s not a whole lot the Ravens can do about it. They have to live with the fact that he’s not the first guy in the building nor the last to leave. They have to put up with behaviors that don’t exactly align with those indicative of the prototypical franchise quarterback.
Why?
The team needs to preserve his market value if the plan is to unload Lamar in return for a haul of picks and players that might outpace that which the Browns and Broncos surrendered in exchange for quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, respectively.
How this all ends long-term, is anyone’s guess.
In the short-term, frustrations could begin to boil. We’ve seen Lamar lash out on social media; we’ve seen and heard John Harbaugh move the opinion of fans to the end of the bar; and we’ve witnessed an agitated Mark Andrews display his rather chippy mood these days at the podium and on the field.
The Ravens have entered the realm of Festivus.
But it sure doesn’t seem all that festive at The Castle these days.
On New Year’s Day
When the Ravens take the field on Sunday night, January 1, 2023 before a National TV audience, it will be the defense that gets the spotlight for player introductions. And while as of this writing there’s no word yet on the uniform ensemble, this one feels like a black on black, doesn’t it?
Random thought:
The Ravens stadium vibe needs direction. It currently feels stuck between medieval and macabre. Castles and graveyards.
I say go all in on the spooky ish. Change the entrance music to Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold. More of a nod to Poe’s literary tone. pic.twitter.com/dqdQHWBQcC
— AdamBMore (@AdamBMore) December 28, 2022
With a win the Ravens will sink the Steelers record to (7-9), and that would make it the first season as head coach that the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin has fallen below a .500 mark in any of his 16 seasons as Pittsburgh’s skipper. Tomlin is 17-15 head-to-head against John Harbaugh including a 15-14 regular season mark.
Last week when the Ravens hosted the Falcons, the crowd on hand was as thin as we’ve seen from an attendance perspective since the Ravens arrived in a non-COVID-related game. The weather, opponent, backup quarterbacks and the fact that it was Christmas Eve were all contributing factors. But the decline in attendance, real fans in the seats and not the reported sales numbers, have been off for quite a while.
It will be interesting to see if better weather, an arch-rival coming to town and no Holiday distractions will help to fill M&T Bank Stadium the way the town used to.
Ravens Lack Big Mack
The Ravens no longer possess the rights to DT Isaiah Mack who was released by the team earlier this week. Mack was a very serviceable reserve for the Ravens and in an ideal world he might still dress in purple and black. But the Ravens determined that they need his roster spot – one that could go to the undrafted rookie quarterback Anthony Brown.
Brown is out of elevations from the practice squad and in order to be an eligible reserve, he must be on the 53-man squad. Given the unique situation of the team’s franchise quarterback and what looks to be his fourth consecutive missed game, the Ravens will need Brown to back up Huntley.
Per today's personnel notice, the Seahawks were awarded a waiver claim on DT Isaiah Mack, who the Ravens cut Monday. Mack played two games for the Ravens this season, spending much of the year on the team's practice squad.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) December 27, 2022
O-O-O-Odafe
To say that Odafe Oweh is a disappointment would be an understatement. He has shown little in the way of development in his arsenal of pass rush moves, and if anything, it appears as if he’s taken a step back.
Not that he set the world on fire during his rookie campaign, but compared to 2022 he’s been relatively pedestrian. In 2021, Odafe had 5 sacks, 15 QB hits, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries in 15 games. During his 15 games in 2022 those numbers are 2 ½, 8, 1 and 1. Odafe was taken with the 31st overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Odafe Oweh pic.twitter.com/UmrcANx26R
— 🐜 (10-5) (@Gamergod29) December 28, 2022
Comparatively speaking, the very next edge rusher selected in 2021 was Azeez Ojulari (No. 50 overall) who had 8 sacks during his rookie season and in just 6 games in 2022, the New York Giant has posted 5 ½ sacks.
A first-round pick needs to be something more than a project. That’s what Odafe was when drafted and unfortunately, that’s what he remains.
Ravens on Prime Time
[Related Article: Battle Plans v. Steelers]
Ravens v. Steelers
During the last 10 matchups against the Steelers, the Ravens have scored a total of 220 points while Pittsburgh has posted 206 points. The average margin of victory across those 10 contests is 5.6 points, with five of those games decided by 3 points or less.
Last week when looking ahead at this matchup on my trusty DraftKings app, I saw that the line was Steelers + 6.5. Please forgive me, but I couldn’t resist the points and plunked down a modest $25.00. I don’t mind losing the bet. It’s a small price to pay for a Ravens convincing win.
But just in case…
16 Responses
As I’ve posted elsewhere on this Blog, Lamar appears content to not risk further injuries while his contract negotiations remain in limbo! Hard to argue if that’s his decision, but if he’s healthy enough to play and doesn’t, that sends a very dubious message to his team mates……
Hard to argue if that’s his decision… he’s getting 1.5 million per game to not play. That is very dubious, to pull a stunt like that when your team is fighting for the playoffs.
This is not his team anymore. The ravens know it and he knows it. Best for both that he be traded after being tagged
I truly believe the Ravens are going to dump Lamar for some draft picks and bring in a veteran QB like Garapollo or Derek Carr. I think Lamar is not going to play anymore this year. Even if he came back next week against the Bengals or in the playoffs, how sharp would he be. Not very. I am about sick of the Lamar soap opera. We got about as much out of him as anyone could have expected when we drafted him.
If we had an OC with ANY decent passing game schemes we would have gotten much more out of him. The ignorance of Greg Roman coupled with the stubbornness of Harbs made us waste 5 years of a once in a lifetime player. He will thrive somewhere else and I am ready to be he will win multiple superbowls.
Lamar will never win a Super Bowl
Tony – as I had expressed earlier- is it possible that Lamar will hold out till the ravens address the contract ? Would that even come out? let’s say he holds out – to burn bridges and any good will – to precipitate a move to another organization. How would we find out? the raven ls org seems pretty tight. Will they leak this to an insider to compel him? I definitely think he is sitting out. Anyone else?
Pure speculation on Jackson. It’s a bigger secret than the Manhattan Project. Just send the Stillers packing and maybe they give Tomlin an extension.
Unfortunately, it appears Lamar has already played his last game in a ravens uniform. He will receive better offers somewhere else, or he will be tagged and traded.
Tony – Good article and nice responses. Plenty of topics and room for discussion / second guessing on a lot of fronts. What was the actual contract offer on the table (for Lamar obviously) before the season vs. both Lamar’s and the team’s plans today and forward? Who/What/Why wasn’t a long term deal done preseason? Who is happy/sad a preseason deal wasn’t done ‘today’? Do we really think any team is going to offer Watson like compensation for a player that has now missed significant time two years in a row? Is Lamar really still injured? Or following the (rumored) Ravens Left Tackle model? Or simply making a business decision? If Lamar isn’t under center next year – who is, and why, and what is the cost of a new QB? When will this be decided and what’s the impact on the draft and salary cap? Why is Greg R still not fired? Your comment about butts in seats is its own at-length discussion. Merry Christmas.
Lets Clarify a few things on the Lamar/Ravens front. These “Leaks and Rumors” of Lamar all of a sudden being a bad seed or not committed, is 100% someone inside the Castle leaking trying to throw 8 under the bus bc he won’t commit career suicide and rip his knee up returning early. Shame on the Ravens. You have to be intelligent enough to block out all that noise and trust Lamars past behavior towards this community, fanbase etc which has been “All In”. Now 2nd- Dr Scott Adams or another local Dr said 4-6 weeks debunking the 1-3 week initial report especially with a super athlete like Lamar who needs his speed and Elusiveness. 6 weeks would be return at playoffs. Thats when I expect him. If he’s not back then. I’ll be upset
Sounds crazy I know but if Huntley struggles again, I’d sub in Anthony Brown at half time. With Lamar’s future uncertain and Huntley clearly not the Raven’s future QB I want to see what I have in Brown. I’m not expecting Ravens to do anything in the playoffs anyway so why not?
The Lamar injury topic is getting old. There is so much misinformation and assumptions. It’s just getting old. Whatever side of the fence you are on, none of us know the true story.
I can understand both sides but I have given my opinion elsewhere. I believe he’s been burned several times by the team/front office/coaching and social media. I also believe he’s frustrated and is trying to keep quiet about everything until he’s healthy.
Many of us are judging Lamar-fans, social media, and possibly the front office and management. We are all entitled to our opinions but should be respectful of Lamar as we are respectful to anyone. Until Lamar comes out and speaks, let’s enjoy life and cherish everyday things. Life is to short to be worried about whether Lamar is going to play or not play. Happy Holidays everyone and blessings one and all.
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