I would imagine there’s a lot of stress on the decision makers at The Castle these days. Messrs. Harbaugh, DeCosta and Bisciotti have certainly had their plates full over the course of the last three seasons.
In 2020, COVID struck and threw the team’s operation out of whack, so much so that the roster was devastated by the virus, forcing an extremely rare Wednesday afternoon game. Who does that? Then in 2021, after miraculously matriculating their way to the AFC’s No. 1 seed by Week 12 while sporting an (8-3) record, the campaign unraveled including a season-ending ankle injury to Lamar Jackson. The Ravens finished (8-9).
In 2022, injuries have once again affected the team in a detrimental way and although Harbaugh & Co. are about to engage the Cincinnati Bengals in a Wild Card showdown, things just don’t feel right. There just isn’t a winning vibe in town, probably stemming from the Ravens offensive woes over the course of the last 8 games when they’ve scored a grand total of 115 points (14.4 PPG). And the rag tag collection of players that they’ve assembled called the wide receiver room, certainly doesn’t inspire confidence amongst the Ravens faithful.
Yet borrowing from Lloyd Christmas, there’s a chance – a chance they could win on Sunday Night. But that chance, those last desperate hopes, ride on the coattails of Lamar. And the big question that hangs over Baltimore like a dark cloud, albeit one that has shown some signs of breaking up is, “Will Lamar practice this week?”
If he doesn’t, the Ravens chances are pretty slim. The Ravens backup QB’s are prone to mistakes. Averaging less than 15 points while turning the ball over is hardly a recipe for success during the regular season, much less the postseason.
John Harbaugh is at his wit’s end. You can see it during his pressers. He looks worn out. His body language suggests weariness, probably directly tied to the unavailability of his star quarterback, around whom the offense is designed. Eric DeCosta has been feeling heat for assembling a sub-standard group of pass catchers. He has to be exasperated having never seen Ronnie Stanley, Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins and Rashod Bateman on the field at the same time – not for one single meaningful play. EVER!
And then there’s Steve Bisciotti who has the unenviable position of making a contractual call on a player who has often been described as a generational talent. Bisciotti has to feel confident that Lamar will play to the level of an unprecedented contract; that Lamar will take his passing game to new heights as the dependency on his legs diminishes; that Lamar’s new contract doesn’t prevent DeCosta from augmenting the roster in other ways; that the Ravens offensive brain trust has the wherewithal to bring the passing attack into the 20th century, much less the 21st.
With tension comes pressure; with pressure, finger-pointing; with finger-pointing change. And there’s plenty of change coming for the Ravens during the months ahead. But Lamar Jackson can change all of that. Leading his team over the Bengals, regardless of what happens in the Divisional Round, will be a major step in the right direction. And then maybe that might clear the air and Lamar’s contractual drama.
But if he doesn’t take the field on Sunday and the Ravens lose…
We don’t know if he’ll be back this week. We don’t know if he’ll be back next year.
But we do know one thing:
Sometimes you gotta go back… to actually move forward.#WeWantLamar #TheReturn pic.twitter.com/wrNx7VUBge
— Jake (@jakelouque) January 10, 2023
Bengals O-Line
The Ravens generated pressure this past Sunday and while the defensive front 7 only managed to land 2 sacks, the pressure was consistent and contributed to Joe Burrow’s substandard performance (25 of 42, 215 yards, 1 TD, 81.0 passer rating). The Bengals played without right tackle La’el Collins who was lost for the season on December 24 with an ACL injury. This past week right guard Alex Cappa went down with an ankle injury.
Yesterday, while speaking about Cappa’s injury, Bengals skipper Zach Taylor said, “It will be tough this week. We’ll get more information on that today but it will be tough on him.”
Taylor wouldn’t confirm that Cappa’s injury is season-ending but the outlook for Sunday is grim.
Cappa was one of the Bengals big offseason free agent splashes and has played very well. Now that the entire starting right side of the Bengals offensive line has been compromised, it could change the way Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator Brian Callahan calls the game.
“Those things matter at this point,” Callahan said. “It’s not like this is Week 10 and we are trying to figure out what we have. Let’s see how this guy looks here. We are too late down the road to screw around with it too much.”
This could trigger a heavier dependence on the running game as well as temper the downfield strikes that the Bengals attempt, so as not to expose Burrow.
Coming to The Bank
The Ravens sent out a teaser yesterday stating that on Thursday, January 12 at 10 AM, there will be a “major concert announcement”. “Major” is a relative term and when it comes to music, well, let’s just say that beauty is in the ear of the beholder. The concert will take place during the fall of 2023.
So I looked to see what acts are planning a fall tour, that might be big enough to inspire over 70,000 people to drop $250 plus per ticket. Here are the “big” acts that are scheduled to make their rounds later this year.
• Ed Sheeran: 70,000? Really? Doubt it.
• Billy Joel with Stevie Nicks’ “Two Icons, One Night Tour”: Joel was at OPACY not too long ago and he’s been regularly available at Madison Square Garden. Better possibility than Sheeran but, I’m going with no Piano Man or Gold Dust Woman.
• Shania Twain: Maybe once upon a time but she’s been inactive too long plus she’s scheduled for a gig at Merriweather.
• Carrie Underwood: Football season; Waitin’ all day for… I’ll go with maybe.
• Metallica: They’ve been a guest of The Bank before. Round 2? Possibly.
• Garth Brooks: He was a previous COVID cancellation at The Bank. I’m guessing he’s the favorite.
Thoughts?
7 Responses
The clearest scenarios with Lamar are:
In the first scenario, the team franchises him and plays out the 2023 season with him. In the latter two, it franchises him, gets what it can, and turns the page. As much of a Lamar fan as I’ve been, I can’t say that I hate the tag and trade option at this point.
Frankly, I’m tired of all the melodrama surrounding a player who was determined to EARN his big payday like his predecessor and has failed to do so! Nor can I get excited at the thought of any player suddenly coming back after not playing or practicing for weeks and expecting to make a huge difference! As John Wayne used to say, “Not likely, Pilgrim”! That being said they just announced a sizable extension for R. Smith, so that may well set the stage for Lamar’s departure! But, again, at this point, who cares…….
Exactly … who cares??
I wish Lamar the best I’m done with him if he does not suit up for this playoff game.
If Lamar comes back at this point, it’s not like he would look as bad as DeSaun Watson . . . but it’s also not like he’s going to steal very much of Joe Burrow’s thunder either.
Kind of hard to understand why a QB who hasn’t made it to the Super Bowl yet and has played only 12 games two years in a row thinks he has earned probably the top pay in the NFL.
At least Joe Flacco waited until he had won the Super Bowl before he asked for the world on a string.
There is no doubt that Jackson is a very talented football player who can dominate a game. But there is also no greater burden than an unrealized potential. You can’t win championships from the bench or a cold tub. And you shouldn’t be asking for elite compensation until you have delivered an elite performance. That’s just how business works.
If LJ doesn’t play, please give me A Brown over Snoop. He actually looks at more than one receiver before taking off. He did made the unforgivable error in the end zone (as Stanley was beaten) but as a rookie put into the fire, I can forgive. I like that he releases quickly and did hit some tight windows. Can’t run like Snoop, but much better passer.
Looks like Lamar Jackson has left the building. All I know is if is a mild sprain 5 weeks seems like you could take 4 advil and go throw a no hitter like Nolan Ryan once did with a bad shoulder especially if you think your worth 50 million plus a season. Good luck Lamar. Nice knowing you.