Can the Ravens Survive Without Lamar Jackson? Spoiler Alert: Probably Not.
It was all going so well for Lamar Jackson. The Baltimore Ravens were looking like actual contenders against the Patriots, Derrick Henry was doing his best “Juggernaut from X-Men” impression, and the fans were ready to book their playoff tickets. Then, reality—and a defender’s knee—came crashing down on M&T Bank Stadium.
Let’s be honest: Watching the Ravens without Jackson is like playing Elden Ring with a broken controller. You might get lucky for a few minutes, but eventually, you’re going to get crushed.
The Moment the Season (Maybe) Ended
If you missed it because you were busy raging at your fantasy football lineup, here’s the TL;DR: Lamar Jackson took a knee to the back late in the second quarter. He exited stage left to the locker room and never returned. Head coach John Harbaugh, in classic vague NFL coach fashion, called it a “bruise of some kind.” Sure, John. And the Red Ring of Death on an Xbox 360 was just a “minor lighting glitch.”
While backup Tyler “Snoop” Huntley tried his best to hold down the fort, the Patriots—led by Drake Maye—decided to stage a comeback that would make a Call of Duty lobby proud. The Ravens blew a double-digit lead, Henry was inexplicably benched when they needed to burn clock (make it make sense, please), and Zay Flowers fumbled away any remaining hope.
The “Reset” Button?
Now, the internet is doing what the internet does best: overreacting. But maybe they have a point? Former players and pundits are already calling for a “total reset,” suggesting the Ravens should trade Jackson and fire Harbaugh.
Is that extreme? Maybe. But looking at the current state of the AFC North, the Ravens are in serious trouble. They need to beat the Green Bay Packers next week—at Lambeau, in December, which is always fun—just to keep their pulse. Oh, and they need the Steelers to beat the Browns. If either of those things doesn’t happen, it’s game over.
Why This Hurts So Bad
The frustration here isn’t just about one loss. It’s about the feeling that we’ve seen this movie before. The Ravens look dominant, Jackson plays like an MVP candidate, and then something happens. It’s the NFL equivalent of getting to the final boss and realizing you forgot to save your game for the last three hours.
If Jackson’s injury is serious, the Ravens aren’t just looking at a lost season; they’re staring down the barrel of a long, cold offseason full of “what ifs.”
What’s Next for Baltimore?
So, where do they go from here? If Jackson can’t suit up against the Packers, the Ravens are essentially bringing a knife to a nuclear war. The defense can only do so much, and while Henry is a beast, he can’t throw the ball to himself.
The mood in Baltimore right now is grim. It’s the kind of silence you hear in a discord chat after a squad wipe. Unless Jackson makes a miraculous recovery—or Huntley channels his inner Tom Brady—Ravens fans might want to start looking forward to the draft. Or at least, start playing a different game until next September.
For now, all eyes are on the injury report. Because without Action Jackson, the Ravens are just NPCs in someone else’s highlight reel.
