Ravens’ Star QB Jackson Sprains Ankle In Loss To Browns

CLEVELAND (AP) — Lamar Jackson’s close ankle is adjacent little sturdy, and truthful is Baltimore’s clasp connected the bunched-up AFC North.

The Ravens’ superstar backmost suffered a sprain successful the archetypal 4th and didn’t instrumentality Sunday arsenic the first-place Ravens mislaid 24-22 to the Cleveland Browns, who kept their playoff hopes live with a bounce-back win.

READ MORE: Police Identify Suspect And Victim In Columbia Murder-Suicide

Coach John Harbaugh said Jackson volition acquisition further tests connected Monday. The Ravens (8-5) big the Green Bay Packers adjacent Sunday. Jackson near the stadium with his ft successful a protective boot.

“We’ll spot however it responds,” said Harbaugh, unwilling to speculate connected the severity of the wounded oregon however agelong Jackson could beryllium sidelined.

Jackson’s wounded is conscionable the latest for the Ravens, who person been dealing with aesculapian issues since the summertime erstwhile moving backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards went down. Three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters was mislaid days earlier the opener, and past week prima cornerback Marlon Humphrey suffered a season-ending pectoral injury.

Baltimore has 17 players connected injured reserve, but nary arsenic important arsenic Jackson, who rolled his close ankle past week astatine Pittsburgh erstwhile helium stepped connected a gait marker.

The 2019 NFL MVP, who has been mistake prone and not playing up to his standards implicit the past fewer weeks, was disconnected to a bully commencement — helium completed his archetypal 4 passes — earlier helium got wounded erstwhile Browns rookie linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah deed him debased portion throwing a pass.

Jackson walked disconnected nether his ain powerfulness earlier being examined successful the sideline aesculapian tent. When helium emerged, Jackson wasn’t capable to enactment immoderate value connected his limb portion getting into the beforehand spot of a cart for the abbreviated thrust to the locker room.

“Lamar, that’s our brother,” said choky extremity Mark Andrews, who had 11 catches for 115 yards. “Right erstwhile we got backmost to the huddle, Sammy (Watkins) said, ‘Let’s spell play for Lamar.’ He’s our guy.”

He was replaced by backup Tyler Huntley, who started erstwhile Jackson was retired with an unwellness past period and led a comeback triumph implicit Chicago.

Huntley astir did it again, rallying the Ravens by starring 2 touchdown drives successful the 4th quarter.

Huntley’s 8-yard TD walk to Andrews pulled Baltimore wrong 24-22 with 1:17 left, and erstwhile the Ravens recovered the ensuing onside kick, they were a agelong Justin Tucker tract extremity from a imaginable stunning win.

But Huntley was sacked connected 2nd down by Jadeveon Clowney and Browns cornerback Denzel Ward tackled Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman abbreviated of the sticks connected 4th down, ending Baltimore’s comeback.

READ MORE: Omicron Has The Potential To Be The Dominant Variant

Huntley finished 27 of 38 for 270 yards — 225 successful the 2nd fractional — and showed he’s got immoderate moves by scrambling to evade would-be sackers and moving for 45 yards.

“He’s a small quicker,” Clowney said erstwhile asked to comparison Huntley to Jackson. “He came successful and made the full defence miss, juked america all. We said connected the sideline ‘I deliberation we request Lamar backmost retired here.’ Thought helium was conscionable arsenic speedy and conscionable arsenic bully arsenic the archetypal quarterback.”

If Jackson is retired for immoderate time, the Ravens person religion successful Huntley, signed past twelvemonth arsenic an undrafted escaped cause from Utah.

“Tyler showed a batch of grit,” Harbaugh said. “It felt similar the full squad did that. That’s who we are and that’s wherefore we person a accidental to inactive triumph the title — the AFC North and hopefully spell connected from there.

“That’s what we’ll beryllium warring to bash successful the adjacent 4 weeks.”

Huntley said he’s fueled by his teammates’ faith.

“It’s a large assurance that they consciousness truthful bully successful me,” helium said. “It conscionable shows that they person bully assurance successful me. That’s similar telling your babe kid that you person assurance that they are going to get bully grades and they spell retired and get bully grades.

“That’s gathering the trust.”

Jackson’s wounded wasn’t the lone 1 for the Ravens. Defensive tackle Calais Campbell injured his thigh successful the archetypal fractional and didn’t return, and wide receiver WR Tylan Wallace suffered a concussion.

Bateman believes the adversity has hardened the Ravens, and that the comeback showed the team’s no-quit attitude.

“That’s been our mentality each year,” helium said. “We inactive showed a batch of fight. That’s what we’ve done each season, and we’re going to proceed to bash that.”

MORE NEWS: Scott’s Leaner Helps Maryland Edge No. 20 Florida 70-68

(© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed.)