Following the shocking injury to Buffalo Bills 24-year-old second year safety Damar Hamlin on Monday, Jan 2, against the Cincinnati Bengals, the state of the upcoming NFL playoffs is uncertain.
Despite this tragic state of events, teams must try their best to remain focused, as Hamlin works to recover to as close to full strength as possible.
The Baltimore Ravens are one of the teams that have hit pitfalls recently even after clinching the postseason. All Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson has been out several weeks since straining his PCL in their Week 13 win over the Denver Broncos on December 4th. Backup Tyler Huntley was injured as well, but since returning to action, has failed to produce performances that will build up a strong enough cushion for a team that has already been struggling with injury all season. But there is still lots of promise, as the team was able to clinch a playoff game not just without Jackson, but without key receiver Devin Duvernay as well, who suffered a right foot injury in practice and was ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Heading into the postseason, Baltimore currently sits at 10-7 and 2nd in the AFC North. Overall this season, the Ravens have performed up and down while always remaining over .500 since they were 3-3 to start the year. With the impending news surrounding Lamar Jackson’s commitment to the franchise, there will be many tough decisions that will have to be made by the organization from a contract standpoint.
Regardless of how the season ends for them, analysts do think they can be a title contender if injuries can be held in check and if they can keep their franchise superstar happy. Jackson and the organization have seemed to hit a dilemma. Jackson’s injury has improved, yet some speculate that because of the injury clause on his contract, he isn’t suiting up in games to protect his future career decisions and stock. Since his injury, Baltimore has averaged 12.3 ppg, compared to 25 when he was healthy. The former 2019 league MVP has had an up and down career since his draft in 2018, and a big payday seemed inevitable. He does have three playoff appearances and one win on his resume so this season would be a good opportunity for the team to see their potential if Jackson sits.
Heading into their Week 18 matchup with Cincinnati who were sitting at 11-4, the Ravens wanted to give themselves an improved foundation and a more favorable opponent in their playoff game. The Bengals on the other hand, were in the running for possibly obtaining the number one seed in the AFC and being named the AFC North Champions. With a win, Cincinnati could have matched their franchise record for most wins in a season (12). The Ravens set the record at 12 in the 2000 season when they were also 2nd in their division.
Jackson has not yet been ruled out for the rest of the playoffs, considering his injury status and team commitment. He has missed 14 straight practices since his injury, and in their 4 games with him on IR, the Ravens have averaged 12.3 ppg and have scored a league worst 3 touchdowns. Regardless of what happens, this team has the capabilities and capacity to be a very well-rounded team, but struggling to perform when disaster strikes is often a problem every NFL team has to face at some point in time. Putting aside their issues, a second-round appearance may be what lies ahead at best.
As the playoffs loomed, Baltimore ultimately suffered a 27-16 loss to Cincinnati this past Sunday. They now face a pivotal wild card situation next Sunday at the Bengals once again.
Written by Owen Lomotan of Thomas S. Wootton High School
Photo courtesy of Flickr, Creative Commons