Lamar Jackson Ankle Injury Overshadows Ravens Win

Lamar Jackson Ankle Injury - News Summary

• The Ravens held off the Titans 24-18, but Lamar Jackson hurt his left ankle just before halftime.
• Jackson left the stadium in a protective boot, and an MRI will show how bad it is.
• Reports are split between day to day and week to week ahead of the trip to Atlanta.
• Backup Tyler Huntley saw out the win, but Baltimore didn't score after the break.

The Baltimore Ravens got the win they needed on Sunday, holding off the Tennessee Titans 24-18, but the result was overshadowed by a Lamar Jackson ankle injury that sent the star quarterback to the sideline.

The relief of victory was complicated by the sight of their most important player watching the final quarters unable to play. With his status up in the air, it is worth keeping an eye on the latest NFL betting odds as the picture clears over the coming week.

Jackson was forced out just before halftime, turning what had started as a commanding performance into an anxious afternoon. Backup Tyler Huntley stepped in to see out the second half, but every eye in the stadium kept drifting back to Jackson.

The Ravens vs Titans scoreline looked comfortable at halftime, but the 24-18 finish felt anything but. Baltimore led 21-7 when Jackson went down, then took a 24-7 cushion into the break after Tyler Loop's 64-yard field goal as time expired. The real contest became whether that lead would survive the loss of the man who created it.

How Lamar Jackson's Ankle Injury Happened

Jackson appeared to hurt his left ankle when he was sacked near the end of the first half. He did not return, and reports indicated he left the stadium wearing a protective boot, a detail that understandably rattled the Baltimore fanbase.

Before the ankle injury sidelined him, Jackson was in rare form. He threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns and added 20 yards on the ground, numbers that typically turn ordinary games into blowouts.

Head coach Jesse Minter kept his postgame assessment deliberately vague. "Yeah, he was just dealing with a little bit of an ankle, we hope," Minter told reporters. "I don't know enough about it right now. But we'll have to see where that's at." He added that there had even been some discussion about Jackson returning to the field.

Tyler Huntley Takes Over as Ravens Hold Off Titans

When Jackson exited, the Ravens handed the offence to Huntley with a 24-7 lead to protect. Nicknamed "Snoop", the veteran backup was asked to manage rather than dazzle, and he did exactly that.

Huntley finished a tidy 8-of-9 for 63 yards, with his longest completion an 18-yarder to Rashod Bateman on third-and-5 in the fourth quarter. It was safe, unflashy football, but the offence stalled without Jackson.

Baltimore failed to score after halftime, Loop missed from 40, and Cam Ward hit Wan'Dale Robinson for a touchdown and two-point conversion with 1:12 left to cut it to 24-18. Malaki Starks recovered the onside kick to seal it.

Most of Baltimore's damage had come before the break. Wide receiver Zay Flowers caught eight passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, breaking the franchise record he had shared with tight end Mark Andrews for most 100-yard receiving outings by a Raven, now 11.

"We want to be an explosive offence," Flowers said, adding that the group kept its confidence when Huntley came on. Days like that are exactly what draws eyes to the NFL receiving props market.

Is Lamar Jackson Playing Next Week?

The immediate question surrounding the Lamar Jackson ankle injury is whether it costs him any playing time going forward.

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that the quarterback is believed to be day to day, but ProFootballTalk later reported he is considered week to week, with an MRI set to reveal the extent of any ligament damage.

Minter, for his part, offered cautious optimism. "I think hopefully it's in a good spot," he said of the ankle. There was no definitive ruling either way, which is fairly standard this early after a game.

The caveat hanging over all of it is recent history, since Jackson missed four games last season because of injury.

The MRI and this week's practices should make his status clearer before the trip to face the Atlanta Falcons, and whether the Lamar Jackson ankle injury keeps him out next week is the question Baltimore most wants answered.

An extended absence would shift Baltimore's outlook, so it is worth watching the NFL futures market closely. For how that trip to Atlanta shapes up, our weekly NFL tips are a good place to look ahead to the Ravens' next outing.