Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have basically needed to win out for a long time, but they keep coming up short. It hasn’t officially eliminated them yet, but they’re on the brink. And with Jackson getting hurt again, it looks like the Ravens are done early just a season after winning 12 games.
Lamar Jackson’s health has ruined 2025 Ravens
Though he has struggled to a 6-6 record in games he has started, it is Lamar Jackson’s injuries that have hampered this season. The Baltimore Ravens are 1-2 in games the quarterback didn’t play, but they also lost last night after Jackson left a tight game.
While the New England Patriots are a really good football team, the final score being 28-24 and the Ravens having a feasible shot to win suggests that a healthy Jackson could’ve won this game. He didn’t leave any other games, but he’s been banged up all year, and it’s cost the Ravens.
The fault for this largely lies in Jackson’s offensive line, but the result is the same. An injured Jackson can’t overcome this team’s faults, and now that he’s potentially going to miss some more time, the Ravens won’t overcome their issues en route to a playoff berth.
“Yeah, that’s the goal,” Jackson said about playing Saturday per ESPN. “We’re going to do a little scan and then see what it shows.” The short week doesn’t help, as Jackson will have one fewer day to recover.
Head coach John Harbaugh said,”I don’t know how serious it’ll be. We’ll have to find out over the next couple of days.” It is very possible his future with the Ravens hangs in the balance over these next two games, so he needs a healthy Jackson.
Jackson was particularly frustrated because he felt it was a winnable game. He’s also a little annoyed that he couldn’t “finish the game with his guys” because he got kneed in the back after sliding. It’s officially a back bruise, but the QB was having trouble even bending over to put on socks and shoes in the locker room.
What followed was a back-and-forth second half. The Ravens kept it close with Tyler Huntley. That implies that Jackson could’ve made a big difference. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to return and save them this time.
Can the Ravens make the playoffs?
The loss leaves the Ravens on the brink of elimination. The wild card is out of the question. The only possible path is by way of the AFC North, but the Pittsburgh Steelers’ wild win almost buries the Ravens.
Baltimore must win out, which includes a Week 18 finale against the Steelers, and the Steelers must lose out. Baltimore has the Green Bay Packers up next, and the Steelers face the lowly Cleveland Browns. By this time next week, it’s very likely the Ravens are out.
Per NFL.com, they have an 11% chance to make the playoffs now. The Athletic puts it at just 7%, so they’re even less high on the Ravens’ chances. It’s essentially over for the Ravens, although they’re not mathematically out. Stranger things have happened, but if Jackson can’t go this week, the Ravens might as well pack it up.
The Ravens won 12 games last year, and the year prior, they were the AFC’s number one seed. It’s been an alarming fall from grace. Poor coaching and injuries have hurt. A bad offensive line might be the worst culprit. That has hampered them in-game, and it’s probably hampered Jackson and contributed to some of his ailments.
Now, they’re on the brink. Big changes could be coming if they can’t pull a rabbit out of their hat over the next few weeks.
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