Ravens and Bengals quarterbacks are off their prime-time peaks

BALTIMORE – In a season in which they have both battled injuries, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow look to prove they are still one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, just as they did a year ago during Thursday night’s game at M&T Bank Stadium.

In the Ravens’ 35–34 blowout win last season, Burrow threw for 428 yards and four touchdowns – outpaced only by Jackson’s three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. Showcasing their varying styles and strengths, they went back and forth to dazzle the national television audience, from Burrow hitting Ja’Marr Chase for a 70-yard touchdown to Jackson delivering the game-winning, 5-yard touchdown toss on a follow-through that resembled a floating jump shot.

As the Ravens (6-5) prepare to host the Cincinnati Bengals (3-8) on Thanksgiving night (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), Jackson and Burrow now face questions about whether they will reach those same prime-time heights. Jackson is stuck in the worst slump of his eight-year career as injuries continue to pile up, and Burrow is surprisingly set to return after missing two months following turf toe surgery.

Burrow, a two-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year, is fitting in faster than expected after injuring the big toe on his left foot in Week 2. Originally expected to be out until mid-December, he stepped onto the practice field two weeks early, setting the stage for this high-profile comeback for a Bengals team that has lost six consecutive games.

“Which is extremely important for this team, for this city, for everybody,” Bengals running back Chase Brown said. “It would be crazy to see him come back.”

“Everyone is making it seem like this is a big comeback for ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’ It could be,” Brown said.

Jackson, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, is eyeing a comeback. He is trying to get out of trouble while dealing with a toe injury, his third separate illness in three weeks.

Even though Baltimore has won five consecutive games, Jackson has been able to make his mark by missing receivers in the passing game and showing a reluctance to run the ball. He has been held to a 60% completion rate and under 200 yards passing for three consecutive games, his longest streak since he was a rookie in 2018.

“He’s a tough guy,” Ravens fullback Patrick Rickard said. “He’s played through injuries before and is playing through injuries now. And even though he’s not 100%, he’s still going to be a great quarterback. So we’ll take him at 50%.”

According to ESPN Research, this will be the first Thanksgiving matchup between two starting quarterbacks who are former Heisman Trophy winners since at least 1950. But so far it has been a one-sided rivalry.

Jackson has an impressive 6-1 record against Burrow, having won the last five meetings. Burrow’s only win over Jackson came in 2021.

“These games mean a lot to each team,” Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley said. “I’m not surprised that (the bureau) came back for this game.”

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game against The Ravens have always represented important turning points in Joe Burrow’s career.

As a rookie in 2020, Burrow suffered a lopsided loss. A year later, Burrow threw for a career-high 525 yards, leading the Bengals to end a 31-year playoff win drought and finally reach the Super Bowl.

But that was from an era that seems very distant. After the Bengals won consecutive AFC North titles, Cincinnati has missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. A promising 2023 season was cut short when Burrow tore a ligament in his right wrist, ending his season. And while Burrow played exceptionally well last season, the Bengals’ defense struggled.

This season, as Burrow was working to recover from surgery to repair a turf toe injury on his left foot, he had a specific target date in mind – Thanksgiving night against Baltimore.

Burrow said it would be “very” meaningful if he could play against the Ravens. And he worked over the past 10 weeks to make it happen.

“He looks like he’s in a good spot right now and he might be ready to go,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Monday.

Before Burrow suffered an injury in Week 2, the goal was on him to produce a big 2024 season. He led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns, was an MVP finalist and was named the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year for his season following a wrist injury. He joins Chad Pennington as the second person to win this honor twice.

Then he injured his toe during a routine play – a quick throw that was never successful and instead resulted in Burrow being fouled during a sack, leaving his big left toe hyperextended as he got stuck in the turf.

“I was really happy with where I was,” Burrow said on November 10.

Over the past nine games, the Bengals have used Jake Browning and then Joe Flacco to fuel the offense. Although this has worked at times, Cincinnati has not been able to play well enough to win games. The Bengals have lost eight of their last nine games and had a 1% chance of making the playoffs after last Sunday’s games.

But Burrow is determined to come back, even if it doesn’t affect the team’s playoff chances.

Had Burrow remained healthy, the Bengals would have had a chance to derail the Ravens’ bid to win the AFC North for the third consecutive year. Instead, Baltimore is moving forward after a slow start while Cincinnati is trying to find some midseason momentum.

The Ravens have a lot of respect for Burrow.

“I’m expecting the best for him,” Ravens safety Alohi Gilman said. “The way he’s able to process the field and make every throw is elite. And for me, I’m really excited. As a competitor, you want to play the best. So Thanksgiving, what better night to do that. So I welcome it.”

When asked about Burrow’s return, Ravens wide receiver Jay Flowers initially responded, “It’s the same.”

Flowers then said, “They got their quarterback back, so there’s probably no more excuses. You could say that.”

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during recent In the media session, Jackson was asked about the hit on Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner, which resulted in a roughing the passer penalty and some residual concussion.

Jackson immediately panicked and grabbed her lower back with his left hand.

“God, he got me right there,” Jackson said. “I didn’t expect this at all.”

In terms of the number of injuries, this has been the most painful season of Jackson’s career. After missing three games in October with a hamstring strain, Jackson has seen his body problems escalate each week in November.

Two weeks earlier, he had missed practice due to knee soreness. He missed practice last week with an ankle injury. Now, he did not participate in Monday’s walk-through due to a toe injury.

Jackson insists that injuries have not been the cause of his struggles, but his uncharacteristic play says otherwise. He is playing back-to-back games without scoring a touchdown for the first time in his career. For the first time in five years, they have been held to less than 200 yards passing three weeks in a row.

Asked if injuries had affected Jackson’s play, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, “I can’t really say. I’m always proud of him. He’s playing winning football. He’s working really hard every week to get ready and ready to play, and (he’s) doing everything he can to win games.”

Jackson has been out of rhythm in the passing game, which may be due to the increased hits. He has been sacked eight times this season, which is one more dismissal than all of last season. He has faced a pressure rate of 35.6%, the highest in his career.

As a result, Jackson appears dazed and out of sync. His average throw time this year is 2.88 seconds, his fastest in any season.

Flowers said he “can’t really tell” whether Jackson looks healthy during games.

“I think he wouldn’t have put himself in a bad situation if he wasn’t healthy,” Flowers said. “You know what I mean? I don’t think he’d risk it.”

Jackson, who holds the record for most rushing yards by a quarterback, lacks explosiveness and a willingness to run. He is averaging a career-low 29.6 yards rushing per game, and has not had a rush longer than 13 yards in four games since returning from a hamstring injury.

Last December, Jackson recorded his fastest speed of 21.25 mph on a 48-yard touchdown run in Houston. This season, his fastest timed run was 19.39 mph, which came on a (very short) 17-yard dash off a read-option play in the season opener.

Jackson doesn’t believe his diminished rushing efforts are missing in Baltimore’s sputtering offense.

“When my turn comes, we’ll see,” Jackson said.

If the Ravens want to win a third consecutive AFC North title, they will need more than a healthy Jackson. If Baltimore wants to make a Super Bowl run, it will likely need the MVP version of a quarterback.

“He looked like the same old Lamar,” Jets defensive lineman Jovan Briggs said after Baltimore’s 23-10 win over New York on Sunday. “Trust me, I’ve seen him on the injury report, but being on the Browns last year, we played him a couple of times, and I’ve seen him do some crazy things, you know, offensively. So, that’s the bar.”