Top star returned to practice for the Baltimore Ravens, assuring he’s “100 percent” prepared to play against Denver this weekend.
Jackson missed Wednesday and Thursday practices due to knee and back issues, but he participated fully on Friday. The Ravens have ruled out defensive lineman Brent Urban (concussion) for Sunday’s game.
Jackson noted there was never any question about his readiness for this weekend and explained that he was just managing his recovery, as the Ravens face two games in five days.
Following Sunday’s game against the Broncos, the Ravens will host Cincinnati on Thursday night.
Jackson is off to one of the strongest starts of his career, boasting a 115.4 passer rating. He has accumulated 2,099 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and only two interceptions, along with 501 rushing yards.
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The Baltimore Ravens are hoping for better performance from their defense following a tough outing in Cleveland Browns
One of the main challenges for the Baltimore Ravens’ defense last weekend was their struggle with coordination.
Late in the third quarter, during a critical third-down play, linebacker Odafe Oweh was slow to get into position. He was moving along the line of scrimmage as the ball was snapped, which left a sizable gap in the secondary. Cleveland’s Cedric Tillman capitalized on this for a 22-yard touchdown catch.
Defensive coordinator Zach Orr commented, “You want to minimize these kinds of errors as the season progresses. The ball was in the middle of the field, and our defensive line had difficulty setting up. The offense moved quickly, catching us out of alignment, which led to a poor result. We can say this won’t happen again, but we need to demonstrate that improvement on the field.”
Following a 29-24 loss to Cleveland that snapped their five-game winning streak, the Baltimore Ravens now feel an urgent need to tackle their defensive issues.
Having lost several key players in the offseason, the Ravens have been adapting, but as they reach the midpoint of the 2024 season, their defense remains a work in progress. They currently rank near the bottom of the league, allowing an average of 361.3 yards and 26.1 points per game.
The departure of linebacker Patrick Queen and star pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney in free agency, along with the exit of defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to a head coaching role in Seattle and two other defensive assistants to coordinator roles, has posed challenges. Despite this, the Ravens retain standout players across the defense: Nnamdi Madubuike on the line, Roquan Smith at linebacker, and Kyle Hamilton in the secondary provide a foundation to build upon. This season’s defensive stats have been unusual, as the Ravens lead the league against the run but rank last against the pass — a result partly due to their high-scoring offense forcing opponents to rely on passing to keep up.
Last weekend, the Ravens failed to hold second-half leads of 10-6, 17-13, and 24-23, as Cleveland’s Jameis Winston threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns. Baltimore missed interception opportunities, including a drop by Hamilton right before the Browns scored the winning touchdown.
Securing interceptions has been an issue for the Ravens, and though they’ve generated some key turnovers, these may be masking deeper defensive problems.
“Picks are great, but they don’t tell the whole story,” Hamilton noted. “We’re close to the bottom of the league in pass yards allowed per game, and picks alone won’t fix that. You’re not going to get a pick on every drive.”
This weekend, the Ravens will take on Denver, a team known for its strong defense. The Broncos feature rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who has been showing steady improvement. After last week’s game against Jameis Winston, Baltimore needs to avoid underestimating any quarterback.
This matchup holds additional significance, as it’s Baltimore’s last game before next week’s trade deadline, making it a key moment for potential roster adjustments.
“I truly believe that with the coaches and players we have, it’s going to come together, and it’ll happen at the right time,” said defensive coordinator Zach Orr. “This will be huge for us in the latter half of the season.”
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