On Friday afternoon Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter told reporters he expects quarterback Lamar Jackson to start against the Buffalo Bills this weekend.
“I think he’ll look like Lamar Jackson,” Minter said. “Again, I think he’s just done such a good job dealing with the injury and doing things to help it get better and get better and get better. And I think now he’ll be in a position to be able to play Lamar Jackson football.”
Jackson missed the past three games with an ankle injury, but appears to be heading towards suiting up against one of the worst defenses in the league.
Lamar Jackson Doesn’t Appreciate Injury Speculation
During Friday’s practice, Jackson acknowledged that he has heard the criticism on social media over him missing games because fans tag him.
Asked what he would say to fans who question whether he should play hurt, Jackson replied, “Why would you second guess me?”
The two-time NFL MVP admitted he thought he had a chance to suit up against the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend before his ankle swelled up.
“I woke up [last Saturday], my ankle was swollen, so that pretty much it did it,” Jackson said. “I feel like it would’ve been hard for me to make a decision on the day of the game.”
It should come as no surprise that the Ravens are a different team with Jackson on the field.
Since he became a full-time starter in 2019, the Ravens are 76-35 (.684) with Jackson, averaging 28 points per game. Without him over the past seven seasons, Baltimore is 7-14 (.333), averaging 17.6 points per game.
Baltimore and Buffalo kick off at 1 p.m. ET from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY on Sunday. The game will be broadcast on CBS with play-by-play man Ian Eagle and color analyst Ross Tucker on the call.
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