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I disagree papa, he has shown he can be a drop back passer prior to this year. Yes, he used his legs, but begrudgingly. This year, I don't know what the issue is, we know he had personal issues early in the season, but was fine, save for the turnovers, in the first 2 games. After that, his accuracy went way down. Some say because of hamstring, then his ankle, then his toe. Yet last game he was a clean bill of health and still could not complete easy throws. Me, I think all of rhe above which all lead to him missing practice and now, he skips every Wednesday. This can throw off your timing with the receivers and I think that is a large part. Also doesnt allow you to work against reading the defense alignments. Sure, you can watch tape, but nothing beats doing so from behind center

It's a good enough deal, friendly, that if they want to use him in a trade before or during the draft, it would be easy. Nonetheless, he is a very good rotational player, starter who has shown he will play through some injuries. When you combine him with another experienced big man, a formidable duo. Peoples may be that guy or someone else either on the team or via draft. Goose was so good because of Sam Adams, together they were incredible. Both were long in the tooth and in Adams case, helped to motivate each ofher.

Lamar Jackson stepped out of the field house, jogged down the turf ramp and onto the practice field on a chilly Thursday afternoon in Owings Mills. It’s his new normal, returning to action after missing the previous day’s session, something that has occurred for five straight weeks and shows no signs of changing as the Ravens’ season hangs in the balance. At this point in the year and after a succession of injuries — hamstring, knee, ankle, toe — he views the weekly day off as a necessity for his 6-foot-2, 208-pound frame. “I feel like rest days are one of the most important things when you’re recovering from any injury,” Jackson said Thursday. Asked if he thinks the missed practices have impacted his play or led to a rash of turnovers of late, he said no, instead pointing to some of them being the result of tipped passes. Over the past month in particular, however, the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player has endured the worst stretch of his career. Jackson hasn’t reached a 60% completion rate in any of his past four outings. He has also thrown four interceptions, fumbled three times and at one point went three straight games without producing a touchdown — the longest span of his career — before ending that drought with one passing and one rushing touchdown last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also had an interception in that game, completed just 54.3% of his passes, struggled in the red zone and in the final two minutes of the game and the Ravens lost for the second week in a row after getting blown out on Thanksgiving night at home by the Bengals. Have Jackson’s absences made things more challenging for what has been an incongruous offense, particularly in those critical situational moments? “I think any time a player, especially your quarterback, is not able to practice — you’re talking not only the mental side of it but the timing with the receivers and then the physical part of it — there are some challenges with that,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said Thursday. “It’s not just Lamar, it’s any player that misses time, and you’ve got to find a way to overcome that.” That’s been an insoluble constant for the quarterback and consequently the offense. It has also been something Baltimore has needed to balance. “There’s no science to it,” coach John Harbaugh said earlier this week. “You want to have everybody practicing every day; that’s your goal as a coach, but it’s a long season. These guys go through a lot; Lamar as much as anybody. “He has the ball in his hand every play; he is making plays; he’s doing what he does; he’s competing like crazy. So, there are going to be times when he is just not going to be up for practice. It’s just not going to be the best way to go about doing it, and that’s a conversation between Lamar [and] the trainers. We’re involved in that to some degree, but what’s best for him to be ready to play his best on Sunday, that’s really what matters. So sure, you’d rather have everybody practicing all the time, but if it’s not the best thing to practice, because you want to get your body right, I think you have to respect that as a coach. I know you have to respect that as a coach, so I respect Lamar and his judgment.” Related Articles Ravens QB Lamar Jackson returns to practice; 2 pass catchers limited Ravens DT Travis Jones agrees to 3-year, $40.5 million contract extension Staff picks for Week 15 of 2025 NFL season: Bills vs. Patriots, Lions vs. Rams and more Mike Preston: Talk is cheap. The Ravens need better defense. | COMMENTARY Date and time of Ravens-Packers Week 17 game at Lambeau Field announced Jackson, meanwhile, hasn’t blamed his performance this season on injuries, saying that if he’s in a game he should be able to do all the requisite and typically exceptional things he usually does. Still, he needs to rest when he can get it, he said. When he’s not at practice, he said, he looks at film afterward. During practices he is not participating in, he said he sometimes watches from the team’s adjacent treatment room, which looks out on the practice fields. Now comes a trip to Cincinnati for a rematch. A game back of the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers and the likely path to the playoffs being through a division title, the Ravens (6-7) know little-to-no room for error and can’t afford another loss, particularly in the division. The last time the two teams met, Jackson completed just 17 of 32 passes with no touchdowns, one interception and two fumbles against what has been one of the worst defenses in the NFL all season. He said this time that the Ravens have to avoid turnovers and put more than 14 points on the board. “I feel like we just played them yesterday, but looking forward to new results, different ending,” Jackson said. He also said he feels healthy, perhaps buoyed by the extra days off over the past five weeks. Said Jackson: “I feel good.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

I like the deal money wise. The issue is I see us in a rebuild so we are going to waste good yrs on lost seasons. That seems silly. Again we could have had a nice return at the deadline for him. Maybe a 2 and a 3.

I think Lamar is always going to be diminishing from now on. The speed and the quicks will erode more and more and make. Lamar throw the ball. I don’t think he can be just a drop back qb. So it’s best to get picks asap and not waste anymore good money on him.

Let's see how Lamar does over the rest of the season. If he's still in a funk and we can work out the cap details, I can see making a trade for picks. Keep in mind, though, that will commit us to a longer term rebuild back to respectability and playoff status.

Yeah, unfortunately Madds has a neck injury. Still no definite word but I doubt he'll be back. Jones deal: No doubt the guy's had a good year so far but money seems high.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to practice Thursday, one day after missing his usual reps for a rest day. It marked the fifth straight week that he has missed one midweek practice. The Ravens won the first three games and have lost the past two, now facing an all-important divisional foe in the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday while trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers by one game for the AFC North lead. As coach John Harbaugh put it, “To say we control our own destiny, that’s only if we win.” The Ravens (6-7) figure to be near full strength. Jackson was a full practice participant. He’s battled various lower body injuries this season but this was the first week in a month that he was listed without a specific ailment. Jackson said that when he’s not on the field, he’s still watching closely while getting treatment or ensuring he’s not missing mental reps. “I have eyes everywhere,” he joked. Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, who missed Wednesday’s practice with a shoulder injury, appeared to move comfortably in limited reps a day later. He wore an obvious wrap under his pads. The Ravens’ stickiest defensive back is a crucial chess piece heading into a matchup against one of the NFL’s best quarterback-receiver duos. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman (ankle) and tight end Mark Andrews (glute) were each limited participants Thursday. The severity of each injury and their availability for Sunday will become clear by Friday afternoon. Two established defenders could each return this weekend: outside linebacker Tavius Robinson broke his foot in Week 6, while safety Ar’Darius Washington is awaiting his season debut in his return from a torn Achilles tendon. Both Robinson and Washington practiced uninhibited Thursday and said that they’re ready to play this weekend. Meanwhile, running back Keaton Mitchell and cornerback Nate Wiggins seem to have avoided major injuries. Mitchell looked a bit gimpy after an explosive run against the Steelers. Two years removed from major knee surgery, Mitchell heading to the medical tent was an unnerving scene. But tests came back negative. He was back on the field this week, ramping up to full participation. Wiggins suffered a foot injury during a Thanksgiving loss to the Bengals. He did not play the second half but was limited through most of last week. Wiggins played in 94% of the team’s snaps last weekend, was limited Wednesday and was a full go by Thursday. Related Articles Ravens DT Travis Jones agrees to 3-year, $40.5 million contract extension Staff picks for Week 15 of 2025 NFL season: Bills vs. Patriots, Lions vs. Rams and more Mike Preston: Talk is cheap. The Ravens need better defense. | COMMENTARY Date and time of Ravens-Packers Week 17 game at Lambeau Field announced Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton unwavering in title belief: ‘Gonna be a heck of a story’ The Bengals, nearing mathematical elimination from the postseason, officially placed star defensive end Trey Hendrickson on the injured reserve after he had core muscle surgery. Safety PJ Jules (ankle) was the only other absentee Thursday. Wide receiver Tee Higgins (concussion) was limited for a second consecutive day. Each of the three other players listed on the injury report — linebacker Shaka Heyward (fibula), defensive end Joseph Ossai (shin) and defensive end Shemar Stewart (knee) — were full participants again. Stewart hasn’t been on the practice field since Week 9. Cincinnati’s first-round draft pick, if healthy enough to go Sunday, would be a notable boost for that defensive front. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. View the full article

I like it, he earned it and I would bet several teams would have given him more According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, it's a $40.5 million extension, which would put Jones at 27th in the NFL next year among all interior defensive linemen, per Spotrac. The Ravens reached the deal just a week after inking an extension with veteran tight end Mark Andrews Ravens Reach Three-Year Contract Extension With Travis Jones https://share.google/PyT7M9tL0iT44lgoW Asked this week about Madubuike's status, Head Coach John Harbaugh said, "There's a lot going on there with Nnamdi. I'd love to share some stuff, but I can't share it right now."

Jones signed. Not sure if I like that deal.

I dont think Jenkins comes back, he only came back for a last shot at a Super Bowl. Sorry dude. I also think Madds retires, which is going to hurt the cap. Now the question is, who else won't be back and more importantly, why won't they be back? Because they want to leave, due to coaching? Or because the Ravens don't want to pay them?

With around two dozen Ravens players slated to hit free agency this offseason, Baltimore addressed one of its biggest needs on Thursday. Defensive tackle Travis Jones has agreed to a three-year extension, the team said Thursday. The deal is worth $40.5 million and includes $25 million guaranteed, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Baltimore Sun, and keeps Jones in Baltimore through 2028. “‘Big Trav’ is an ascending player and having him continue to man the middle of our defense is very exciting,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. The signing is also notable not just because Jones has been one of Baltimore’s top players this season and a foundational part of the defense, but because of the uncertainty surrounding Nnamdi Madubuike, whose future is unclear because of a season-ending neck injury. Jones, a 2022 third-round draft pick from Connecticut, has ascended into one of the league’s better young nose tackles. A two-year starter, he has 34 tackles, including six for loss, 1 1/2 sacks and a fumble recovery in 12 games this season. The signing comes after Baltimore signed tight end Mark Andrews to a three-year extension last week after signing safety Kyle Hamilton, running back Derrick Henry and receiver Rashod Bateman to extensions over the past handful of months. Jones’ situation was also unique. According to ESPN, the NFL Players Association had filed a grievance over Jones’ contract status and the hearing was slated for Thursday. Jones reportedly would not have been an unrestricted free agent because of failure to report to training camp by the mandatory date, which led to him not accruing a full season. Had Jones lost the grievance, he would have been a restricted free agent and Baltimore could have used a second-round restricted free agent tender, which would have been worth about $6 million. Instead, the new deal got done and the grievance was dropped. Still, there are several items DeCosta still has to do deal with. Related Articles Staff picks for Week 15 of 2025 NFL season: Bills vs. Patriots, Lions vs. Rams and more Mike Preston: Talk is cheap. The Ravens need better defense. | COMMENTARY Date and time of Ravens-Packers Week 17 game at Lambeau Field announced Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton unwavering in title belief: ‘Gonna be a heck of a story’ Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from another midweek practice Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard, outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Dre’Mont Jones, safety Alohi Gilman and right guard Daniel Faalele are just some of the notable players who are scheduled to be free agents in 2026. There is also, of course, quarterback Lamar Jackson’s contract. Jackson’s salary cap number will rise to $74.5 million next season, unless the deal can be reworked or he is signed to an extension. But at least for now, one item is off the checklist in what figures to be a busy next few months for DeCosta and the Ravens. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Baltimore Sun staff writers and FOX45’s Patrice Sanders pick every game of the NFL season. Here’s who they have winning in Week 15: Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Thursday, 8:15 p.m.) Brian Wacker (7-7 last week, 139-67-1 overall): Buccaneers Sam Cohn (8-6 last week, 138-68-1 overall): Buccaneers Mike Preston (6-8 last week, 134-72-1 overall): Buccaneers Josh Tolentino (7-7 last week, 139-67-1 overall): Buccaneers C.J. Doon (5-9 last week, 128-78-1 overall): Buccaneers Bennett Conlin (9-5 last week, 138-68-1 overall): Buccaneers Tim Schwartz (6-8 last week, 124-82-1 overall): Buccaneers Patrice Sanders (7-7 last week, 129-77-1 overall): Buccaneers Cleveland Browns vs. Chicago Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Bears Cohn: Bears Preston: Bears Tolentino: Bears Doon: Bears Conlin: Bears Schwartz: Bears Sanders: Bears Arizona Cardinals vs. Houston Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Texans Cohn: Texans Preston: Texans Tolentino: Texans Doon: Texans Conlin: Texans Schwartz: Texans Sanders: Texans New York Jets vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Jaguars Cohn: Jaguars Preston: Jaguars Tolentino: Jaguars Doon: Jaguars Conlin: Jaguars Schwartz: Jaguars Sanders: Jaguars Related Articles Mike Preston: Talk is cheap. The Ravens need better defense. | COMMENTARY Date and time of Ravens-Packers Week 17 game at Lambeau Field announced Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton unwavering in title belief: ‘Gonna be a heck of a story’ Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from another midweek practice Army-Navy Game arrives in Baltimore with Ravens who lived its stakes Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Chiefs Cohn: Chargers Preston: Chiefs Tolentino: Chargers Doon: Chargers Conlin: Chiefs Schwartz: Chargers Sanders: Chargers Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Bills Cohn: Patriots Preston: Patriots Tolentino: Patriots Doon: Bills Conlin: Bills Schwartz: Bills Sanders: Patriots Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Giants Cohn: Giants Preston: Commanders Tolentino: Commanders Doon: Commanders Conlin: Giants Schwartz: Giants Sanders: Giants Las Vegas Raiders vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Eagles Cohn: Eagles Preston: Eagles Tolentino: Eagles Doon: Eagles Conlin: Eagles Schwartz: Eagles Sanders: Eagles Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.) Wacker: Broncos Cohn: Broncos Preston: Broncos Tolentino: Broncos Doon: Packers Conlin: Packers Schwartz: Packers Sanders: Packers Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles Rams (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.) Wacker: Rams Cohn: Rams Preston: Rams Tolentino: Rams Doon: Lions Conlin: Lions Schwartz: Rams Sanders: Rams Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.) Wacker: Panthers Cohn: Panthers Preston: Panthers Tolentino: Panthers Doon: Panthers Conlin: Panthers Schwartz: Panthers Sanders: Panthers Indianapolis Colts vs. Seattle Seahawks (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.) Wacker: Seahawks Cohn: Seahawks Preston: Seahawks Tolentino: Seahawks Doon: Seahawks Conlin: Seahawks Schwartz: Seahawks Sanders: Seahawks Tennessee Titans vs. San Francisco 49ers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.) Wacker: 49ers Cohn: 49ers Preston: 49ers Tolentino: 49ers Doon: 49ers Conlin: 49ers Schwartz: 49ers Sanders: 49ers Minnesota Vikings vs. Dallas Cowboys (Sunday, 8:20 p.m.) Wacker: Cowboys Cohn: Cowboys Preston: Cowboys Tolentino: Cowboys Doon: Vikings Conlin: Cowboys Schwartz: Cowboys Sanders: Cowboys Miami Dolphins vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Monday, 8:15 p.m.) Wacker: Steelers Cohn: Steelers Preston: Steelers Tolentino: Steelers Doon: Steelers Conlin: Dolphins Schwartz: Dolphins Sanders: Dolphins View the full article

He has played a long time.

Some teams may just think he was hurt this yr. We can fix things. Look at these teams that make dumb moves all the time.

The two most glaring numbers for the Ravens’ defense so far this season are passing yards allowed and sacks. The Ravens are ranked No. 26 in pass defense, allowing 236 yards per game, and rookie outside linebacker Mike Green leads the team in sacks with 2 1/2, as well as 11 quarterback hurries. A rookie? That pretty much tells the story of the success, or the lack of it. For the past two seasons, there is always this speculation, more of a myth, that the Ravens’ defense has improved during the year, particularly in the second half, but that hasn’t been the case. It’s more talk than anything else. But instead of yapping so much, the Ravens need to start playing better — stacking wins and getting prepared to play a list of impressive quarterbacks in the final four games of the regular season. “But it’s not hard, but it’s a little annoying — not from you guys, but for myself having to get up here every week and be like, ‘We need to turn it on. We need to turn it on.’ It’s been like that ever since Week 1,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said Wednesday. “It’s time that we go out and do it, and there’s no excuses that are to be made at this point.” Preach, brother. “But like I said, it is a lot of talk,” Hamilton said. “We can stand up here and tell you our plan every week, but it’s a matter of us going out there and actually executing it.” The Ravens have the Bengals and Joe Burrow on Sunday in Cincinnati followed by New England’s Drake Maye, an NFL Most Valuable Player award candidate, then Green Bay’s Jordan Love. They finish with a season-ending second altercation with 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers, who completed 23 of 34 passes for 284 yards in Pittsburgh’s 27-22 win in Baltimore on Sunday. It wasn’t exactly a vintage performance from Rodgers, who has won four NFL MVP Awards, but you get the picture. Top-tier quarterbacks have had their way with the Ravens this season. Buffalo’s Josh Allen passed for almost 400 yards in the season opener and Detroit’s Jared Goff and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes each had passer ratings above 100 against Baltimore. Houston’s C.J. Stroud completed 23 of 27 attempts and had four touchdown passes in the Texans’ rout of the Ravens on Oct. 4, and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford was 17 of 26 for 181 yards in the Rams’ win in Baltimore a week later. Pessimism is one thing, but so is realism. The Ravens’ defense improved a year ago because it was playing against quarterbacks such as Cleveland’s Bailey Zappe, the New York Giants’ Tommy DeVito and Tim Boyle and Pittsburgh’s Russell Wilson (twice). The Ravens went on a five-game winning streak this season going against the likes of Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa, Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy, Cleveland’s Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders and the New York Jets’ Tyrod Taylor. That’s not exactly a group that produces fear in NFL circles. The worst part is that the Ravens still look lost in coverages at times. Opposing teams are running free in the flats and it’s been that way since the start of the season. Remember Kansas City’s Isiah Pacheco catching an 8-yard touchdown pass in the left flat in the second quarter? Or Houston receiver Nico Collins catching a 10-yard touchdown pass from Stroud in the same quarter in the right flat? How about Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Warren hauling in a 38-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter in the right flat of Sunday’s game as he went untouched? That shouldn’t be happening this late in the season. Everybody at M&T Bank Stadium knows that once a receiver like the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase or Pittsburgh’s DK Metcalf draws cornerback Marlon Humphrey to the outside, opposing quarterbacks will likely throw deep. Chase had seven catches for 110 yards in Week 13, and Metcalf had seven catches for 148 yards last Sunday. Isn’t there some way that the Ravens can rotate a safety to that side of the field, or are they still concerned about any possible threat over the middle? At least the Bengals deserve some credit. They put Chase in the slot and he might motion anywhere. Bengals wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley tries to catch a pass while Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey defends. Opposing teams have tested Humphrey in recent weeks, throwing deep against the Baltimore cornerback. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) “We do match up sometimes in the slot,” Hamilton said of Chase. “They move around so much and that’s part of the reason why they have success, you never know where he is going to be at. You try to scheme your offense and scheme your defense, or whatever it may be, so your best players can shine, and that’s what they do very well.” It’s pretty amazing to watch what goes on during games. What’s even more befuddling is that the Ravens can’t come up with any answers. They still have tackling problems (see cornerback Nate Wiggins) and both inside linebackers, Roquan Smith and rookie Teddye Buchanan, struggle in pass coverage. A lot of it, though not all of it, comes down to rushing the passer. Regardless of whether a team has Deion Sanders or Richard Sherman at cornerback, they can only cover so much space in a limited time. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike is tied for second on the team in sacks (two) despite playing in only two games. It just shows how far the Ravens need to go to get this defense back on track. They can come up with all the assortments of exotic blitzes against rookies like Sanders and Gabriel, but that doesn’t work versus veterans like Rodgers and Stafford. Been there. Seen that. Related Articles Date and time of Ravens-Packers Week 17 game at Lambeau Field announced Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton unwavering in title belief: ‘Gonna be a heck of a story’ Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from another midweek practice Army-Navy Game arrives in Baltimore with Ravens who lived its stakes Ravens film study: Missed opportunities hurt Lamar Jackson in Steelers loss The last time the Ravens saw Burrow was on Thanksgiving. The Bengals won, 32-14, as Burrow completed 24 of 46 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns. Maye is only 23, but he’s a major story in the NFL this season, guiding the Patriots to an 11-2 record while completing 71.5% of his passes with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. Love is 9-3-1 with Green Bay this season with 22 touchdown passes to just four interceptions. And then there is Rodgers, who worked the game clock to perfection Sunday, draining it down to every second before the snap of the ball. He controlled the tempo of the game for Pittsburgh. It’s an uphill climb for the Ravens. Can they pull it off and win the AFC North title? Of course, especially with some help from the Steelers. But they won’t get any help from the upcoming slate of quarterbacks. It’s a good upcoming group, not like the inexperienced signal callers the Ravens faced earlier in the season. The quarterbacks have changed, and so have the parameters. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Therein lies the problem. We are on the hook for that $70 mil/year cap hit for the next two years and unless his skills can somehow rejuvenate and, he shows it, what is he really worth? To any team?

I don't know what he said exactly but I thought he had indicated he was heading for retirement.

How long does Jenkins want to play for? He was only supposed to play a part time role. If he retires maybe peoples can be the passrush specialist, we would still need another guy who can take snaps past that.

Yep.

Let Lamar walk or trade him to a sucker team.

Which means we need 2 starting dt.

If the Ravens are going to make the playoffs — a thought four months ago that some might have considered absurd — they are likely going to have to win most if not all of their remaining four games. Among them is a showdown against the surging Green Bay Packers. That Week 17 game at Lambeau Field will take place on Saturday, Dec. 27 at 8 p.m., it was announced on Wednesday. The game will be exclusively streamed on Peacock with Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst) and Kathryn Tappen (sideline reporter) on the call. It will be broadcast locally on NBC (WBAL). The time and date of the game, along with a handful of others, had not been previously released by the league to allow for flexible scheduling of contests with the most compelling matchups with playoff implications. It will also be Jackson’s first game at Lambeau. That maiden visit also comes at a critical time. The Packers (9-3-1) have won four straight and have a slim lead over the Chicago Bears in the NFC North. Baltimore (6-7) has dropped two in a row, is a game back of the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers and travels to Cincinnati to face the Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow on Sunday. A loss to the Bengals, who beat the Ravens just two weeks ago on Thanksgiving night in Baltimore, would be a significant blow to the Ravens’ playoff chances. It’s also feasible that they could be out of it entirely by the time they get to Wisconsin, though much of that of course depends on the Steelers. Baltimore’s most likely path to the postseason is as division champs, and the Steelers will play the Ravens in Pittsburgh in Week 18. Related Articles Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from another midweek practice Army-Navy Game arrives in Baltimore with Ravens who lived its stakes Ravens film study: Missed opportunities hurt Lamar Jackson in Steelers loss Watch Episode 15 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law The Ravens can still make the NFL playoffs. Here’s the path. Whatever happens between now and then, it will mark the Ravens’ first game at Lambeau since November 2017. Baltimore won, 23-0, against Packers backup quarterback Brett Hundley on the strength of the five turnovers it forced along with Joe Flacco throwing for 183 yards and one touchdown with one interception. The Ravens’ most recent game against the Packers, however, was in December 2021 when then-Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes in a 31-30 victory at M&T Bank Stadium that clinched a division title for the Packers. Jackson did not play in that game because of a sprained ankle, while Tyler Huntley nearly lead the Ravens back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit with an 8-yard touchdown run with 42 seconds remaining before his 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete. That loss was the third of what ended up being six straight for the Ravens. It was also the last time they failed to make the playoffs. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens’ season has been a roller coaster of emotions and thought exercises. A 1-5 start followed by five straight wins and then two straight losses for a team once thought to be a Super Bowl contender will do that. An NFL season lasts but only so long, though. Each of the past two weeks, players have talked about that particular game being a “must-win” or having a “playoff” feel. Then they went out and botched both, first with five turnovers in a Thanksgiving night debacle against the Cincinnati Bengals then with an offensive and defensive meltdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. All of it has brought Baltimore to its current conundrum and chilly reality. With only four games remaining, the Ravens are a game back of the AFC North-leading Steelers and could very well have to win out in order to capture the division title, which is almost certainly their only path to the postseason. So now what about this week’s rematch with the Bengals being a must-win? All of it got Ravens safety and the team’s most introspective thinker probing a new approach as he laid awake in bed. Kyle Hamilton then invoked a string of recent champions in a variety of sports and went off on an aside during lunch. “Our perspective changes every time we win or lose a game,” he said Wednesday. “I’m probably gonna go off on a tangent here a little bit. “I was thinking just about all the sports and champions I’ve seen recently and how they got there, and it kind of put things in perspective for me.” He then invoked the near-fall and rise of some of the all-time greats. First, he brought up Carlos Alcaraz, who was down three match points to Jannik Sinner in the fourth set of this year’s French Open final before rallying to force a fifth set and eventual five-plus hour victory for a second straight title at Roland Garros. Then he pointed to Rory McIlroy missing a pair of short par putts to lose last year’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst and a putt on the 72nd hole of this year’s Masters before winning in a playoff for his first Green Jacket to complete the career Grand Slam. Also on the list were Max Verstappen, who looked like he wouldn’t even finish in the top 3 or 4 of F1’s championship and now has a chance to win the title, and LeBron James, whose Cleveland Cavaliers rallied from a 3-1 NBA Finals deficit against the Golden State Warriors to win the 2016 title. “It never really is this Cinderella, fairy-tale season that it’s gonna be,” Hamilton said, noting each of the victor’s tribulations along the way. “The Patriots won all those games [in 2007] and lost in the Super Bowl and nobody really cares about the undefeated record up until that point. “It’s not about how you get there. It’s just a matter of you getting there.” Of course getting there could be Baltimore’s primary problem. Especially for a defense that ranks 22nd in points (24.6) and 25th in yards (349.3) per game and is coming off giving up a season-high 284 passing yards to 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers and what up until last week had been a largely listless offense. Instead, Baltimore’s once league-best defense that is largely intact from two years ago has this season been a welcome antidote for opponents’ ailments. Offensively, things have been even more stunning. Quarterback Lamar Jackson, who missed another Wednesday practice this week, has gone five straight without topping 58.6% passing. He also hasn’t been the same dynamic and explosive threat with his legs, averaging a career-low 30.7 yards rushing and 5.2 yards per carry, his lowest mark since his rookie year. The offensive line has been below average and consequently so have the Ravens, who rank 19th in yards (325.9) and 13th in points (23.9) per game. “We’re still not playing our best football by any means,” tight end Mark Andrews said Wednesday. “The type of games we’re playing in are winnable games. We’re very close to doing our thing and we have so much talent, it’s just about coming together, doing our job, offense scoring points, defense balling out and special teams doing their job.” Andrews also dismissed the notion that Baltimore’s offense is still searching for its identity. “Throughout the games there’s been mistakes,” he said. “It’s everybody. I think we just clean those up and good things are gonna happen. At times I think we’re moving the ball really, really well. “I think we haven’t played our best ball, and that’s gonna come.” Related Articles Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from another midweek practice Army-Navy Game arrives in Baltimore with Ravens who lived its stakes Ravens film study: Missed opportunities hurt Lamar Jackson in Steelers loss Watch Episode 15 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law The Ravens can still make the NFL playoffs. Here’s the path. Time is running out, though. Still, Hamilton believes they can turn things around, the way Alcaraz, McIlroy, Verstappen and James did. “I think the mindset we have to have is kind of like that,” he said. “All these great sports feats have come with challenge and we could be another story along that road. “That’s kind of the mindset I feel like we’ve taken upon ourselves right now. It’s kind of the mindset we need to have, have to have to have in order to get where we want to go. It’s gonna be a heck of a story, as we were telling ourselves.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Well it'll be a real shame if Mads is done. But if the guy has that type of injury that endangers his long term health, he should retire.