ExtremeRavens Posted yesterday at 07:43 AM Posted yesterday at 07:43 AM It was the defense that was the concern to start the year for the Ravens. It’s flipped to the offense. And, uncharacteristically, Lamar Jackson. The star quarterback turned the ball over three times in Thursday night’s 32-14 Thanksgiving loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. It marked his fourth straight game completing less than 60% of his passes. He’s fumbled four times in his past four games and has thrown an interception in three straight. Jackson’s solution? “I just got to be consistent,” he said. That’s easy to say. In fact, he repeated it 10 times in his five-minute postgame news conference. The concerning part is that the struggles have come against mediocre opponents. Jackson has completed just 59.8% of his passes since returning from injury Oct. 30. He’s had five total touchdowns with five turnovers and hasn’t accounted for a score in three games. The only consistency is his lack of efficiency. “I can’t describe the level of frustration,” Jackson said. “I’m ticked off.” Thursday followed a 153-yard showing against the New York Jets four days earlier, when Jackson didn’t score and recovered his own fumble. Against Cleveland on Nov. 16, he threw two interceptions with no touchdowns. He did score against Minnesota in Week 10 but also fumbled and finished with a 58.6% completion rate. His lone game above 60% since returning was the Oct. 30 win over Miami — a four-touchdown performance that came a day before Dolphins general manager Chris Grier was fired. None of the teams that Jackson has faced recently are in the current playoff picture. Cincinnati’s win Thursday was its fourth of the season. After ranking third in the NFL last season with 30.1 points a game, Baltimore’s offense ranks 13th at 24.1 — essentially a touchdown fewer per game. “When you turn the ball over as much as you did tonight, that’s the story of the game,” coach John Harbaugh said. Ravens vs. Bengals, November 27, 2025 | PHOTOS Harbaugh avoided directly addressing Jackson’s accuracy issues, repeatedly saying that the team simply needs to execute better. Asked what gives him confidence that the offense can improve, he pointed to the NFL’s week-to-week nature. But the Ravens (6-6) have only five games left. Their division lead over the Steelers (6-5) is gone, though Pittsburgh faces the Buffalo Bills on Sunday before heading to Baltimore on Dec. 7. “I don’t know,” Jackson said as to why the offense is struggling. “I can’t call it. I really can’t. I don’t want to make nothing up. “I got to make these throws. I don’t miss them in practice, I shouldn’t be missing them in games.” It hasn’t just been through the air. Jackson hasn’t rushed for more than 50 yards since the Sept. 7 opener against Buffalo, in which he rushed for 70. His high since returning has been 36 yards against Minnesota, and he’s averaged just 19.6 rushing yards over his past five outings. Jackson said that he’s fully healthy, but his tightly taped ankles Thursday suggested otherwise. First it was a hamstring strain sidelining him for three games. Then knee soreness kept him out of practice just after his return. Then an ankle issue last week. He even missed Monday’s walk-through with a toe injury. Bengals defensive lineman Kris Jenkins said that Jackson didn’t look limited, and safety Dax Hill agreed. “He looked good and was still running around nearly every play,” Jenkins said. “It was the most conditioning I did in a while.” Hill credited Cincinnati’s defensive front for creating the pressure that led to Jackson’s first- and second-quarter fumbles and the tipped fourth-quarter interception. If injuries aren’t holding back Baltimore’s offense, then what is? Nobody seems to know. “I can’t speak to one thing in particular,” left tackle Ronnie Stanley said. “We’re going to figure it out. I know we are.” The Ravens are left searching. The turnovers keep piling up, the answers remain thin and Jackson’s consistency — the one thing that he keeps asking for — feels farther away with each passing week. The margin for error is only getting slimmer. Have a news tip? Contact Michael Howes at mhowes@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Mikephowes. View the full article Quote
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