As the Pittsburgh Steelers were laying the smackdown against the Cleveland Browns in Week 8, Baltimore Ravens fans held their breath as two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson jogged back to the locker room.
On a first-quarter pass attempt against the Buffalo Bills, Jackson's right thumb collided with a defender's helmet, and you could instantly tell the quarterback was in immense pain. A trainer quickly wrapped Jackson's hand in a towel and helped him to the locker room.
This looked bad from the moment it happened... but Ravens fans might be living their worst fears right now.
Shortly after the game, ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that Jackson will need surgery to repair his thumb, and he will be placed on injured reserve. This is a massive setback for an optimistic Ravens team that finally had their quarterback back on the field.
The cherry on top of their misery is that the Ravens were ultimately humiliated on the road against the Bills in a 36-10 loss without Jackson—and their hopes of competing in the AFC North are fading fast. This is bad news for Baltimore, but an unexpected break for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers catch an unwarranted break with unfortunate Lamar Jackson injury
Let me be clear: you'll never catch me rooting for players to get injured.
I love watching Jackson play, and it's disappointing that one of the league's best quarterbacks will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. However, there's no question that Jackson's absence will aid the Steelers' chances of making it to the postseason.
Despite the early injury that held Jackson off the field, the Ravens were still considered by many to be the top threat in the division. Now it's possible they could finish last in the AFC North. Without Jackson, Baltimore is a fraction as threatening as they are when he's on the field. And they have no answer when he's not playing.
With the loss in Week 8, the Ravens fell to 4-4 on the season, as the Steelers advanced to 6-2 with their massive win over the Browns.
But this is just the beginning.
The Ravens' next game is against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This could prove to be a fourth straight loss. They also have a game in Houston later this year, while their games against the Bengals and the Steelers late in the season suddenly look much more daunting.
This once-favorable Ravens schedule now looks like it will hold them back from sniffing the postseason. Even if Jackson were to somehow recover from his thumb surgery and make it back late in December (which seems entirely too optimistic), he might have nothing to play for at that point, and there would be no sense in rushing him onto the field.
The Steelers now have sole possession of first place in the AFC North, and it doesn't look like the Baltimore Ravens will reclaim that title the rest of the way with Lamar Jackson headed to IR. Pittsburgh's biggest threat for a division title now appears to be the Cincinnati Bengals, who narrowly escaped with an overtime win in Week 8 against the Tennessee Titans.
It's a bad day to be a Ravens fans, and the Steelers just caught a major break that they didn't earn.
Add us as a preferred source on Google