Ravens return to work from bye week 'still searching' for answers

BALTIMORE — Ravens players were back to work Monday afternoon in Owings Mills, Md. Quarterback Lamar Jackson was still not, however.

Jackson was absent from Monday afternoon’s practice, Baltimore’s first since returning from its bye week. The two-time NFL Most Valuable has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury in the third quarter of the Ravens’ Sept. 28 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

It’s also unclear whether he’ll be available for Sunday’s game at M&T Bank Stadium against the Chicago Bears.

“I think all the guys are working really hard to get back,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We’ll see who’s back and who practices on Wednesday. I don’t really want to comment on any individual guys.”

If Jackson doesn’t practice on Wednesday, that likely doesn’t bode well for Sunday.

Without Jackson, the offense has labored.

In the first full game he missed, the Ravens were blown out at home by the Houston Texans, 44-10. Baltimore managed just 207 yards, including 163 through the air, and had just 40 offensive plays.

In a 17-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams the following week, the Ravens had 296 total yards (117 passing) and averaged a paltry 3.9 yards per play. Jackson’s backup, Cooper Rush, has struggled mightily in his place, completing 65.4% of his passes for just 303 yards and no touchdowns to go with four interceptions in two-plus games.

Without Jackson, the Ravens are 4-12 in games he hasn’t played in since becoming the starter in 2018.

At 1-5 so far this season, history is also not on their side. Only four times has a team lost five of its first six games and gone on to make the playoffs.

“I think you always have it in the back of your mind,” wide receiver Tylan Wallace said. “It is there. There’s no escaping it. At the same time, it’s like a balance and you have that in your mind and know that we have goals we want to reach.”

One thing that should help is getting a number of other players back.

Linebacker Roquan Smith, who has also been out with a hamstring injury since that Chiefs loss, returned to practice Monday and said he will play against the Bears. Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring), left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) and fullback Patrick Ricard (calf) also practiced.

“Having your players on the field is important,” Harbaugh said. “A player like that, like ‘Ro or anybody else, all the other guys, the guys that came back last week … It’s a big boost.”

How big of a boost remains to be seen.

Through its first six games, Baltimore ranks 32nd and 30th in points and yards allowed per game, respectively. The defense took a step forward in the loss to the Rams, Harbaugh said after the game, but the bigger question is if it will keep progressing and how quickly it will do so, even after the addition of safety Alohi Gilman allowed the Ravens to utilize more three-safety looks and move safety Kyle Hamilton closer to the line of scrimmage to try to slow opposing offenses down.

Cornerback Marlon Humphrey doesn’t seem convinced just yet.

“The honest answer is we still lost so I don’t know what it really did,” he said as he sat at his locker, hat on and head down. “We’re still trying to figure out what we can do going forward to win some games and get the stink off of everybody.”

Asked what is needed to turn things around, Humphrey said he’s “given up” on that, has put his faith in the hands of coaches and that “we’re still searching for that.”

When prodded on if there is still faith in the coach, he said, “I think the best thing we’ve done as players is not question the coaches. There hasn’t been turmoil and guys turning on each other.

“I just want to win a game. That would be really cool. I would be really happy. It’s just not fun to lose games. It’s something I told the defense, I’ve never really been a loser my entire life. I’m not really cool with being a loser. I’m not really comfortable with being a loser. So I just want to win one game.”

Perhaps the week off will help.

Humphrey, Smith, Wallace and wide receiver Zay Flowers said the break was as much a mental reset as a physical one.

Smith went to Georgia’s win against Ole Miss over the weekend. Wallace likewise went to his alma mater, Oklahoma State, for its loss against Cincinnati. Others continued to work their way back from injuries.

That includes rookie third-round offensive lineman Emery Jones, who is closing in on his 21-day window to return from shoulder surgery. Harbaugh said he has a chance to be a factor this season and is beginning to work his way into the conversation for an offensive line that has struggled this season (though he won’t be medically cleared in time for Sunday).

Harbaugh will also have to find a way to replace the snaps of outside linebacker Tavius Robinson, who broke his foot against the Rams and is expected to miss at least 6-8 weeks.

As for the players, they’re also looking forward.

“It’s not about what’s happened in the past,” Smith said. “It’s more so about what’s happening in the future and there’s been many great stories and there’s gonna be another one coming soon but obviously it’s one game at a time and it starts this coming week.”

____