Ravens Say Wednesday Practice Will Decide Lamar Jackson’s Return at Buffalo

Overview

• Lamar Jackson, who suffered a high left-ankle sprain on Oct. 4, has missed three games and is a limited participant in practice as the team treats Wednesday as the decisive evaluation for Sunday’s trip to Buffalo.
• Coach Jesse Minter expressed guarded optimism about Jackson’s progress but declined to clear him before the practice, saying the team will know more after Wednesday.
• Jackson has said the ankle still causes pain and that he will not play if his mobility is meaningfully impaired because his running is central to the Ravens’ offense.
• Without Jackson the Ravens have averaged about 17.7 points over three games and have leaned more on Derrick Henry, who is at a career-low 3.9 yards per carry and has struggled in short-yardage situations as the offensive line battles injuries.
• Media scrutiny has grown after a CBS broadcast suggested Baltimore was surprised Jackson didn’t play vs. Cincinnati and Minter called that a mischaracterization; the immediate things to watch are Wednesday’s practice report, any change in play-calling, and how Henry and backup Tyler Huntley perform if Jackson is ruled out.