Something changed with the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday, December 3. For the first time since November 5, franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson took the practice field on a Wednesday, breaking a pattern that had held for a month. Head coach John Harbaugh, who’d been saying for weeks that “it wasn’t in Lamar’s best interest to practice” on Wednesdays, made an exception. Perhaps the stake ahead demanded it.

Harbaugh had built a routine to keep Lamar healthy and healing, repeatedly calling them “rest days” or explaining, “some guys don’t practice on Wednesday.” Rest on Wednesday, return Thursday and start Sunday; predictable and safe. But Week 14’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers at the M&T Bank Stadium isn’t just another game.

Both teams sit at 6-6, tied atop the AFC North with the division on the line. Win, and Baltimore controls its destiny through the final stretch of the season. Lose, and Pittsburgh seizes control with the Ravens scrambling for the season finale. John Harbaugh clearly decided full preparation beats extra rest when everything’s on the line.

Jackson’s injury situation this year has been relentless. Hamstring, knee, ankle, toe, the star keeps getting bruised. Week 13 marked the third straight week with a different injury. The Wednesday absences weren’t just caution, they were absolutely necessary. But with Pittsburgh now looming, necessity changes shape. 

It’s not just about the Steelers, though. After the Thanksgiving loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Jackson got extra recovery days, sort of like a mini-bye to heal up. And now that he seems fully healthy again, he can fully devote himself to reigniting the offense that Baltimore has been missing for far too long.

The offensive drought Lamar Jackson can’t ignore

Lamar Jackson’s injury struggles connect directly to Baltimore’s offensive collapse. Three straight games without a passing touchdown, three straight without a rushing score. That’s a first in Jackson’s career. Against Cincinnati on Thanksgiving, he threw one pick and lost two fumbles. Not what you want from your franchise QB.

Still, heading into Week 13, the Ravens had a 5-game win streak that was impossible to ignore. But that could be credited largely to their brilliant offense and special teams bailing them out. After their Week 12 victory over the New York Jets, even Lamar couldn’t ignore how his offense had been sputtering.

“Our defense played a great game, special teams played a great game, but we gotta do our part, and that’s putting points on the board, not turning it over.” Jackson had said after that Week 12 win. “We were underachieving a little bit tonight, so gotta do better.”

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Week 13 wasn’t any better. But to be fair, the problems run deeper than just one player. Against the Bengals, Baltimore converted only 3-of-10 third downs and held possession for barely 21 minutes. Isaiah Likely fumbled at the goal line. Zay Flowers’ touchdown got wiped by offensive pass interference. Even John Harbaugh couldn’t put a positive spin on it.

“It was not a precise offensive performance in any way,” Harbaugh said in a presser. “There was nothing precise about it. It was imprecise in every way. We all know that. We’re all not happy with it.”

There is a silver lining, though. Pittsburgh’s defense just allowed 249 rushing yards to the Buffalo Bills in Week 13, the most by a visiting team since 1975. Baltimore’s ground game, anchored by Derrick Henry, should feast on those gap-control issues. Lamar Jackson just has to keep Pittsburgh honest with his play-actions and zone-read threats and Baltimore could have an edge.

Harbaugh’s Wednesday decision tells you everything. He’s betting Jackson’s fresh enough to exploit Pittsburgh’s vulnerabilities. The Ravens offense needs to match their defense’s intensity, in Jackson’s own words. Sunday will show if three extra recovery days and a Wednesday practice session can flip the script. Win, and Baltimore controls the North. Lose, and the margin for error vanishes completely.