Lamar Jackson’s absence could hurt the Baltimore Ravens’ playoff hopes. The team is 4-5 this season, and more losses could turn the campaign into a disappointing one. Jackson’s injury is a major reason behind that.

“This is a Baltimore Ravens team, and maybe Jacoby (Brissett) keeps them relevant, and they find a way to win some games, but this is a team that we were hoping were going to be competing for a Super Bowl,” NFL legend and ESPN’s Jason McCourty, who won Super Bowl LIII as a cornerback, said on the Rich Eisen Show.

“If Lamar Jackson’s not in the lineup, like they’re done. Stick a fork in them. There’s no way you’re going to look at this team and think they’re going to beat a Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville. They’re just not up to par if you don’t have that guy out there on the football field. So, I feel like for the Ravens right now, the question marks are about the future.”

McCourty’s assessment hinges entirely on Jackson’s absence – with him sidelined, the Ravens lack the talent to compete with elite AFC teams. Lamar Jackson hurt himself on Baltimore’s first play against Buffalo in the first quarter. He was trying to throw the ball to wide receiver Zay Flowers when he took a hard hit. The pass was incomplete, and Jackson immediately left the field because of the injury.

The Ravens’ medical staff took him to the X-ray room to check his injury. At first, the team listed him as questionable to return, meaning they had not yet decided whether he could play again.

With Jackson unable to continue, backup quarterback Tyler Huntley took his place. The Ravens were already trailing 10-0 because Buffalo had scored on both of its first two possessions.

But then the Ravens got another major setback as Huntley suffered a season-ending turf toe injury against the Bills. This left the team without its top two quarterbacks.

Jackson’s injury was expected to keep him out for at least four games. During that time, Baltimore faced the Jacksonville Jaguars and lost 33-10. Meanwhile, reports emerged that Jackson would need surgery on his injured thumb, handing another blow to the Ravens.

In the upcoming games, the team will also face the Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, and Houston Texans. This is a big problem for the Ravens because they have struggled to score without Jackson. Since 2019, they have won only 7 of the 21 games in which he did not start. This season, the team has scored just six touchdowns in 18 quarters without him.

Despite these struggles, Jackson remains one of the highly rated quarterbacks in the league. He currently holds the No. 5 spot in Pro Football Network’s NFL QB Impact Rankings with an 84.8 grade.

The Baltimore Ravens expected Derrick Henry to lead their running game while Lamar Jackson was injured, but he has struggled without the quarterback as well.

The difference is also clear in his overall numbers. In three and a half games with Jackson, Henry rushed for 339 yards on 73 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and 97 yards per game. He also scored seven touchdowns. But in five and a half games without Jackson, he managed 350 yards on 102 carries, averaging only 3.4 yards per carry and 64 yards per game, with just one touchdown.

The Baltimore Ravens have brought in veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett from the Arizona Cardinals to help their team. Brissett has played for six NFL teams during his 11-year career.

During his time with the Cardinals, he recorded a 4-16 record as a starting quarterback, which raises questions about how he will handle the starting quarterback role on his new team.

Now, it will be interesting to see how the team performs against the Chargers, as a win is very important after their loss to the Jaguars. After all, losing to a winless team would be a major blow for the Ravens.