It looks like it'll be "Rush Hour" in Baltimore.
With Lamar Jackson (hamstring) unlikely to play in Sunday's game against the Houston Texans after not practicing all week, Cooper Rush is prepared to take the reins for a 1-3 Ravens team badly in need of a win.
That's a lot of pressure, but nothing Rush isn't accustomed to. After all, he was the backup quarterback in Dallas and has 14 NFL starts under his belt.
"Whenever a franchise QB goes down, it's always a 'sky-is-falling' feeling everywhere you are. It's normal," Rush said Friday.
"We've been here before in this type of situation. It's nothing new, so you lean on that. You get confidence from it, just trust yourself, and if you have to go out there, you can do it."
Rush has a cool, calm demeanor. That's part of the reason why he's 9-5 over his nine-year career.
All week, teammates and coaches have expressed their confidence in him. Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken called Rush a "consummate pro." Tight end Mark Andrews said he knows the offense "extremely well" and is a "really good player."
Rush obviously won't operate the offense the same way Lamar Jackson does, but Monken feels he's devised a game plan to allow Rush to be "effective and efficient."
Rush said the first-team reps in practice this week were "crisp" and he feels the Ravens have a good plan.
"This is what you work for, what you prepare for," Rush said. "Getting the whole week to actually go out and practice it, too, it's a lot better than just coming in with no practice reps in the middle of a game, so I've enjoyed that."
While Monken made it clear the Ravens intend to run the ball more moving forward, don't expect Rush to simply hand the ball off either.
Last season with the Cowboys, Rush averaged the second-quickest time to throw in the NFL (2.55 seconds) and the fewest yards per attempt (6.0), per NextGenStats. But he's also shown over his entire career that he'll be pretty aggressive. He has plenty of weapons in Baltimore to challenge the Texans defense.
"The Cooper game, that's what he does. And I think he's really good at it," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "He has to play his style, the way he plays, within the offense. He knows the offense, and we're ready to go."
Jaire Alexander Feels Back to His Old Self
Jaire Alexander could be back in action Sunday, especially considering the Ravens' injuries at cornerback. Marlon Humphrey (calf) and Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) have both been ruled out.
Alexander has been inactive the past three games after a rough night in Buffalo. After missing most of training camp managing the health of his knee, Alexander essentially got to finish camp during the regular season.
"It was great. I've been able to get back to the player I was," Alexander said. "I've still got that passion for the game.
"I feel like I'm in better position now. I've just been staying positive, trusting the process, trusting God's vision. That's really helping me stay grounded."
The Ravens signed Alexander this offseason, hoping he could return to his Pro Bowl form from a few years ago. Alexander shined in the early parts of training camp before going on the shelf and could step back into a significant role versus the Texans.
Ravens Could Have a Rookie Relaying Their Defensive Signals
Roquan Smith (hamstring) has been ruled out and Kyle Hamilton (groin) is questionable after not practicing the past two days.
That means the Ravens' defensive play-call relay system could be down to its No. 3 option. Rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan or rookie safety Malaki Starks, two players who may play every one of Baltimore's defensive snaps, may wear the green dot helmet.
Harbaugh said he has no concerns with a rookie doing the job, and Starks is comfortable doing it as well.
"I think the biggest thing is just communication, and that's something that we practice throughout the week," Starks said. "But I think whoever is going to end up wearing it, they're going to do a great job because that's something that we practice, and we harp on."
Harbaugh Praises Zach Orr and Todd Monken's Resolve
The Ravens' offensive and defensive coordinators have taken heat this week, both internally and externally.
On Monday, Harbaugh was openly critical of some of Monken's calls Sunday in Kansas City. Orr's banged-up defense has allowed the most points in the league and is near the bottom of the NFL in splash plays (takeaways and sacks).
Harbaugh's mantra is to confront the problem, not the person, and he's been impressed with how his two coordinators have addressed the issues this week.
"Even as a coach, you look at all the things that you have to overcome. I thought that Todd spoke so well yesterday about that, in terms of, you work like heck to fix it, fix it, fix it, fix it, fix it," Harbaugh said.
Harbaugh was specifically asked about how Orr is handling the adversity again, just as he did last year before the Ravens defense rallied.
"I think Zach is just really, really, really strong. He does a great job with the guys [and] with the coaches. I think he does a great job with the fans and the media. I think he's really honest, forthright, [and] he doesn't try to hide anything. He just puts it out there, [and says] what we need to do, in his eyes, to be better and be the best we can be. And that's how he is with the guys. So, I'm really impressed by Zach, every day," Harbaugh said.
"I'm impressed by the whole coaching staff, 'Monk' and everybody. It doesn't mean that we're happy with how – when we don't do things right, but we go to work on everything, together, to be the best we can be. And I want you to know, these guys, we have great players, [and] we have great coaches. We have an amazing organization. We're working really hard, and success is coming. You have to work at it, and you have to fight for it. And that's what our guys are doing."
