Pundit Says Lamar Jackson-Derrick Henry Combo, Improved Defense Will Lead Ravens to AFC North Title
Lamar Jackson spoke to the media for the first time in more than a month on Tuesday, and he said what every Ravens fan wanted to hear.
"I am extremely excited," Jackson said about returning to action against the Miami Dolphins this Thursday night. "I can't wait to touch the grass with my guys; it's been a while."
Jackson hasn't played since suffering a hamstring injury against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 28. When asked about the injury that sidelined him for three games, Jackson said: "It feels good. I feel great."
An easier schedule the rest of the season has been talked about as one of the main reasons the Ravens are betting favorites to win the AFC North despite being 2-5 and trailing the first-place Pittsburgh Steelers by two games.
However, there is no bigger cause for optimism than having the two-time MVP back on the field, said CBS Sports analyst Leger Douzable, who believes the combination of Jackson and running back Derrick Henry will lead the Ravens to the division title.
Henry averaged 5.8 yards per carry in four games with Jackson this season, which is nearly identical to his career-high yards per carry last season. In the three games Jackson missed, Henry averaged 3.8 yards per carry.
"[Jackson] is so dynamic when he gets out on the edge and even on some of his scrambles. He is still one of the most efficient passers in the league, but that's when he really becomes dangerous. I'm really looking forward to seeing this dynamic duo carrying them potentially to an AFC North crown," Douzable said.
A skeptic would point to the Ravens having a 1-3 record this season before Jackson was injured. The rebuttal is that all three losses were to Super Bowl contenders (at Buffalo, home against Detroit, at Kansas City), and it was the defense that underperformed. The Ravens averaged 30 points in the losses but allowed an average of 38.7 points.
The good news is that the defense is healthier than it's been all season and has been much better the past two games.
The Ravens limited the explosive Los Angeles Rams offense to 17 points and 241 total yards in Week 6, and held a Chicago Bears offense that entered this past Sunday's game averaging 25.3 points to a season-low 16 points.
Per CBS Sports, the Ravens defense was last in points per game, 31st in yards per game, and 31st in the red zone in Weeks 1-5. Since then, it's tied for sixth in points per game, 10th in yards per game, and fifth in the red zone.
"Standing up tall in the red zone – if you can hold teams to field-goal attempts instead of giving up touchdowns, you have a real chance to win," Douzable said. "To me, that's been the biggest thing. Yes, Lamar's been out, but the defense is starting to come along the last couple weeks."
Looking at How an Increased Role for Keaton Mitchell Benefits the Offense
One of ESPN’s Bill Barnwell’s biggest takeaways from the Ravens' 30-16 win over the Bears was speedy running back Keaton Mitchell's impressive showing on the handful of touches he received.
Mitchell, who was a healthy scratch for the first four games of the season and had just three carries heading into this past Sunday's game, turned four carries into 43 yards, including a 25-yard gain in which he maxed out at 20.3 mph, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Over his three seasons in the NFL, Mitchell has averaged 6.9 yards per carry on 69 attempts.
"Mitchell is not about to take over for Henry, but the Ravens need something to spark their run game," Barnwell wrote. "Even before Lamar Jackson went down with his hamstring injury, the Ravens were struggling for consistency on the ground, despite some explosive runs. They're 28th in the league in success rate on carries by their running backs, which suggests that they've been struggling to stay on schedule and keep the offense out of third-and-long situations."
Barnwell said getting Mitchell more involved provides a different element to the offense and benefits Henry.
"Mitchell is more of a home run hitter than a between-the-tackles runner, but he might have a viable role to play in this offense," Barnwell wrote. "The Ravens need to keep Henry fresh for a potential postseason run."
Press Box's Bo Smolka noted that Mitchell had three carries on the Ravens' last full possession in the game (including one for eight yards that was erased when the Ravens accepted an offside penalty against the Bears).
"That's an interesting concept if you're going to bring him in late with tired legs on defense and now this scatback comes in and can be damaging on fresh legs," Smolka said on “Glenn Clark Radio.”
Kyle Hamilton, Jordan Stout Named to Sports Illustrated's Midseason All-Pro Team
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame named his midseason All-Pro teams, and safety Kyle Hamilton and punter Jordan Stout were selected to the first team.
"Hamilton hasn't racked up the individual numbers thus far in 2025, playing six games without a sack or interception. However, he grades above all safeties on PFF at 82.7 in coverage. Nobody is better at sticking to tight ends or receivers at the position," Verderame wrote.
Stout, a 2022 fourth-round pick, is having the best season of his career.
"Stout is sixth in the NFL for average yards per punt at 49.9 but the fourth-year veteran is second at 45.9 net yards per boot," Verderame wrote.
Stout played a key role in what turned out to be the biggest play in the Bears game. After the Ravens decided not to go for it or attempt a long field goal on fourth-and-5 at Chicago's 39-yard-line in the fourth quarter, Stout's punt was downed at the 4-yard line. Two plays later, Nate Wiggins intercepted Caleb Williams, setting up a touchdown that increased the Ravens' lead to 10 points.
