Dan Orlovsky Says Ravens Can Beat Steelers Even if Lamar Jackson Is Out
Head Coach John Harbaugh made it clear earlier this week that Lamar Jackson will play in Sunday night's winner-take-all game against the Pittsburgh Steelers if he is ready health-wise.
It's looking good for Jackson's chances, as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Jackson (back contusion) is expected to practice Wednesday.
However, if Jackson is not ready by the end of the week, Harbaugh also noted that he has "a lot of confidence" in backup quarterback Tyler Huntley. His confidence is well-founded.
Huntley has started two games this season when Jackson was injured, leading the Ravens to victories over the Chicago Bears in Week 8 and the Green Bay Packers this past Saturday night. Those two victories – the Ravens' only ones over winning teams this season – are a big reason Baltimore's playoff hopes are still alive.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said the Ravens can beat the Steelers regardless of whether it's Jackson or Huntley under center, as long as they feed running back Derrick Henry, who is coming off an epic performance (216 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries).
"He's Lamar Jackson. He's one of the greatest players we've had in our generation over at least the last decade, but I do think the Ravens can win this game without him," Orlovsky said. "Here comes Derrick Henry 35 times. Put big [fullback] Patrick Ricard on the field, put your tight ends on the field and say, 'Here it comes, Pittsburgh.'
"This is said with all due respect and admiration of Lamar Jackson. He's unbelievable. They don't need Lamar to win this football game because if they give it to Derrick 35 times, they should win."
Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson, who has been on both sides of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry, said the Ravens are obviously at their best when Jackson is at his best, but Huntley has proved to be more than capable of running the offense.
"[Huntley] knows how to win and he knows how to play in that system," Woodson said on ESPN's "The Rich Eisen Show." "He looks at his first read. He looks at his second read. And if he doesn't like either one of those, he's gone. … This past week, he looked like a young Lamar."
Sports Illustrated’s Josh Reed said Huntley should start if Jackson is still banged up.
"His ability to be not only a viable but a legit, dangerous threat in the quarterback run game aids the run game in a much greater way than a physically compromised Jackson can," Reed wrote. "If [Jackson] is still hurt and can't practice fully or return to his usual, electrifyingly dynamic self before the Ravens take the field at Acrisure Stadium to face off with the Steelers, starting Huntley would give them the best chance to come out on top and punch their ticket to the postseason."
What Could Ravens Do Against Steelers to Inspire Confidence in Deep Postseason Run?
The Baltimore Banner’s NFL staff looked at the biggest questions surrounding the Ravens-Steelers showdown.
One of the questions was whether the Ravens could do anything in a win that would inspire confidence in them to make a deep postseason return.
Jonas Shaffer: "If Jackson looks anything like his old self, and if the Ravens' running game keeps rolling along, I think they could make it as far as the AFC championship game. This is a flawed field of contenders. Everyone is vulnerable. The Ravens' problem is that two of their biggest weaknesses — red-zone offense and rushing opposing QBs — tend to expose would-be contenders in the playoffs."
Giana Han: "Besides getting Jackson healthy and looking like his old self, I want to see this defense play an all-around good game against a top-tier offense. Unfortunately, the Steelers can't present that challenge for the defense. So I think even with a win, I will be uneasy about their postseason chances."
Kyle Goon: "I have very little faith that the Ravens will do this on Sunday, but a blowout win on par with their performance in Cincinnati would get me to start to believe. … Jumping on turnovers and manufacturing points like we expected to start the year could produce not just a win, but a lopsided one. We all know a healthy Lamar is a prerequisite to any expectation of success beyond Week 18, but playing with a lot more polish and dominance for the division crown might sway me a bit in an AFC field that is thick with teams that have unproven stars."
Paul Mancano: "Lamar Jackson would need to play, and play well. This team has a ceiling without him, and though their shaky defense might prove their downfall no matter what, you'd feel a lot better with your two-time MVP at the helm in a win-or-go-home game."
Ravens' Resilience Is Credit to Harbaugh
Speculation about the future of Harbaugh and Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin, the two longest-tenured current NFL head coaches, has been a talking point heading into Sunday night's game.
Regarding Harbaugh, Baltimore Positive’s Luke Jones said the Ravens' ability to overcome adversity this season speaks well of him.
The Ravens' convincing win in Green Bay "was the latest example of Harbaugh's teams thriving as underdogs over the years," Jones wrote. "If players had checked out, going through the motions would have been easy, especially considering what the expected outcome in Cleveland was."
Kyle Van Noy Is Looking for Payback on Aaron Rodgers
Not that Kyle Van Noy needs more incentive when the Ravens take the field Sunday night, but the veteran outside linebacker said he's looking to get payback on Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for something that happened a decade ago.
Van Noy spent his first two-and-a-half seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions, who faced Rodgers and the Packers twice a season.
"He scored a touchdown one time and he kind of slapped me on the butt, saying, 'Nice try,'" Van Noy said on FanDuel TV's "Up & Adams" show. "I think I owe him something for that. This is my chance."
Van Noy acknowledged that the 42-year-old Rodgers showed that he can still play at a high level in the Steelers' 27-22 win over the Ravens in Week 14. Rogers completed 23-of-34 passes for 284 yards and a touchdown and didn't take a single sack.
"He played us well and we got to do a better job of getting after him and making him uncomfortable," Van Noy said. "We gotta make some plays."
Ravens Named Potential Destination if Maxx Crosby Is Traded This Offseason
With five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby reportedly expected to evaluate his future with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox looked at five potential trade scenarios if Crosby becomes available.
One proposal has the Ravens sending a 2026 first-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, and wide receiver Rashod Bateman to the Raiders.
"Baltimore has logged just 28 sacks as a team, and no Ravens defender has recorded more than four," Knox wrote. "Adding Crosby to the mix would help the Ravens return to being a legitimate threat in the AFC.
"Bateman, a 26-year-old former first-round pick, would help strengthen Las Vegas' receiving corps and help support whichever quarterback the Raiders bring in next."
The thought of Crosby in a Ravens uniform is tantalizing, but trading away two first-round picks is not General Manager Eric DeCosta's style. Hitting on draft picks will be especially important with the Ravens having several key players set to hit free agency. The Ravens also just signed Bateman to a three-year extension this summer.
Adding Crosby would be expensive as well. He signed a three-year, $106 million contract extension in March.
