It was a season-altering Sunday for the Baltimore Ravens as they slumped to a 36-10 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. On the very first play of the game, quarterback Lamar Jackson jammed his thumb under pressure from the Bills' pass rush and headed down the tunnel. It was later reported that Jackson would require surgery and be placed on injured reserve, with head coach Jesse Minter admitting after the game that the injury could potentially be season-ending. To compound matters, the Ravens also lost backup quarterback Tyler Huntley to an ankle injury.
So where do Baltimore go from here at 4-4? Do they roll the dice and make a move for somebody like Tyson Bagent from the Chicago Bears or Anthony Richardson from the Indianapolis Colts? Or do they accept their fate, recognise that they are unlikely to win a Super Bowl without Lamar Jackson anyway and refuse to mortgage their future for a short-term solution?
There is also a ceiling on the calibre of quarterback they can realistically acquire. They cannot go out and land a Justin Herbert or an established frontline starter because, when Jackson returns in 2027, they could find themselves with a very complicated quarterback situation. They need somebody who can help them through the remainder of this season without becoming an obstacle when their franchise quarterback returns. They are fishing in a very limited pond.
And general manager Eric DeCosta would almost certainly have to overpay. Other teams will recognise Baltimore's desperation and drive a hard bargain. I lean towards the Ravens taking their medicine rather than sacrificing future assets for a quarterback who might only be needed for the back end of this season.
But there is another side to that argument. What about the other 52 players in the locker room? DeCosta's job is to put the best possible team on the field and to give those players a chance to compete every weekend. They cannot simply throw in the towel.
It is an incredibly difficult situation for Baltimore, but make no mistake: this is a very different team without Lamar Jackson at the helm. Whatever decisions the Ravens make in the coming days with the November 10 trade deadline approaching, they face an uphill battle. And, just like Jackson, their season could potentially be over.
Who's Hot…
Cincinnati's Big Three… The Bengals relied on their usual suspects to fight their way past the Tennessee Titans in a thrilling 43-36 overtime victory on Sunday. Joe Burrow threw for 462 yards and five touchdowns, although his three interceptions were a worrying blemish on an otherwise spectacular performance. Ultimately, Burrow had the final say, scrambling nine yards for the winning touchdown in overtime. His familiar passing-game partners did their usual damage, too. Tee Higgins hauled in 10 catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns, while Ja'Marr Chase added 11 receptions for 141 yards and a score. And it's just as well Cincinnati's offense was firing on all cylinders because the Bengals are beginning to wobble defensively, reverting to the kind of worrying form we saw last season and in previous years.
Bucky Irving… The weather was biblical in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday, with torrential rain forcing both teams to abandon the passing game during the Buccaneers' 16-0 shutout victory over the Atlanta Falcons. In fact, Tampa Bay became the first NFL team in 52 years not to complete a single pass in a game. But it mattered little because Bucky Irving was outstanding, carrying 27 times for 170 yards and a touchdown. Irving has quietly emerged as one of the NFL's best running backs over the past month. He has rushed for 487 yards and scored five touchdowns across his last four games, breathing life into what had looked like a lost season for Tampa Bay.
Detroit's rushing attack… Quarterbacks have struggled badly against the Minnesota Vikings this season, so Detroit took the smart approach on Sunday by taking the ball out of Jared Goff's hands. Goff was sacked four times and threw his first interception of the season, but the Lions still ground out a 19-15 victory over the previously undefeated Vikings by winning the battle on the ground. Jahmyr Gibbs led the way with 153 rushing yards and a touchdown, but he had plenty of help from his teammates as Detroit ran the ball 39 times for 230 yards and that decisive score. It was a statement win in the NFC North, but perhaps the bigger question is whether the Lions have just shown the rest of the NFL a blueprint for taking down Minnesota.
Who's Not…
The Los Angeles Chargers… After Sunday's 24-9 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, it feels as though history is repeating itself for the Los Angeles Chargers. They have fallen to 0-7 for the first time since 2000, when current head coach Jim Harbaugh was their quarterback. And these Chargers, despite having a Pro Bowl quarterback in Justin Herbert, have now gone 27 consecutive drives without scoring a touchdown. That's the longest such drought in the NFL since the Miami Dolphins went 30 drives without a touchdown in 2024. And who was Miami's head coach at the time? None other than Mike McDaniel, now the Chargers' offensive coordinator. Things are rapidly unravelling in Los Angeles, and you have to wonder how much longer Harbaugh and McDaniel can survive this prolonged offensive slump.
The Indianapolis Colts… With their fourth consecutive defeat on Sunday, surely the season is now over for the Indianapolis Colts. They were thrashed 42-7 by the Jacksonville Jaguars, completely outplayed in every phase of the game. Daniel Jones threw another two interceptions, while the defense allowed Trevor Lawrence to throw three touchdown passes and the Jaguars to pile up close to 200 rushing yards. You also have to wonder whether head coach Shane Steichen is running out of time. The Colts appear to be offloading their best players as they turn their attention towards rebuilding for the future. And by the time you read this column, star running back Jonathan Taylor could be packing his bags and heading to a new team. It's difficult to see how Steichen can survive such a spectacular collapse in Indianapolis. A season that began with promise is threatening to end in complete disarray.
The Fast Five…
- The Denver Broncos rallied from 24-13 down midway through the fourth quarter to record a 28-24 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. While that was a great effort from the Broncos, I feel like this is a game that the Chiefs let slip away and their errors came at the most crucial of times.
- Oh Dallas! Will this team ever stop shooting itself in the foot and finally deliver a contender once more? It has certainly been a while – more than three decades and counting. On Sunday, Dallas led the lowly Arizona Cardinals 24-10 in the fourth period. But somehow slumped to a 33-30 overtime defeat, leaving owner Jerry Jones with his head in his hands.
- The Pittsburgh Steelers delivered an old-school win that would not have looked out of place in the 1970s as they took over top spot in the AFC North with a 27-6 beat-down of the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers sacked Deshaun Watson eight times and rushed for 200 yards and three scores. They're not sexy, but the Steelers are winners and have now been victorious in four straight games.
- As you read earlier, their opponents are in a really bad way. But the Jacksonville Jaguars have to be applauded for taking care of business against the free-falling Colts. Liam Coen's men did not stub their toes and they did what was asked of them to great effect. The AFC South race is already over in early November.
- Kirk Cousins continues to deliver and his three touchdown passes on Sunday helped the Las Vegas Raiders snap a four-game losing streak with a 38-33 win over the New York Jets. Cousins also rushed for a score as he reminded us all that he is perfectly capable of holding down the fort until rookie first overall pick Fernando Mendoza is ready to see the field.
Fact of the Week
How bizarre was that outcome in Dallas on Sunday? Check out these facts. Since 2000, the Cardinals were 1-147-1 in games where they trailed by 14 points or more in the fourth quarter. And in that same period, the Cowboys were 69-0 at home in games where they led by 14 points or more entering the final quarter.
Final Thought…
With the calendar having flipped over to November, it feels like the race to Super Bowl 61 is just beginning to heat up. And do we really have a clear idea about who could be playing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Los Angeles on Valentine's Day? There are very few teams who have completely earned our trust and it feels like the race to glory will be a crowded one. As it stands right now, 13 teams across the league have at least five wins. That will become 14 if the Seattle Seahawks can win at home against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. That's almost half the league jockeying for position at the front of the race to Super Bowl 61. And, of course, this is just how the NFL likes it. We don't know what's going to happen from game to game and week to week; meaning this push to the playoffs is going to be fascinating and frustrating in equal measure… depending on how your favourite team fares from Sunday to Sunday.
