Ravens' nightmare NFL playoff picture gets big update on Lamar Jackson injury return timeline

Billy Heyen

Ravens' nightmare NFL playoff picture gets big update on Lamar Jackson injury return timeline image

The Baltimore Ravens' nightmare continues.

They lost, again, this time to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in Week 6.

The Ravens are now 1-5.

Their bye week couldn't come at a better time. They are off in Week 7, and they need it.

The biggest reason why the bye matters? Lamar Jackson's health.

Jackson has missed the last two weeks with a hamstring injury after exiting Week 4 early in a loss to the Chiefs.

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In his place, Cooper Rush has started both games, although Tyler Huntley came on in relief for the struggling Rush on Sunday.

The good news: Head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that Jackson will be back after the Week 7 bye.

The Ravens must've had that week off circled on their calendar as the ideal time for Jackson to fully recuperate from the hamstring problem, which isn't a great injury for a mobile QB to have.

Of course, they would've liked a win or two while Jackson was out, but that wasn't meant to be.

They'll likely have to close the season at least 8-3 in their final 11 games to have a chance at the playoffs, and maybe better than that.

But if Jackson is really back to full strength, they'll have at least a chance to do that. The preseason Super Bowl favorite is a long way from that right now. Getting a franchise QB back is at least a push in the right direction.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle