What’s wrong with Lamar Jackson? Ravens star denies injuries are the cause of slump after loss to Bengals

The Baltimore Ravens flipped a switch when Lamar Jackson returned and quickly resumed their winning streak, but some wins in recent weeks have come despite an unusually slow offense.

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On Thanksgiving Day, the Ravens’ offensive failures caught up with them. Baltimore committed five turnovers against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that had struggled all season, and the Ravens were eliminated on their home field.

While Joe Burrow’s return was a factor for the Bengals, Jackson and the Ravens left a lot on the table on Thanksgiving night. For Jackson, his last four games can officially be labeled a mini-slump that is starting to raise questions about whether he is anywhere near 100 percent healthy.

Here’s a closer look at Jackson’s downfall and what the reasons could be.

FURTHER:Updated Ravens playoff image after loss to Bengals

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What’s wrong with Lamar Jackson?

The problem for the Ravens early in the season was the defense, which looked historically bad at times before Jackson suffered a hamstring injury that cost him three starts.

Since Jackson returned, the script has changed. Aside from a dominant return against the Miami Dolphins, the two-time MVP hasn’t come close to the type of production he had last season or in the first few weeks of this season. The defense, on the other hand, did enough to lead the Ravens to wins over the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets.

On Thursday, Jackson and the offense hit rock bottom. The Bengals forced five turnovers, including two fumbles and an interception by Jackson.

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Jackson’s rushed production indicates he may not be completely healthy. He rushed for just 71 yards on 25 carries during his first four games back from injury and seemed to pass up some running opportunities against the Jets in Week 12. Jackson was a little more mobile Thursday, rushing for 27 yards on six attempts, but he still isn’t matching the efficiency he posted before the hamstring injury.

Could Jackson’s lack of mobility and the protection issues surrounding him be affecting how defenses attack the Ravens? He has completed less than 60 percent of his passes in four consecutive starts after logging just two such games in 2024. This is the first time in Jackson’s NFL career that he has completed less than 60 percent of his passes in four consecutive games.

Jackson has also had three consecutive starts without a touchdown pass, his first such streak since entering the NFL.

As long as Jackson is setting the wrong kind of marks in his career, the “depression” label fits. The Ravens know he’s talented enough to snap out of a slump at any time, though questions about the quarterback’s health could complicate that possibility.

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Is Lamar Jackson injured?

Both Jackson and coach John Harbaugh denied after Thursday’s game that the injuries are affecting the two-time MVP’s play.

“Uh, yeah, he’s completely healthy to play, absolutely,” Harbaugh said when asked about Jackson’s health.

Jackson also dismissed the question, telling reporters, “No, I just have to be more consistent. I have to make those throws,” when asked if injuries were limiting him. “I don’t miss them in practice, so I shouldn’t miss them in the game.”

Practice is actually the source of some of the injury questions, as Jackson missed a day of practice in each of the last three weeks with a different injury. A knee injury kept Jackson out of Wednesday practice before Week 11, an ankle injury forced him to miss another Wednesday before Week 12 and a toe injury kept him out of Monday practice in a short week.

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While Jackson and Harbaugh rejected the idea that injuries are contributing to the Ravens’ offensive woes right now, Jackson’s practice status heading into Week 14 could provide a partial answer. However, thanks to the short week, Jackson has three extra days to recover before a massive matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

FURTHER:How the Bengals can still make the playoffs after beating the Ravens

Lamar Jackson Statistics

2025 statistics

Jackson is still completing nearly 65 percent of his passes in nine starts, with 16 total touchdowns and four interceptions. The Ravens star is averaging his fewest yards per carry since his rookie season at 5.1.

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Last four games

Jackson came back from injury with a bang, throwing four touchdowns and just five incompletions in a primetime win over the Miami Dolphins, but he’s been sidelined since.

In his last four starts, Jackson is completing just 56 percent of his passes and averaging less than 200 yards per game, with just one touchdown pass and three interceptions. Jackson has turned the ball over four times in those four games, although he didn’t lose a fumble until Thursday night.

On the ground, Jackson has been close to being a non-factor with 3.2 yards per carry and just 84 rushing yards in this recent stretch.