The Baltimore Ravens haven’t had starting quarterback Lamar Jackson on the field in over a month and it does not appear he will be ready to play Sunday's Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jackson missed his 17th straight practice Thursday and then posted on social media that his left knee "remains unstable," putting his availability for Sunday in serious doubt.

"Thank you everyone for your support and concerns regarding my injuries," Jackson posted to Twitter. "I want to give you all an update as I am in the recovery process. I’ve suffered a PCL grade 2 sprain on the borderline of a strain 3. There is still inflammation surrounding my knee and my knee remains unstable.

"I’m still in good spirits, as I continue with treatments on the road to recovery. I wish I could be out there with my guys more than anything but I can’t give 100% of myself to my guys and fans I’m still hopeful we still have a chance."

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has not officially ruled out Jackson returning Sunday, but he has not practiced with the team since December 2, and has not appeared in a game since a 10-9 win over the Denver Broncos on December 4.

With Jackson likely unavailable, Huntley would be in line to start, but he has been battling shoulder and wrist injuries that kept him sidelined for the regular-season finale at Cincinnati last weekend.

Huntley resumed throwing at practice Thursday and was officially listed as a limited participant. It was the first time since January 1 that he was seen throwing passes.

"He looked good," Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. "It’s day-to-day. He’s making progress. We take stock on it every day."

Rookie Anthony Brown started the final game of the regular season and was 19 of 44 for 286 yards with two interceptions in his only career start, a 27-16 loss to the Bengals.

Baltimore went 8-4 and averaged 23.1 points in games Jackson started this season, and were 2-3 while averaging 13 points in games without him.

"Obviously, Lamar is Lamar," Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen said. "You can’t replace that kind of guy, but I do still think that we have quarterbacks who can go out there and get the job done and play at a high level."

The Baltimore Ravens appear increasingly likely to be without star quarterback Lamar Jackson for Sunday's AFC Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Bengals after he missed practice again.

Jackson has been absent for 16 straight practice sessions due to a sprained PCL in his left knee that has seen him not play since Week 13.

The 2019 NFL MVP has missed the Ravens' past five games, where they have gone 2-3 and scored 13 points per game, which is the second-worst record in the NFL.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has been reluctant to discuss Jackson's status over the past fortnight and simply replied "no updates at this time" when asked on Wednesday.

The situation is further complicated by top backup Tyler Huntley dealing with tendonitis in his right throwing shoulder. Huntley did not throw during the media portion at practice on Wednesday.

"He's doing a lot better," Harbaugh told reporters about Huntley. "He was out there in practice today and took a bunch of plays. I'd say he's on schedule, hopefully, and we'll see where it goes."

If Jackson and Huntley are both unavailable then undrafted rookie Anthony Brown, who has one career NFL start, would step in.

Ravens tight end Mark Andrews added: "You look at the two other guys [Huntley and Brown], there is so much trust in both of them.

"We know with whoever we put out there – Lamar, Snoop [Huntley] or AB – we'll be all right and ready to go."

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields will miss their season finale against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday due to a hip strain, ending his bid for the NFL single-season quarterback rushing record.

Fields sustained the hip injury in the Bears' 41-10 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, with Nathan Peterman to start in his absence at Soldier Field.

The 2021 NFL Draft 11th overall selection will finish the regular season 64 yards short of Lamar Jackson's NFL QB rushing record of 1,206 yards.

Fields had undergone an MRI after reporting hip soreness on Monday, with the scan revealing a strain.

"He's just not able to go full speed," Bears head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters on Wednesday. "I asked him how it was today, and he said it's still real sore."

Eberflus insisted that the 3-13 Bears' draft position was not behind the decision to rule out Fields, given they could jump the Houston Texans to earn the No.1 overall pick should they lose and the Texans win their Week 18 games.

"I would just go back to our normal operating procedure," Eberflus said. "So, what is it? It's the medical staff, so he didn't clear that hurdle.

"If he'd have cleared that hurdle, then we'd have to go to the next one, which is the coaches. Is he functioning the way he can function to protect himself, right?

"Then it's the player. Does he feel good about doing that. So, he didn't clear the first one. So, that's just where it is."

Fields will finish the season with a passing completion rate of 60.4 per cent for 2242 yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The 23-year-old had 1143 rushing yards for eight touchdowns.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is yet to resume practice and head coach John Harbaugh will not be drawn on his postseason availability.

The 2019 NFL MVP has not played since sustaining a knee injury against the Denver Broncos on December 4, with Tyler Huntley starting in his absence.

Jackson missed a 13th straight practice on Wednesday raising concerns about his playoff availability for the Ravens, who are 10-6 and guaranteed of an AFC Wild Card ahead of their regular-season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

"I'm just probably going to leave all that stuff alone," Harbaugh told reporters.

"I'm going to focus on the game and just get ready to coach our guys and have our guys get ready to play the game."

The Ravens offense has averaged 12.3 points and scored only three touchdowns in the past four games since Jackson's injury, yet have won two of those games on the back of their defense.

Baltimore have been held to 17 or fewer points in five straight games, the first when Jackson was injured.

"They're not challenges that we're going to sit here and say we can't overcome or we can't win games with," Harbaugh said about his offense.

"We've got to try to do everything we can to make those plays in the next game. That's all you can do in this league."

Huntley is also dealing with soreness in his right throwing shoulder ahead of the Cincinnati game, which could determine who wins the AFC North, pending the decision made on the suspended Bengals-Buffalo Bills game.

The Bengals would have clinched the AFC North with victory against the Bills on Monday, but the game was suspended after Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest. If the game is resumed and the Bengals lose, the Ravens could still claim the AFC North with victory on Sunday.

Justin Fields received a fitting moniker from Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay after the Chicago Bears quarterback added yet more plays for his extensive 2022 highlight reel in their Week 15 clash.

A 25-20 victory for the Eagles put Philadelphia one win away from securing the top seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, but they were made to work hard by the three-win Bears.

Fields was the driving force behind the Bears' valiant efforts, throwing two touchdowns and rushing for 95 yards to break 1,000 rushing yards for the season, joining Lamar Jackson (2019, 2020) and Michael Vick (2006) as the only quarterbacks to hit the four-figure mark.

While the loss dropped the Bears to 3-11, the second-worst record in the NFL, Slay believes the future is bright for Chicago with Fields leading the team.  

"He's a 4.4 guy [in the 40-yard dash]. That's what makes it tough. He is not like a 4.7 or nothing. When he gets up the field he can make you miss and he can run past you," he told reporters.

"The kid's tough. He gets hit a lot and keeps going. He had a cramp, went in and came back in for a two-minute drive. He's a tough kid.

"Chicago got a lot of upside coming from him. They're gonna have a great future with him. He's a highlight film, for real man. I salute my cap off to him and it's hard for a quarterback to be that tough."

With three games remaining in the Bears' season, Fields sits 207 yards away from breaking Jackson's single-season rushing record of 1,206 yards for a quarterback, set in 2019, and conceded breaking that mark is a goal for him with the Bears' playoff hopes having long since been ended.

"I'm already deep in it this year, so might as well try to go get that record," he told reporters.

"I think I need, what, 206? So, three games left? That's about 70 yards a game? We'll see what happens."

While Jackson has broken the 1,000-yard mark in two different seasons, Fields does not intend to make it a habit, adding: "I don't plan on rushing for 1,000 yards every year."

The Bears face a difficult end to the season, with home games against the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings, who have already secured their playoff spots, either side of a trip to face a rejuvenated Lions side in Detroit.

Lamar Jackson is listed as doubtful for the Baltimore Ravens' clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his prospective absence spells trouble for the AFC North leaders.

Jackson was knocked out of last week's win over the Denver Broncos because of a knee injury, which has kept him out of practice all week.

The Ravens listed him as doubtful on Friday, meaning backup Tyler Huntley will likely get the start for 8-4 Baltimore.

History says the Ravens will find victory difficult to come by against Pittsburgh without their former MVP quarterback, even against a 5-7 Steelers team that is a shadow of the former AFC powerhouse it once was.

Indeed, since drafting Jackson in 2018, the Ravens are 45-16 (73.8 win percentage) in games started by Jackson and 6-10 (37.5%) when anyone else starts at quarterback.

And, though the Steelers appear unlikely to make the playoffs, the Ravens are facing Pittsburgh likely without Jackson at a time when their arch rivals are showing signs of life. 

The Steelers have won three of their past four games and have not committed a turnover in that stretch. It is the Steelers' longest such streak since turnovers have been tracked in 1950.

Mike Tomlin's Steelers have the edge in recent matchups with the Ravens. They are on a four-game win streak against the Ravens with all four wins coming by five or fewer points.

Only two matchups in NFL history have seen a team beat another five straight times all by fewer than six points (Philadelphia vs. Washington – six, 1992-95 and Raiders vs. Denver – five, 1989-1991).

Past performance from the Ravens suggests Huntley will not be able to end that run. With the Bengals (8-4) breathing down their neck in the division, there is huge onus on him to throw the formbook out of the window in a tough road matchup.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson's knee injury is not considered season-ending, according to Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh.

Jackson will undergo tests on Monday, and the team will have an idea by Wednesday on the severity of the injury and how much time he will miss – if any.

"It's going to be a number, days-to-weeks. We'll see," Harbaugh said after Sunday’s 10-9 win over the Denver Broncos. "We'll see if you can go back this week. If not, it'll be sometime after that shortly."

The 2019 league MVP was injured on the final play of the first quarter, when he landed awkwardly while being sacked from behind by linebacker Jonathon Cooper.

He was then evaluated in the sideline medical tent and sent to the locker room, leaving backup Tyler Huntley to run the offense.

The Ravens' offense struggled mightily Sunday, managing 268 total yards over the final three quarters and didn’t reach the endzone until 28 seconds left in the game, when Huntley scored on a game-winning two-yard touchdown run.

If Jackson’s injury is deemed serious and he ends up missing time, it could not only be detrimental to Baltimore’s playoff hopes, but also factor into Jackson’s next contract.

Jackson, who will be a free agent after this season after contract talks with the Ravens broke down over the summer, hadn’t missed time since suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 14 of 2021, which ultimately cause the Ravens' season to unravel.

Baltimore was 8-4 and atop the AFC North after 13 weeks last season, but ended up losing the last five games after Jackson went down and missed the playoffs.

The Ravens entered this week tied with the Cincinnati Bengals atop the AFC North, and improved their record to 8-4.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson's difficult week has continued after he failed to complete practice due to a quadriceps injury.

Jackson was listed on the Ravens injury report as limited, after he exited early to receive treatment from a trainer on Wednesday.

The Ravens QB also did not address reporters in his usual spot on Wednesday, having not spoken publicly since his since-deleted vulgar social media reply on Sunday.

Following Sunday's 28-27 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jackson posted and then deleted a response on Twitter to a fan criticising him following his side's defeat, one which included an apparent homophobic reference.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was unable to provide an update on Jackson's status on Wednesday, ahead of Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos.

The 25-year-old has only missed four games due to injury in his five-year NFL career. The Ravens are 7-4 and lead the AFC North.

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh acknowledged he was surprised by Lamar Jackson's social media incident following Sunday's 28-27 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The quarterback passed for 254 yards, and rushed for a further 89 from 14 carries, but was unable to prevent defeat as the Jags mounted a late comeback to win at TIAA Bank Field.

Jackson subsequently posted and then deleted a response on Twitter to a fan criticising him following his side's defeat, one which included an apparent homophobic reference.

Speaking on Monday, Harbaugh revealed he has discussed the issue with Jackson, and while he did not condone his player's actions, defended his reputation.

"[I] just beg guys to not to get into the Twitter world right after the game, especially after a loss," he said. "It's never going to be positive. It's not going be a nice place, you know?

"That's kind of reflected in Lamar's response because... that's not the way he speaks. It's not the way he talks. It's not the words he ever uses. I've never heard him say things like that before."

Harbaugh suggested Jackson may have been pulled into his online dispute, and spoke of the player's character in his defence.

"Lamar Jackson, you've been around him," he added. "He's got one of the biggest hearts of anybody I know. You all have seen him the way he treats people, the way he treats kids, the way he treats the media.

"You get trapped sometimes by someone that's baiting you just a little bit. You can't live there. I think that's not a place he wants to be and that's certainly not things that he wants to say."

Roquan Smith saw "no weaknesses at all" as he reflected on an impressive Baltimore Ravens debut during Monday's crushing 27-13 win over the New Orleans Saints.

The Ravens defense was at its suffocating best, with Saints only mustering six points until their first touchdown came four minutes from time when the game was already beyond them.

Linebacker Smith, who was traded from the Chicago Bears last week, played a big part, making an impact early on with a tackle on Alvin Kamara to prevent a first down and force a punt.

That was one of five tackles Smith tallied over the game, though he was just one part of a defensive unit that was brutally sharp, with Justin Houston and Marlon Humphrey among the others to catch the eye.

For Smith, the game brought a realisation of just how strong the 6-3 Ravens are as AFC North leaders made it three wins on the bounce.

"It's amazing just being around so many playmakers, guys that make plays all over the field," he told NFL Network.

"I don't see no weaknesses at all. It sucks giving up that last play, that's why we've got to get better, but I'm excited about the direction we're going."

Despite the Ravens reaching an impressive points total, it was not a contest that saw the quarterbacks shine with their throwing.

The Ravens' tactic of shutting down Kamara and the Saints' rushing attack forced QB Andy Dalton to beat them from the pocket, and he largely failed in that regard, with his respectable stat-line of 19 of 29 passes for 210 yards and one touchdown arguably masking his struggles.

Similarly with the Ravens, Lamar Jackson only recorded 133 passing yards from 12 completions, but their ground attack was unstoppable and the quarterback contributed significantly to that.

With starting running backs J.K Dobbins and Gus Edwards missing through injury, Jackson looked to do a fair amount of the work himself, carrying the ball 11 times for 83 yards, and Smith felt the need to salute that effort afterwards.

"It's amazing, it's the reason that guy was the MVP before," he said.

"Man, he's special. I'm happy to be on his team, and I think it's going be a lot of great things coming forward for him and this team."

The Baltimore Ravens' defense was at its suffocating best as they sucked the life out of the New Orleans Saints in a 27-13 win on Monday.

New Orleans could only muster six points until their first touchdown came with four minutes remaining in the last quarter, with the game already put to bed.

The Ravens did it by shutting down Alvin Kamara and the Saints' rushing attack, limiting the star running back to nine carries for 30 yards and three catches for an additional 32 yards.

In doing so, they forced quarterback Andy Dalton to beat them from the pocket, and he could not deliver. He ultimately finished with a respectable stat-line, completing 19 of 29 passes for 210 yards and one touchdown, but that masked his struggles.

Dalton was sacked four times, with two-and-a-half of those being credited to edge-rusher Justin Houston, and threw a fourth-quarter interception – also to Houston, off a deflection – when his side was only down 14 and still had a chance.

The Ravens struggled similarly throwing the ball, with Lamar Jackson only tallying 133 passing yards from 12 completions, but their ground attack was unstoppable.

Jackson himself carried the ball 11 times for 83 yards, and with starting running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards both missing through injury, Kenyan Drake stepped up for 93 yards and two touchdowns from 24 carries. It led to over 37 minutes of ball-control for the Ravens, with the Saints having just 22 minutes.

The Ravens are now alone atop the AFC North with a 6-3 record, while the Saints drop to 3-6, but remain just one win behind the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5).

The Baltimore Ravens' offense clicked into gear in the second half of their 27-16 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night after only mustering three points in the first two quarters.

Baltimore grabbed an early lead just four minutes into the action, with their punt on the opening drive of the game bouncing off the chest of Buccaneers returner Dee Delaney to gift the Ravens a redzone opportunity.

The Buccaneers defense held, forcing a Justin Tucker field goal, and they took the lead just five minutes later when Leonard Fournette punched in a one-yard touchdown run to cap off a 75-yard drive.

A Tampa Bay field goal would give them a 10-3 lead at halftime, but the Baltimore offense would figure things out in the second half as a five-yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson to Kenyan Drake tied the contest at 10-10.

After forcing a Buccaneers punt, the Ravens made it two touchdown drives in a row as Jackson was flushed out of the pocket and found rookie tight end Isaiah Likely along the back of the endzone in tight coverage.

They then made it three touchdown drives in a row when receiver Devin Duvernay was able to convert a third-and-one into a 15-yard touchdown run on a jet-sweep, widening the Ravens' lead to 24-13 with under seven minutes to play.

Tom Brady was able to lead the Buccaneers back into the redzone twice, and was rewarded with a consolation eight-yard touchdown pass to the returning Julio Jones with under a minute on the clock.

Neither quarterback ended up committing a turnover as Jackson completed 27 of his 38 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, while Brady was 26-of-44 for 325 yards and one score.

After star Ravens tight end Mark Andrews left with an injury, Likely led the Ravens in catches (six) and receiving yards (77), while Mike Evans caught six balls for 123 yards to lead the Buccaneers.

The Baltimore Ravens were saved by a Justin Tucker 43-yard field goal in the final seconds to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 19-17 on Sunday night.

Arguably the best kicker of his generation, Tucker converted all four of his field-goal attempts in the contest, also hitting from 25 yards, 37 yards and a 58-yarder in the third quarter to take the lead out of the halftime break.

Things were tied at 10-10 at the midpoint after touchdown catches from both featured tight ends, with Baltimore's Mark Andrews benefitting from a busted coverage to walk in with an easy 11-yard score, before Hayden Hurst answered right back with a 19-yard touchdown reception for the Bengals later in the second quarter.

There would be no more touchdowns until Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow converted a goal-line sneak in the first play out of the two-minute warning to take a 17-16 lead, leaving the Ravens one minute and 58 seconds to drive down into field-goal range.

After struggling to move the ball all night, the Ravens made their last drive look easy, with a couple of catches for Andrews followed by a 19-yard run by Lamar Jackson to push their way to the 25-yard line, where they would run down the clock for the final kick.

After nailing the kick, it improved Tucker's record on game-deciding field goals (in the final two minutes or overtime to tie or take the lead) to 25 out of 26 (96 per cent).

Jackson finished up completing 19 of 32 passes for 174 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while also leading the Ravens in rushing with 12 carries for 58 yards.

The decision to go for a touchdown on fourth down instead of kicking a go-ahead field goal "gave us the best chance to win", Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh insisted after the 23-20 defeat to the Buffalo Bills.

With the scores tied at 20-20 in the fourth quarter, the Ravens put together a 14-play, 93-yard drive from their own five-yard line to give themselves the opportunity to gain a precious late lead.

However, the drive stalled at the crucial moment and the Ravens faced a fourth-and-goal from the Bills' two-yard line with just over four minutes left in the game.

While a short field goal would have given the Ravens the lead, Harbaugh opted to go for the touchdown. The decision did not pay off as quarterback Lamar Jackson threw an interception, before Bills quarterback Josh Allen led a 77-yard drive to set up Tyler Bass for the game-winning field goal as time expired.

After the match, Harbaugh defended his late-game strategy, telling reporters: "[If] you kick a field goal there, now it's not a three-down game anymore, it's a four-down game.

"You're putting them out there, you're putting your defense at a disadvantage because they've got four downs to convert all the way down the field and a chance to again score seven, and then you lose the game on a touchdown.

"It didn't turn out that way, unfortunately, and we lost the game. So, hindsight, you could take the points, but if you look at it analytically, understand why we did it."

The decision sparked a furious touchline altercation between Harbaugh and cornerback Marcus Peters, with the former Kansas City Chief having to be pulled away from his coach.

But Harbaugh was not fazed by the interaction after the game, adding: "Emotions run high.

"We're on the same page, he and I. We have a great relationship, we have an honest relationship. I love him, I hope he still loves me. We'll see. I'm a Marcus Peters guy."

Lamar Jackson's sensational start to the 2022 season is "a natural next step", according to Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who always believed the quarterback could be "everything he is".

The Ravens improved to 2-1 with a 37-26 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday, in which Jackson threw four touchdown passes and rushed for 107 yards and a further score.

The fifth-year QB became only the second player in NFL history with at least four TD passes, 100 rushing yards and a rushing TD in a game after the Philadelphia Eagles' Randall Cunningham – also against the Patriots – in Week 9 of the 1990 season.

But Jackson also had three TD passes and 100 rushing yards in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins.

Only seven other QBs (including Cunningham) have previously enjoyed such a performance, and none of them have done so more than once. Jackson has achieved that feat in consecutive games and four times across his career.

Surely a contender again this year, Jackson was the MVP in 2019 when he led the league in passing TDs (36), as he does now (10).

The failure to agree a new Ravens contract in the offseason would likely have made Jackson more determined to bounce back from an injury-hit 2021, but Harbaugh has never doubted his star man.

"No one has to tell me about Lamar Jackson," the Baltimore coach said.

"I believe in him. I love him. I just believed him the first day we drafted him, the first day we talked about drafting him. I felt like he could be everything he is.

"I just think it's a natural next step in terms of like finding his rhythm during the week, what he's looking at, how he studies defenses, how he breaks defenses down.

"It's not a lightbulb thing; it's an evolution of studying the game that you see quarterbacks go through."

Jackson offered his own take on his development, adding: "I'd just say [it is down to] maturity, just because of my age, just knowing the game of football just basically inside out.

"You've just got to stay locked in. That's probably the thing, just being locked in no matter what's going on during the game."