Facing second-and-goal in the third quarter on Sept. 10, Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins broke away from the pack before catching a dump-off from quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Dobbins made it a couple yards before the Houston Texans’ M.J. Stewart swallowed him up 2 yards out from the end zone with a routine tackle, but Dobbins took his time getting to his feet.
He gingerly walked over to a Baltimore medical staffer before team workers helped him off the field, where he wouldn’t return. The viewing public’s worst fears wouldn’t be confirmed until after the game.
Dobbins, who missed all of the 2021 season with a torn ACL, tore his Achilles a little more than halfway through last weekend’s season opener.
“His story’s so sad. He doesn’t get the opportunity to show his wares to the masses,” Ravens Gameday Radio analyst and Pro Football Hall of Famer Rod Woodson said on Glenn Clark Radio Sept. 11. “But I’m hoping he’s well. I’m hoping he’s in a good space mentally. His wounds will heal. I’m hoping right now, though, personally that he’s in a good space mentally.”
Leg injuries have marred the Ravens’ last few years, and this most recent blow arrives a little more than two years after Dobbins’ last setback against Washington in the preseason finale.
The 2023 season looked to finally be Dobbins’ year after his previous injury sidelined him two seasons ago. The recovery process leaked over into the following fall to keep him out of nine more games. With rookie Zay Flowers and newly-minted free-agent signee Odell Beckham Jr. headlining the rebuilt receiver group, Dobbins looked to spearhead the run game as the team’s top back.
Dobbins racked up 22 yards in eight carries in his limited time on Sept. 10 but still managed one impressive highlight in the first quarter by parachuting over the defense for the Ravens’ first touchdown of the season.
Dobbins played nearly every game of his rookie campaign in 2020, but he has only played in nine total games in the three years since. He has averaged 5.8 yards per attempt and 56.1 yards per game across 24 outings. While there’s never a good time for an injury, this most recent disappointment comes entering his contract year.
“I’m crestfallen for him,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said after revealing the diagnosis. “We’ll put our arms around him. He will be back.”
The Ravens, who handily defeated the Texans, 25-9, in Week 1, will have to adjust on the fly by moving Gus Edwards and Justice Hill higher on the totem pole to absorb Dobbins’ snaps. The team is also expected to give practice squad running back Melvin Gordon opportunities.
While the injury bug didn’t take long to sneak up on the Ravens, they’re equipped with a diverse array of weapons that they can battle through a key injury more effectively than in years past.
Dobbins’ 2021 ACL tear left Baltimore trying to plug the hole with veterans like Devonta Freeman and Le’Veon Bell, but the team sports a bit more depth this year. Career Ravens Edwards and Hill have little starting experience between them, but the combination of Edwards’ power and Hill’s speed look to keep the run game afloat.
“Are [the Ravens] more suited to be successful even with that injury? I think they are, because they have so many weapons, especially in the receiving corps,” Woodson said. “… We’re going to get Mark [Andrews] back eventually, hopefully this week. You have so many different weapons with OBJ, Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor, all those guys who have come in this year to add to the dynamics of this new offense. To answer the question simply, yes.”
For more from Woodson, listen to the full interview here:
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