OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Lamar Jackson was back on the practice field on Nov. 13 after missing practice a day earlier with what head coach John Harbaugh described as knee soreness. After the roughly two-hour workout, Jackson said the knee was “getting better,” and he was listed as a full practice participant.
Jackson had played every offensive snap in the Ravens’ 27-19 win at Minnesota on Nov. 9, and he said he couldn’t identify a specific play when the injury occurred. He said he could feel pain in his knee at some point during the game, but “playing football, things like that happen.”
Jackson had missed three games earlier this season with a hamstring injury, and after Jackson missed practice on Nov. 12, Harbaugh was quick to clarify that it was knee soreness, and not any aggravation of the hamstring injury, that had sidelined Jackson for a day.
The Ravens lost two of the three games Jackson missed, as they stumbled to a 1-5 start out of the gate this season. They have since won three in a row — including one led by backup quarterback Tyler Huntley — as the Ravens try to become just the fifth NFL team to make the playoffs after beginning the season 1-5.
The Ravens (4-5) have closed to within a game of first-place Pittsburgh (5-4) in the AFC North. The Ravens visit Cleveland (2-7) this coming Sunday at 4:25 p.m.
“Lamar is going to be ready, and he’s going to be excited for this game,” tight end Mark Andrews said.
The game at Cleveland figures to be momentous for Andrews, who needs just four yards to break Derrick Mason’s franchise record for receiving yards (5,777).
Andrews already holds the franchise records for catches (107) and receiving yards in a season (1,361), as well as the most touchdowns in a career (56), and still another record could fall at Cleveland or shortly thereafter; Andrews needs seven receptions to break Mason’s franchise record for receptions (471).
“I’m not looking really too much into that,” Andrews said, “but I’m just focusing on this game, executing at the highest level and continuing to grow from week to week. We’re excited about the challenge this week.”
The Ravens pulled away to a 41-17 win against Cleveland at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 2, but they have lost three of their past four meetings in Cleveland.
Last season, the Browns entered their home game against the Ravens with a 1-6 record and rallied for a 29-24 win. Cleveland quarterback Jameis Winston threw a 38-yard, game-winning touchdown pass with 59 seconds left after Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton dropped what would have been a game-clinching interception.
“That’s the type of division that we have,” Andrews said. “It’s always going to be a close fight, and they have talented players and a good team, and for us on offense, we have to be ready to go.”
NOTEBOOK
HUMPHREY, BATEMAN, HILL, HIGGINS REMAIN SIDELINED: While Lamar Jackson returned to the practice field, four other players missed their second straight practice. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey had a surgical procedure on an injured finger on his left hand, and he will not play at Cleveland, Harbaugh said.
Wide receiver Rashod Bateman is dealing with an ankle injury sustained against Minnesota, while running back Justice Hill is sidelined with a toe injury and special teams linebacker Jay Higgins is dealing with a knee injury.
Rookie linebacker Mike Green, who had practiced fully on Wednesday, was listed as limited on the injury report on Thursday with an ankle injury.
MONKEN: RUN GAME VS. BROWNS LAST TIME ‘UNACCEPTABLE’: When the Ravens played the Browns in Week 2 in Baltimore, the Ravens overcame a sluggish start to win 41-17, but the running game never got going against a Browns tenacious defensive front led by All-Pro Myles Garrett.
Derrick Henry finished with 11 carries for 23 yards, his lowest total in two seasons with the Ravens, and the Ravens totaled just 45 rushing yards — their lowest total in more than three years — on 21 carries. They averaged roughly 2.1 yards per run.
“It’s unacceptable,” Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken said.
“They’re really good,” Monken said. “They got after us pretty good. … You have to fight to fix it, and we have. And that happens. This is the NFL. You have good teams, good defenses, but we’ve got to do a better job running.”
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