Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson gave fans a scare when he missed Monday's practice for an undisclosed reason, but it now appears that there isn't much to worry about.

Jackson returned to practice on Wednesday and participated in every drill during the portion of practice that's available to the media:

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is back at practice.

The reigning NFL MVP missed Monday’s practice. He was back on the field Wednesday, participating in every drill during media viewing.

Baltimore plays host to the Raiders on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/GMHbOrOSEu

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) September 11, 2024

Per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh declined to say whether Jackson's absence from Monday's practice was injury-related or due to a personal matter. Baltimore's injury report, which will be released later on Wednesday, will provide more insight as to whether Jackson was limited or a full participant in his return to the practice field.

Jackson was asked after Wednesday's session if he missed Monday's practice due to soreness, and he told reporters he was "good" but "just took the day off."

Lamar Jackson on whether he missed Monday’s practice because he was sore. He said he’s “good.” pic.twitter.com/r7KOAXM6mO

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) September 11, 2024

The reigning NFL MVP, Jackson had a strong start to the season but couldn't propel the Ravens past the defending back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, as they suffered a 27-20 loss in their season opener last Thursday.

Jackson threw for 273 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for a team-high 122 yards, though he also lost a fumble. He had appeared to throw a game-tying touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely with no time remaining in the fourth quarter, but Likely's foot was out of bounds, ending the game in disappointing fashion for Baltimore.

On Sunday, Jackson and the Ravens will host a Las Vegas Raiders team that is also coming off a loss in Week 1, falling 22-10 to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Raiders allowed 176 yards on the ground against the Chargers, the fourth-highest total in the NFL in the first week of the season.

All signs point to Jackson returning to his dominant ways when Baltimore takes the field to face Las Vegas.

After suffering a fractured orbital bone in the third quarter of last Thursday's season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy was not happy with how the Chiefs' medical staff handled the situation.

Per Kyle Phoenix of SB Nation, Van Noy revealed that Kansas City's trainers took an entire quarter before they evaluated him, which led to a delay in him being ruled out for the remainder of the game.

"I was disappointed in the way the training staff of the Chiefs handled the situation," Van Noy said. "When things like that hurt, especially something that could be serious like mine was, you're supposed to rely on the team's training staff or their doctors and I was supposed to see an ophthalmologist—which is somebody who checks out eye(s), performs eye surgery and they took an entire quarter to get down to talk to me in the locker room. Which, to me, is unacceptable."

Van Noy went on to add that the lack of urgency from the Chiefs' medical staff to assess the injury rubbed him the wrong way.

"Because then you start thinking, 'what if I was trying to go back in the game? What if I was really really hurt?' I know mine was moderate but it's still serious because it's an eye [injury]," he said. "And your expectation of someone to be down there as the training staff asked them to be down there would have had a little more urgency. The way it took time was super unprofessional to me. Especially because there were people in there too. One of the doctors, or the friend of the doctor was in there double-cup fisted, styrofoam cups like everything was good and I just felt that was unprofessional."

Van Noy is not alone in his displeasure with Kansas City's training staff. In the NFLPA's team report cards released ahead of the 2024 season, the Chiefs received an "F" in five categories, and their training staff was rated as the worst in the NFL.

"I understand how Kansas City, the players have given that training room an F. Because with my experience, I would have probably gave them an F, too," Van Noy said. "Yeah, they ended up figuring a little bit, but it was just, the unprofessionalism."

Despite his unpleasant experience with the Chiefs' trainers, Van Noy praised the University of Kansas health system for the treatment he received after leaving the stadium.

"Now, fast forward to going to the hospital that night at the [emergency room]. I don't know if they handled that or my trainers and the doctors were handling that [but] they executed so I do want to shout out the KU medical for doing a great job," he said. "They took care of me in the wee hours into the morning. [They] did an awesome job getting all the info really quickly and so I appreciate that. So, if they did have their hands on that, I do applaud them for that. Everything went smoothly."

Baltimore Ravens superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson didn't practice with the team on Monday, though head coach John Harbaugh didn't specify the reason for that absence during his press conference.

"We had a number of guys that weren't out there. Some personal, some physical," he told reporters. "Injury report comes out on Wednesday afternoon, so you'll be better advised on that day regarding all those guys."

Jackson, 27, didn't appear on the team's injury report last week and played all 74 offensive snaps during Baltimore's season-opening 27-20 loss on Thursday. He had a strong open to the season, throwing for 273 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 122 yards.

He nearly connected with tight end Isaiah Likely in the end zone on the final play of the game to either force overtime or a potential game-winning two-point conversion, though Likely's foot just barely touched the back line and was ruled an incompletion.

The Ravens were THIS CLOSE to scoring the game-tying touchdown 👀#Kickoff2024 pic.twitter.com/08KjTVFHQZ

— NFL (@NFL) September 6, 2024

"I believe everyone in our locker room hates losing, point-blank period—coaches, trainers, equipment guys, cafeteria women and men and definitely the players—because we're out there putting it on the line, blood, sweat and tears," Jackson told reporters after the game. "And for us to lose to those guys, and the way we lost, even though I don't want to lose, but I can't be mad at my guys because we battled."

It was the fifth time the Ravens have lost to the Chiefs in their last six meetings.

As for Monday's absence, Jackson was one of five players who didn't practice on Monday, joining cornerback Nate Wiggins, wideout Deonte Harty and outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy (eye) and Adisa Isaac (hamstring), according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley.

Until Wednesday offers more clarity, there will be plenty of interest in why the two-time defending MVP wasn't practicing.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson showed off an incredible jewelry collection in GQ's latest edition of "On the Rocks," which dropped on Wednesday.

Jackson displayed his pendants, chains, watches, grillz and bracelets, including a bracelet given to him by rapper Kodak Black during his rookie season (2018) as well as custom gold Patek Philippe watch.

Jackson, 27, is in his seventh NFL season. He's a Heisman Trophy winner and two-time NFL MVP who's also made three Pro Bowls. Baltimore has gone 58-20 in his starts, earning the AFC's No. 1 seed on two separate occasions.

This Ravens season got off to a 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, but Jackson excelled with 122 rushing yards on 16 carries in addition to 273 passing yards and one touchdown. He and the Ravens will look to get back in the win column on Sunday, Sept. 15 at home against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Ronnie Stanley is not happy with the officiating from Week 1.

The Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman said that he felt the referee crew was aiming to "make an example" of him as the league heightens its focus on illegal formation penalties during his team's 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

He also believed that the calls may not have been going both ways.

"I thought it was a little different," Stanley said, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN. "And then the way it was going through the game, I really feel like they were just trying to make an example and they chose me to be the one to do that. As far as I saw, they weren't doing it on both sides of the ball, and I know that I was lined up in good position the majority of those calls they made. But we'll go back and watch the film and we'll make sure of it and we'll send it in [to the league office]."

Stanley was penalized three times for illegal formation during the game. The Ravens overall had seven penalties for 64 yards and the Chiefs had six for 45 yards.

Of the Ravens' seven penalties, five were for illegal formation. Kansas City did not get flagged for illegal formation. Stanley said he felt like the Chiefs were not penalized when they should have been but that he would have to consult the film.

"I'm looking at their tackles, especially the right side, and I know I'm lining up in front of that guy," Stanley said, per Hensley. "And they didn't call him one time. It's a little bit of making me feel like I'm crazy, [that] I don't know where I'm lining up. I feel like we'll watch the film. They just need to be held accountable if that's what it is. If it's that egregious that they are making those calls—and they shouldn't be—they should be held accountable."

Thursday's opener was a rematch of last season's AFC Championship Game, which Kansas City also won. The Chiefs would go on to win a second consecutive Super Bowl and are now seeking the elusive three-peat.

Baltimore, meanwhile, is trying to recover from that disappointing end and build on a promising 2023 season. While a Week 1 loss is not ideal, losing to a juggernaut like the Chiefs is not an indicator of a slide back, and Baltimore will look to use it as a learning experience going forward.

The Ravens will look to get back on track in Week 2 when they host the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Baltimore Ravens lost more than just their season-opening game on Thursday.

Steve Wyche of NFL Network reported linebacker Kyle Van Noy suffered a fractured orbital bone during the 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The plan is for Van Noy to undergo further testing, which will reveal how much time he is expected to miss with the setback.

Van Noy suffered the injury in the third quarter while pursuing Patrick Mahomes. The NBC broadcast said he was examined by the independent neurologist on Baltimore's sideline, but it was revealed he had an eye injury.

He finished the game with one tackle.

This is Van Noy's second season with the Ravens after he previously spent time on the Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers. His resume includes two Super Bowl titles with New England and six seasons with more than 50 tackles.

The 33-year-old finished last year with 30 tackles, nine sacks, four passes defended and two forced fumbles. The sack total was a career-best mark and his fifth straight season with at least five.

If Van Noy is forced to miss significant time, look for the Ravens to turn toward Tavius Robinson for more playing time.

Baltimore doesn't play again until Sept. 15 when it faces the Las Vegas Raiders in its home opener, so there is at least more time in between games than normal thanks to the Thursday start.

It will be looking to bounce back from the loss to the Chiefs that came down to the final play. Lamar Jackson moved the visitors into scoring position on the last drive and appeared to hit Isaiah Likely for a touchdown in the back of the end zone, which would have allowed them to go for the ensuing two-point conversion and win.

However, Likely's toe came down out of bounds, which gave Kansas City the victory.

Roquan Smith is not happy with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Peyton Hendershot.

Following the Baltimore Ravens' 27-20 Week 1 loss to the Chiefs, the linebacker spoke about a "slick push" he received from Hendershot after a hit he laid on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

#Ravens LB Roquan Smith on #Chiefs TE Peyton Hendershot: “He better watch himself. … I’ll see him when I see him.”

Hendershot shoved Smith after he pushed Patrick Mahomes out of bounds in the 4th quarter. No penalty was called.
pic.twitter.com/zyKin5mkCr

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 6, 2024

"Whoever 88 is, I don't know who he is, but he better watch himself," Smith said. "He did a little slick push....I have no idea who he is but I will see him when I see him."

Hendershot is in his first season with Kansas City after being acquired in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 27. He did not play in Thursday's game due to a coach's decision and is currently listed as the No. 4 tight end on the depth chart.

Smith is a major factor on the Ravens' defense and showed it Thursday night. He recorded seven tackles and snagged an interception, proving to be an intimidating force for Mahomes and the Chiefs offense.

This comes after a 2023 season in which he had 158 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one interception and earned a first-team All-Pro selection. He is a catalyst for a Ravens defense that is one of the more polished in the league.

Should the Ravens and Chiefs meet again in the playoffs, Smith will undoubtedly have Hendershot on his mind.

Isaiah Likely is already looking ahead to a potential playoff rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs.

"I'd say this is probably the worst game we're going to play all year, so if this is the best that they've got, good luck in the postseason," the Baltimore Ravens tight end said following his team's 27-20 loss to the two-time reigning champions in Thursday's season opener, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

To Baltimore's credit, it couldn't have been much closer in a hostile environment against the league's team to beat.

Likely appeared to haul in a touchdown catch on the final play, which would have set the Ravens up for a two-point conversion attempt. However, his toe came down just out of bounds upon replay review, which gave Kansas City the win.

The Ravens were THIS CLOSE to scoring the game-tying touchdown 👀#Kickoff2024 pic.twitter.com/08KjTVFHQZ

— NFL (@NFL) September 6, 2024

It overshadowed an excellent game for the tight end, who finished with nine catches for 111 yards and one touchdown.

It is certainly a glass-half-full approach for Likely and the Ravens to assume a rematch that may or may not come in Kansas City would go better, especially since the Chiefs just went on the road and eliminated Baltimore in last season's AFC Championship Game.

As long as Patrick Mahomes is under center, Kansas City will be a Super Bowl threat. And now it has the inside track for home-field advantage against the Ravens in the race for AFC playoff seeding.

But at least Baltimore doesn't have to worry about Likely's confidence being shaken after an early season loss.

The Baltimore Ravens began the 2024 NFL season the same way they ended last season with a loss to the Kanas City Chiefs.

The Ravens dropped their season opener 27-20 at Arrowhead Stadium Thursday night in heartbreaking fashion as what would have been a game-tying touchdown catch ended up being caught out of bounds.

Baltimore went into halftime with a manageable 13-10 deficit, but the Chiefs took a 10-point lead on their first drive of the second half. The two sides traded touchdowns to start the fourth quarter and the Ravens drained a field goal to make it a one-touchdown deficit in the final five minutes.

From there, Baltimore got the stop it needed before driving down the field in the final two minutes. Reigning MVP Lamar Jackson completed a pass to Isaiah Likely in the endzone as time expired and the catch would have made it a 27-26 game, giving the Ravens the chance to either tie or take the lead, but Likely's toe was just out of bounds, sealing the loss for the Baltimore.

The Ravens were THIS CLOSE to scoring the game-tying touchdown 👀#Kickoff2024 pic.twitter.com/08KjTVFHQZ

— NFL (@NFL) September 6, 2024

After the dramatic ending of Thursday's game, NFL fans were stunned on social media.

Wow. pic.twitter.com/OxlknyB3gx

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 6, 2024

out by an inch 😱#Kickoff2024 pic.twitter.com/TUeV7bxF6z

— NFL (@NFL) September 6, 2024

What a game.
What a finish.
What a freaking sport.

Nothing better than football. Nothing.

— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) September 6, 2024

The #Chiefs win a classic opener by a toe. Game 1 — unreal. Bring on all the rest.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 6, 2024

Holy shnikees!!!!!

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) September 6, 2024

Likely on the Ravens final play pic.twitter.com/8YohTjjYdT

— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) September 6, 2024

Game of inches. 👟

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) September 6, 2024

The drama. What a game. I love football so much pic.twitter.com/4JxfxWhLJ5

— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) September 6, 2024

What a game man!!! Didn’t feel like week one felt like a playoff game

— Marcus Spears (@mspears96) September 6, 2024

Game of inches. What a game to start the NFL season! 🏈🔥🔥🔥

— Darius Butler (@DariusJButler) September 6, 2024

Jackson had a productive game with 273 passing yards and a touchdown along with 122 yards on the ground, but Ravens fans had questions after the loss.

The biggest one was about Baltimore's lack of usage for star running back Derrick Henry, who had just 46 rushing yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

I don’t care Derrick Henry shouldn’t be on the sideline when the Ravens are in the redzone

— The Ravens Realm (@RealmRavens) September 6, 2024

Derrick Henry after that TD pic.twitter.com/axhzBkqSNa

— Myles. 🧸 (@SluttySamon) September 6, 2024

We should hand the ball to Derrick Henry more if I’m being real.

— Zach Bollinger (@zachbollinger18) September 6, 2024

Derrick Henry left the titans just for the ravens to treat him like a rotation RB

— Isaiah Likely #1 Fan (@groovytronCS) September 6, 2024

Even though Lamar one of the best running QBs off all time, its crazy he got more carries then Derrick Henry

— Crespo (@Crespo2292) September 6, 2024

https://twitter.com/3dfye/status/1831899525830865003

These Derrick Henry numbers are ugly and disappointing. He needs more handoffs. But game is almost over.

— Charles North VI⁶🧭 (@charlesnorthvi) September 6, 2024

Why did Ravens sign Derrick Henry if
Lamar Jackson’s gonna steal all his carries lol

— Kimus  (@SupSumik) September 6, 2024

The good news for the Ravens is that they still have 16 games to figure things out, and the next few weeks will likely be spent figuring out how to better incorporate Henry into the offense.

Baltimore spent a significant amount of money to make Henry a Raven this offseason, and they didn't get their money's worth on Thursday. It ultimately wasn't the reason for the loss, but getting Henry more touches could lead to more success for Baltimore moving forward.

Fantasy football fans who drafted Mark Andrews didn't have much to show for after the first half of the Baltimore Ravens matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The star tight end didn't have a reception through the first 30 minutes of Thursday's contest, a somewhat disappointing start for the seventh-year veteran. He had one target and a catch, though it was ultimately erased because of a penalty.

The unproductive half came as quarterback Lamar Jackson looked to fellow tight end Isaiah Likely, who picked up 38 receiving yards on four receptions. Wide receiver Zay Flowers also had 39 receiving yards in the first half.

After posting a dud in the first half, fantasy football fans expressed their disappointment in Andrews thus far.

not even a half of football into the season pic.twitter.com/5qR7ICkaja

— e͎d͎☠︎︎ (@slicktalkk) September 6, 2024

Percentage of Mark Andrews fantasy manager completely freaking out. pic.twitter.com/f5x3SDGcrR

— Michael Gallagher (@MikeSGallagher) September 6, 2024

mark andrews managers watching isaiah likely catch passes while andrews puts up a goose egg: pic.twitter.com/7LUWKqQeWa

— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) September 6, 2024

Mark Andrews in the first half pic.twitter.com/qIk5bvIqVb

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) September 6, 2024

Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce at halftime:

Mark Andrews Travis Kelce
0 targets 3 targets
0 receptions 2 receptions
0 yards 24 yards

— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) September 6, 2024

Travis Kelce vs Mark Andrews tonight pic.twitter.com/VYBhwlRDzC

— Underdog (@Underdog) September 6, 2024

They got mark Andrews playing LT my fantasy season is over

— Chris (@TrashTweetsOnIy) September 6, 2024

Mark Andrews pic.twitter.com/NSud81REMA

— 🇪🇸☝🏽🇻🇪 (@JoZayB_) September 6, 2024

Why did no one tell me Mark Andrews changed his position to left tackle??????

— IcyVert (@IcyVert) September 6, 2024

Mark Andrews fantasy managers pic.twitter.com/iiNBOgZnIm

— Dwayne Wrench (@AvsWrench) September 6, 2024

Andrews played just 10 games last season after suffering an ankle injury caused by a hip-drop tackle in November. In his limited action, he picked up 544 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He returned for the AFC Championship game against the Chiefs but had just 15 yards on two receptions.

In his last full season in 2021, Andrews had 1,361 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, and that's likely the player fantasy managers thought they were getting when they drafted him this year.

It's just the first game of the season, though, so Andrews has plenty of time to put together a big year and appease fantasy football fans.