Bengals News: Lamar Jackson Injury Watch as Ravens week arrives

The Cincinnati Bengals will be heading to take on the Baltimore Ravens this week for their second AFC North game of the season.

The Ravens just lost 13-10 to the Cleveland Browns, but the big news there was quarterback Lamar Jackson missing his second game in a row with an ankle sprain. Here is what head coach Jesse Minter had to say after his quarterback was ruled out on Friday:

“It’s day-by-day, I would say,” Minter said on Friday. “I think it’s just a decision for [Lamar Jackson]’s best interest. That’s really what every decision’s always going to be about.”

“It’s day-by-day, I would say,” Minter said on Friday. “I think it’s just a decision for [Lamar Jackson]’s best interest. That’s really what every decision’s always going to be about.”

The team seemed optimistic that Jackson would be ready for the Browns game on Sunday, but that obviously did not come to pass. It is important to consider that his recovery time might take a bit longer, as his best quality is his dual threat to run and pass. If Jackson isn’t 100 percent as a runner, it makes things a lot easier for the defense he is facing.

Eyes will be on the injury report this week to see what kind of Baltimore team Cincinnati will be walking in to see.

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Trey Hendrickson still working through injury as revenge game looms

Hendrickson played a pretty good game, getting plenty of pressure on a rookie left tackle in Cleveland. He even recorded a sack in the game. This will be something to at least monitor, as he will be facing a revival of his rivalry with Orlando Brown Jr. — who played for the Kansas City Chiefs previously — of facing each other in an actual game instead of just practice.

The Ravens receive the slight home-field advantage spread at just 3 to 3.5 points and the total points at a whopping 50.5. Jackson’s health may have some bearing here on how things could change, but the oddsmakers at least expect a shootout.

Each of the other AFC North teams sit at 4-2 while the Bengals are 3-2. For as rough as those two losses felt at the time, the division is still very wide open, waiting for a team to catch fire.

Given how this played out —and John Harbaugh’s subsequent rant about him not purposefully punishing Skattebo — you really have to wonder where this is headed. The NFC East remains a dumpster fire, but another loss really could see things get worse before they get better. Maybe Skattebo isn’t on the team following the tread deadline.

It makes sense since the Jaguars dropped a ton of money on a renovation to want to get all the money possible rather than sending one across the pond. However, it could really be interesting to see how their fan base they built there will react to not having their annual game to go see Jacksonville.

We all love a good stretch of seeing Winston as a starter. However, it seems pretty obvious that McCarthy has earned a start after coming in and lighting it up in the final 10 minutes. You can make the case for garbage time, but this team needs a serious spark.