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Lamar Jackson is key to the Baltimore Ravens' success. This was obvious as soon as he was inserted into their starting lineup and was cemented by his MVP win in 2019.
They have time and again asked him to go out on the football field and perform miracles. He has nary a good wide receiver and his running backs are either constantly hurt or career journeymen. They put the ball in his hands and hope that he can deliver them a win.
More often than not, he can. He's not a superhero and can't win games entirely on his own, but with tons of glaring holes on offense, he is still able to make it work.
NFL playoff picks: Why the Ravens are a nasty bet
With the Ravens set to enter the playoffs and face reigning AFC champions and division rivals the Cincinnati Bengals, Lamar Jackson needs to be a superhero.
The only problem is that he's been nursing an injury. He's been out since Week 13 and hasn't practiced yet this week in preparation for the matchup. It doesn't look good for Jackson to even be able to suit up this weekend. Even if he does, he's been nursing a knee injury.
Jackson's style of play is predicated on making players miss and being one of the most electric open-field players in NFL history. A banged-up knee puts a damper on that, to say the least.
If Jackson can't go, the starting job goes to Tyler Huntley. Huntley has been average in splashes in relief of Jackson, but he is a decent backup at best. He's not going to win them a playoff game, especially not against the Bengals.
However, he was limited in practice this week. Should he be inactive, the quarterback position would go to Anthony Brown, who was worryingly ineffective against the Bengals in Week 18.
There's very little hope for the Ravens this year. They're banged up, have no weapons and are praying Lamar Jackson can play. Against the Bengals, who morphed into a legitimate juggernaut this season, that is more than enough to sink the ship.
Why the Ravens are a good bet with Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Not many players are asked to do more with as little as he is. He throws to Mark Andrews and what amounts to glorified kick returners.
His running backs are either inactive or players on their third or fourth teams. Still, he's proven time and again that he can make wine out of water.
If he's healthy (which is a tremendous if at this point), then it's never safe to rule the Ravens out. Jackson is capable of changing the game in a single moment. He can break off a 70-yard touchdown to bring the score closer and totally reverse momentum. In the playoffs that can be crucial.
The Ravens face a difficult uphill battle against the Bengals, who are easily one of the league's best and most talented teams. Time and again, the Ravens defense has been porous against wide receivers and the Bengals have three stellar ones.
Still, the Bengals can't hold the ball forever. They've eventually got to give Jackson his chances and that gives the Ravens hope.
Either way, it's a long shot, but a Jackson start means Ravens fans can watch the game with at least a little bit of hope. That's all they can really ask for at this point.
His health is still a question mark, but the hope is that the five weeks he's been inactive were enough time to heal.
