Latest chapter of Jackson vs. Burrow has been defined by injuries and divergent results

BALTIMORE -- In a season when they've both been tested by injuries, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow look to prove they're still among the NFL's best quarterbacks, just like they did during a Thursday night game at M&T Bank Stadium a year ago.

In a wild 35-34 victory by the Ravens last season, Burrow threw for 428 yards and four touchdowns -- only to be outdone by Jackson's three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. Flashing their different styles and strengths, they went back-and-forth to dazzle a national television audience, from Burrow hitting Ja'Marr Chase in stride for a 70-yard touchdown to Jackson delivering a game-winning, 5-yard touchdown toss with a follow-through that resembled a floating jump shot.

As the Ravens (6-5) prepare to host the Cincinnati Bengals (3-8) on Thanksgiving night (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), Jackson and Burrow now face questions about whether they will reach those same prime-time heights. Jackson is mired in the worst slump of his eight-year career as injuries continue to mount, and Burrow is surprisingly ready to return after being sidelined two months following turf toe surgery.

Burrow, a two-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year, is suiting up faster than anticipated after injuring the big toe on his left foot in Week 2. Originally expected to be out until mid-December, he stepped on the practice field two weeks ago, setting the stage for this high-profile return to a reeling Bengals team that has lost six games in a row.

"Joe's extremely important to this team, this city, to everybody," Bengals running back Chase Brown said. "Seeing him come back, it will be crazy."

Brown added, "Everybody's making it seem like it's this big 'The Dark Knight Rises' return. It could be."

Jackson, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, has his sights on a comeback of his own. He is trying to get out of a rut while dealing with a toe injury, which is his third different ailment in three weeks.

Even though Baltimore has won five straight games, Jackson has been off his mark by missing receivers in the passing game and showing a reluctance to run the ball. He has been held below a 60% completion rate and 200 yards passing for three consecutive games, his longest such streak since he was a rookie in 2018.

"He's a tough guy," Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard said. "He has played through injuries before and still is. And even if he's not 100%, he's still going to be a great quarterback anyways. So we'll take him at 50%."

This will mark the first Thanksgiving matchup since at least 1950 between two starting quarterbacks who are former Heisman Trophy winners, according to ESPN Research. But it's been a lopsided rivalry so far.

Jackson has an impressive 6-1 record against Burrow, winning the past five meetings. Burrow's only victory over Jackson came in 2021.

"These games mean a lot to each team," Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley said. "I'm not surprised that [Burrow] came back for this game."

GAMES AGAINST THE Ravens have always represented key inflection points in Joe Burrow's career.

As a rookie in 2020, Burrow had to take his lumps in lopsided defeats. A year later, Burrow threw for a career-high 525 yards as the Bengals went on to end a 31-year drought of no playoff wins and eventually went to the Super Bowl.

But that was from an era that feels very distant. After the Bengals won back-to-back AFC North titles, Cincinnati has missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. A promising 2023 season was cut short when Burrow tore a ligament in his right wrist, ending his season. And while Burrow played exceptionally well last season, the Bengals' defense struggled.

This season, as Burrow worked through his recovery from surgery to repair a turf toe injury in his left foot, he had a specific target date in mind -- Thanksgiving night against Baltimore.

Burrow said it would be "very" meaningful if he could play against the Ravens. And he did work over the past 10 weeks to make that happen.

"He looks like he's in good shape right now and he can be ready to go," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said on Monday.

Before Burrow suffered the injury on Week 2, he was primed to build on a massive 2024 season. He led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns, was an MVP finalist and was named the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year for his season following the wrist injury. He joined Chad Pennington as the second person to win the honor twice.

Then he hurt the toe on a routine play -- a quick throw that never materialized and instead turned into Burrow being piled onto during a sack, his big left toe hyperextended because it got trapped in the turf.

"I was really happy with where I was at," Burrow said on Nov. 10. "So that part was obviously incredibly disappointing, the amount of work you put into it and then that to happen in that spot, it's tough. But that's life in this business."

For the past nine games, the Bengals have used Jake Browning and then Joe Flacco to boost the offense. While it has worked at times, Cincinnati hasn't been able to play well enough to win games. The Bengals have lost eight of their last nine games and had a 1% chance of making the playoffs after last Sunday's games.

But Burrow has been determined to come back, even if it likely will have no impact on the team's playoff chances.

Had Burrow stayed healthy, the Bengals might have had a shot of derailing the Ravens' bid to win the AFC North for the third straight year. Instead, Baltimore is surging after a slow start while Cincinnati is trying to find some midseason momentum.

The Ravens have plenty of respect for Burrow.

"I'm going to expect his best," Ravens safety Alohi Gilman said. "The way he's able to process the field and make every throw is elite. And for me, I am really excited. As a competitor, you want to go play the best. So Thanksgiving, what a better night to do it. So I welcome it."

When asked about the return of Burrow, Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers initially replied, "It is what it is."

Flowers then added, "They got their quarterback back, so there probably won't be any more excuses. You can say that."

DURING A RECENT media session, Jackson was asked about the hit from Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner, which resulted in a roughing-the-passer penalty and some residual trauma.

Jackson immediately winced and grabbed his lower back with his left hand.

"God, he got me right there," Jackson said. "I wasn't expecting that at all."

In terms of number of injuries, this has been the most painful season of Jackson's career. After being sidelined three games in October with a strained hamstring, Jackson has watched the number of issues with his banged-up body increase each week in November.

Two weeks ago, he missed a practice with knee soreness. Last week, he sat out a practice with an ankle injury. Now, he didn't participate in Monday's walk-through because of a toe injury.

Jackson insists injuries have not caused his struggles, but his uncharacteristic play says otherwise. He has gone back-to-back games without producing a touchdown for the first time in his career. He has been held under 200 yards passing for three straight weeks for the first time in five years.

Asked if injuries have affected Jackson's play, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, "I can't really say. I'm always proud of him. He's playing winning football. He's working really hard every week to be prepared and be ready to play, and [he's] doing everything he can do to win the game."

Jackson has been out of rhythm in the passing game, which could stem from the increased hits. He's been sacked 24 times in eight starts this season, which is one more sack than all of last season. He has faced a pressure rate of 35.6%, which is on pace to be the highest of his career.

As a result, Jackson has appeared rushed and out of sync. His average time to throw this year is 2.88 seconds, which is his quickest in any season.

Flowers said he "can't really tell" if Jackson looks healthy during games.

"I feel like he wouldn't put himself in a bad position if he wasn't healthy," Flowers said. "You know what I mean? I don't think he'd jeopardize it."

Jackson, who holds the record for most rushing yards by a quarterback, has lacked the explosiveness and the desire to run. He's averaging a career-low 29.6 yards rushing per game, and he hasn't broken a run longer than 13 yards in the four games since he returned from a hamstring injury.

Last December, Jackson recorded his fastest speed at 21.25 miles per hour on a 48-yard touchdown run in Houston. This season, his fastest timed run was 19.39 mph, which came on a (much shorter) 17-yard dash off a read-option play in the season opener.

Jackson doesn't believe his decreased rushing attempts is what's missing from Baltimore's sputtering offense.

"When my number gets called, we'll see," Jackson said.

If the Ravens want to win a third straight AFC North title, they will likely need more than just a healthy Jackson. If Baltimore wants to make a Super Bowl run, it will probably need the MVP version of the quarterback.

"He looked like the same old Lamar," Jets defensive lineman Jowon Briggs said after Baltimore's 23-10 win over New York on Sunday. "Trust me, I saw him on the injury report, but from being on the Browns last year, we played him twice, and I've seen him do some crazy, you know, expletive. So, that's the bar."