Ravens face crossroads after bye as playoff chase hinges on Jackson

The Baltimore Ravens enter their Week 7 bye entrenched near the bottom of the AFC North at 1-5 and facing a crossroads for the remainder of the 2025 season. Head coach John Harbaugh said the team still believes it can reach the playoffs and expects quarterback Lamar Jackson to return from a hamstring injury after the bye, but a string of injuries and uneven play have left the franchise weighing whether to push for a late surge or begin retooling ahead of next year.

Jackson has missed the last two games, and Harbaugh has described his recovery as "right on track," adding, "When he's back, we expect to get back to playing our brand of football." The offense struggled in his absence, scoring a combined 13 points in the two games he did not play. In Jackson's four starts this season he has thrown for 869 yards and 10 touchdowns with one interception while adding 166 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

Defensive lapses and injuries have been a major drag. Linebacker Roquan Smith, defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie, and left tackle Ronnie Stanley have all missed significant time, and Madubuike is out for the year. The unit has graded...