ORCHARD PARK, NY — Lamar Jackson trotted onto the field at Highmark Stadium, wiped his palms on the hand towel behind his back and called his first play since Oct. 4 inside an offensive huddle.
Hope renewed for the Baltimore Ravens. MVP quarterbacks tend to do that.
Operating under center, he sent wide receiver Zay Flowers in motion, faked a handoff to Derrick Henry and then zipped an incomplete pass.
Simultaneously, Greg Rousseau works Roger Rosengarten. The Buffalo Bills’ breakout star on defense rips past the right tackle, lifts his 11 1/8-inch right hand to swat at the ball and the result? A thumb injury to Jackson’s throwing hand.
Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley then threw all of four passes before suffering season-ending turf toe. Emergency No. 3 quarterback, UDFA Joe Fagnano, then hobbled around on a bad ankle through a 36-10 defeat.
Wednesday, the Ravens traded for Jacoby Brissett.
Thursday, the Ravens were shellacked by the Jacksonville Jaguars. This time by the score of 33-10 in front of a national audience.
The NFL can be as gentle as literal ravens picking at your eyeballs.
So… now what?