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By Matthew Schmidt
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Baltimore Ravens have been rolling, having won four straight games to pull to within one game of the Pittsburgh Steelers for first place in the AFC North.
The streak has mostly coincided with the return of Lamar Jackson, who missed three contests between Weeks 5 and 8 due to a hamstring injury. The Ravens were able to beat the Chicago Bears with Tyler Huntley under center in Week 8, but Jackson has conducted the last three victories.
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However, Jackson does not look entirely like himself, and Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic has explained why.
"Jackson missed practice time with a knee injury last week, so it’s plausible that health is what’s keeping him from being his MVP self right now," Zrebiec wrote. "He also has to compensate for an offensive line that looks overwhelmed on a weekly basis."
Jackson has only carried the ball eight times in three games since his return from the hamstring issue, so clearly, something isn't right with the two-time MVP.
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"Jackson has set such a high bar that the inevitable meh game here or there will stand out," Zrebiec added. "To be clear, he’s the least of the Ravens’ concerns, but for them to go anywhere this season, he has to be in top form. It’s a bit uncomfortable for the Ravens to see the face of their franchise look so unsettled."
Most recently, Jackson went 14-for-25 with 193 yards and a couple of interceptions during Baltimore's Week 11 win over the Cleveland Browns, his worst performance in years.
He was sacked five times in the afternoon and has now been sacked 23 times in seven games this season. For reference, he was only sacked 23 times in 17 contests last year.
Clearly, the Ravens' offense is not up to snuff as a whole, and if Jackson is not 100 percent, that obviously compounds the problem even further.
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Jackson has thrown for 1,442 yards, 15 touchdowns and three picks while completing 68 percent of his passes and posting a 115.5 passer rating on the campaign overall.
The good news is that Baltimore is still finding ways to win games, and it has yet to play the Steelers. The Ravens will face the hapless New York Jets this Sunday before battling the Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving.
For more on the Baltimore Ravens and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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