Even with Mark Andrews' Injury, Lamar Jackson, Ravens Are Built for Super Bowl Run

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been teetering on the cusp of being an elite NFL quarterback for some time, but he isn't always mentioned alongside the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow in the AFC conversation.

Injuries over the past two years have played a role in that, but Burrow and Mahomes have something that Jackson doesn't—Super Bowl appearances.

This might be the year in which Baltimore has the team needed to get Jackson to the Big Game.

The Ravens cruised to a 34-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night, leaving Baltimore at 8-3 and atop the AFC North for another week. The Bengals fell to 5-5 and further in a divisional hole, but the loss might have been more costly than its standings implications.

Quarterback Joe Burrow exited in the first half with a wrist injury and was ruled out in the second.

The Ravens didn't escape unscathed, as star tight end Mark Andrews suffered an ankle injury early and was quickly ruled out. According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Andrews' injury is believed to be season-ending.

In years past, a long-term injury to Andrews—Jackson's de facto No. 1 receiver—might have sunk the Ravens offensively. Things are different this year.

Jackson is quite capable of making magic on his own. As a passer or a runner, he's always been able to take over games for long stretches. Outside of Andrews, Jackson hasn't always had a lot with which to work.

Baltimore made sure to change things in the offseason.

First up was the hiring of new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who promised to upgrade the passing attack.

"I think it's going to be a dangerous offense," Andrews said in July, per ESPN's Jamison Hensley.

The Ravens also signed Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr. while using a first-round pick on Boston College receiver Zay Flowers.

The results have indeed been upgraded. Jackson might not be slinging it quite like Mahomes, Burrow or Josh Allen, but he's been efficient and effective more often than not.

Coming into the 2023 season, Jackson had a career-high completion percentage of 66.1 percent and a career-high 7.8 yards per attempt average—both coming in his 2019 MVP season. Coming into Thursday, Jackson had a 70.3 completion rate and an average of 7.9 yards per attempt.

Jackson finished 16-of-26 for 264 yards and two touchdowns against the Bengals while adding 54 yards on the ground.

The loss of Andrews hurts, but Agholor, Flowers and Beckham—who did exit in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury—give him a trio of speedy receiving threats unlike any he's had before.

Flowers had a spectacular 68-yard catch-and-run against Cincinnati that was called back by a very questionable holding call on Beckham.

Not long after Flowers' would-be touchdown, Agholor snagged a tipped pass and took it to the end zone for a 37-yard score.

Beckham had some big moments too, finishing with a team-high 116 yards on four receptions, while Rashod Bateman had his first touchdown reception of the season.

Baltimore now has the ability to go with three- or four-receiver sets and find success. It has a solid backup tight end in Isaiah Likely and a terrific three-pronged rushing attack in Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell.

Edwards is the lead back and a grinder who finished Thursday with 62 yards and two touchdowns. Hill is a superb change-of-pace back, and Mitchell—the rookie who didn't record his first carry until Week 9—has added some much-needed juice to the ground game.

While he has had the occasional down game—he had two interceptions in last week's loss to the Cleveland Browns—Jackson is playing near an MVP level. He has the best offense of his pro career, and as has often been the case, Baltimore has an aggressive and championship-caliber defense.

Yes, Burrow missed more than half of Thursday's game, but holding the talent-laden Bengals to 2-of-11 on third down—without starting cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf)—was impressive. Coming into Week 11, Baltimore ranked second in yards allowed, first in points allowed, first in sacks, 10th in third-down conversion percentage allowed and third in red-zone touchdown percentage.

Toss in a seasoned and Super Bowl-winning head coach in John Harbaugh, and the Ravens don't appear to have any glaring weaknesses.

Has everything been perfect this season? No. The Ravens have to learn how to finish more consistently after blowing late leads in losses to Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis.

The run defense—ranked 17th in yards per carry allowed coming into Thursday—has been exposed at times, like during last week's loss to the Browns.

The Ravens don't have a commanding lead in the AFC North either, as the Browns and Steelers both sit at 6-3 and are close on Baltimore's trail. And, of course, Andrews' injury takes away one of Jackson's biggest mismatches.

As long as Jackson can stay healthy, though, these Ravens are built to overcome injuries, outpace adversity and challenge the best teams in the AFC for a run at Super Bowl LVIII.

The top four seeds in the conference, if the season ended today, would be the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Miami Dolphins. Baltimore and Kansas City might be the only truly well-rounded teams in that bunch.

Baltimore will play the other two between now and a Week 18 rematch with Pittsburgh.

Given Cincinnati's record and Cleveland's loss of Deshaun Watson (shoulder) for the season, the second Ravens-Steelers matchup could very well be an AFC North title game. For Baltimore, it could be for the AFC's No. 1 seed.

And if the Ravens do earn home-field advantage for the postseason, even Mahomes and the Chiefs could have a hard time coming into M&T Bank Stadium and notching a win.

This is, from top to bottom, the best squad Jackson has been a part of as a pro, and it's been forged to give the 26-year-old his best and first real shot at playing for the Lombardi Trophy.