Ravens rule out Lamar Jackson for Week 5 matchup vs. Falcons due to ankle injury

The Baltimore Ravens will be without star quarterback Lamar Jackson when the team travels to Atlanta to take on the red-hot Falcons, as he has been ruled out with an ankle injury. Tyler Huntley will start under center as Baltimore looks to improve on its 3-1 record.

Ravens head coach Jesse Minter told reporters they knew Jackson being ruled out for Week 5 was always a possibility, but that the quarterback worked "his tail off" in recovery, and is "doing everything in his power to get back." He did not practice at all this week.

The two-time NFL MVP injured his ankle at the end of the second quarter in the Ravens' eventual 24-18 win over the Tennessee Titans last Sunday. On the second-to-last play of the first half, Jermaine Johnson II tackled Jackson, who appeared to twist his ankle. Jackson was having an impressive game up to that point, completing 15-of-20 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns.

Huntley replaced Jackson in the third quarter and completed 8-of-9 passes for 63 yards and rushed four times for 16 yards. The Ravens did not score a single point in the final two quarters. "Snoop" has a 7-9 record as a starter and has scored 14 total touchdowns compared to 12 turnovers.

The Ravens are 6-11 in the regular season without Jackson since he became the full-time starter. His durability has become a talking point, as Baltimore has won zero playoff games in seasons where Jackson missed time due to injuries.

Jackson's injury comes at a bad time, as the Ravens have to travel to take on one of the hottest teams in the NFL in prime time. Since Michael Penix Jr. returned to the field, the Falcons are averaging 40.0 points per game after averaging just 8.0 points per game in Weeks 1-2. Penix has brought some stability to the passing attack, as Drake London is averaging 145.0 receiving yards per game over the past two contests, but the real headliner for Atlanta's offense is running back Bijan Robinson.