Lamar Jackson Returns for Ravens at Bills Sunday

Lamar Jackson is playing Sunday, and for a Ravens team stuck in last place in the AFC North, that changes the whole feel of this weekend.

Jackson said after Friday's practice that he will return against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium, calling the pain in his injured left ankle "bearable." The two-time MVP has missed the past three games with a high ankle sprain, and this week he was a full participant in all three practices for the first time since he got hurt against the Tennessee Titans.

"I feel like I'm no longer a statue," Jackson said. "I'm able to move around a little better. I can give it a shot."

The timing could not be bigger. Baltimore is 4-3 after back-to-back losses, a 13-10 loss at Cleveland and a 35-13 loss to Cincinnati. Buffalo is 5-1 and has beaten the Ravens three straight times at home.

How Much Lamar Do They Get?

He is not all the way back, and he did not pretend to be. Reporters watching practice never saw him run at full speed, though he did not favor the ankle while jogging, and he had it taped every day. He would not put a percentage on it. Asked how it compared to last week, he said, "It's better. It's better."

Coach Jesse Minter sounded confident anyway. "I think he'll look like Lamar Jackson," Minter said. Jackson also had a short answer for anyone online questioning whether he should play hurt: "Why would you second guess me?"

The Gap With and Without Him

The Ravens offense has been a completely different unit without him. The numbers that matter:

• 14 touchdowns in 14 quarters with Jackson this season, and 5 in 14 quarters without him

• No second-half points in either of the last two games

• 76-35 with Jackson as a starter since 2019, and 7-14 without him

Before the injury, he was playing at an MVP level, ranking third in the league in QBR with six touchdown passes and one interception. "The sense of urgency is extremely high," Jackson said. "We're trying to get back to where we should be."

Buffalo Has Questions Too

The Bills are not fully healthy either. Coach Joe Brady listed receiver DJ Moore (shoulder), right tackle Spencer Brown (back) and nickel corner Dee Alford (ankle) as questionable. Alford is the one to watch, because Zay Flowers lines up in the slot on more than half his snaps, and Buffalo's plan at nickel without him is still up in the air.

The Bills pass defense ranks 31st in the league, which is exactly the kind of matchup a rusty quarterback would want in his first game back.

My Smacktok lean: go higher on Lamar's passing yards against a Bills defense that ranks 31st against the pass, but stay away from his rushing. He practiced fully all week, yet he was never seen running at full speed.