The Baltimore Ravens have been playing extremely well and have firmly secured the lead in the AFC North with their 34-20 home win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday. However, they will be without tight end Mark Andrews for an extended period of time as it is being reported the Pro Bowl tight end suffered a cracked fibula and an ankle ligament injury.
#Ravens Pro Bowl TE Mark Andrews has suffered a cracked fibula and an ankle ligament injury, sources said after the MRI. It’s still believed to be a long-term injury, as the team said. Baltimore will consult with Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte next week for more info. pic.twitter.com/A2fTO8zobg
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 17, 2023
This is an obvious blow to the Baltimore Ravens as they look to compete for the top spot in the AFC as a whole. At this point, the injury is not known if it will end his season but the sound of things does not sound very promising. Andrews suffered the injury in the first quarter on a tackle inside the red zone. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini is reporting the expectation is Mark Andrews’ season is over.
The Baltimore Ravens are consulting with a doctor to determine the seriousness of Mark Andrews' injury. The expectation is the star tight end will be out for the year, per source.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) November 17, 2023
Mark Andrews has been playing very well and still has been a huge target for quarterback Lamar Jackson this season. He has 45 receptions on 61 targets for 544 yards (12.1 yards per catch) with a team-leading six touchdown receptions.
How big is the loss of Mark Andrews for the Baltimore Ravens going forward?
If the injury to Mark Andrews is as serious as it is being reported and he misses the remainder of the regular season, it is massive. The AFC North in the previous four days has seen Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson also sustain season-ending injuries. With the division being as close as it is with all four teams standing at .500 or better, things are going to be interesting.
Baltimore’s offense has been doing extremely well this season as they rank fifth with 27.6 points per game scored and losing a security blanket like Mark Andrews is huge. The Ravens are going to make the postseason as they are 8-3 and hold a two-game lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, the schedule for the Ravens is brutal going forward. Below is their remaining schedule and there is only one potential “easy” win remaining.
- Week 12: at Los Angeles Chargers
- Week 13: BYE
- Week 14: vs Los Angeles Rams
- Week 15: at Jacksonville Jaguars
- Week 16: at San Francisco 49ers
- Week 17: vs Miami Dolphins
- Week 18: vs Pittsburgh Steelers
While Baltimore winning the division depends on what they do as they control their own destiny, it will be interesting to see how much the passing game changes going forward.