Fortunes in the NFL can change on one play.
For the Baltimore Ravens, that play was the first offensive snap on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. Two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, who was back in the lineup for the first time since Oct. 4, dropped back to pass, fired the ball out to his right and hit Bills linebacker Greg Rousseau's arm with his follow-through.
Though the play seemed rather innocent by NFL standards, it was costly to the Ravens. Jackson suffered an injury to his right thumb, which will require surgery and force him onto Injured Reserve. After the game, Baltimore coach Jesse Minter said Jackson could "potentially" miss the rest of the season.
To make matters worse, backup Tyler Huntley was forced out of the game in the second quarter with a turf toe injury. According to reports, Huntley also will miss multiple weeks.
And now as the Ravens enter a short week (a Thursday Night Football game against the Jaguars), their hopes rest, at least temporarily, on undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, who completed 10 of 21 passes for 91 yards and one interception in the 36-10 loss to Buffalo.
"Things happen," Minter said. "It's how you respond. There's no testimony without a test. We'll do everything in our power to keep rolling, to keep this thing going, to get it back on the right side with whatever that looks like."
What exactly does it look like? According to SportsLine's Forecasting & Projections, not good. But there are two clear beneficiaries from Baltimore's woes.
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