"It is an excuse": Troy Aikman doesn't mince words on Lamar Jackson-led Ravens being halted by injuries amid 1-3 start

Troy Aikman doesn
Troy Aikman doesn't mince words on Lamar Jackson-led Ravens being halted by injuries amid 1-3 start

Lamar Jackson has not had the best start to the season with the Baltimore Ravens. The quarterback ended up injuring his hamstring during last week's 37-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, which dropped the Ravens to 1-3. Jackson missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday, and there is uncertainty about his availability for Week 5 against the Houston Texans.

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On Thursday's episode of "NFL on ESPN", former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman shared his thoughts on Jackson and the Ravens this season. Aikman believes injuries have played a role in Baltimore's struggles.

Baltimore has nine players on its injury report for Sunday's game, including Jackson, middle linebacker Roquan Smith, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and fullback Patrick Ricard.

"You know, they got off to a tough start," Aikman said. "Obviously in Week 1 they lost to Buffalo in a really tight game... Since then, they just haven't played good football. I know the injuries, you lose your quarterback in addition to all of the other great players. Coaches will say that's no excuse, but it is an excuse. You're not as good when you lose All-Pro players like they're losing.
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"But, we saw them against Detroit a couple of weeks ago before all of these injuries. ... And for whatever reason, they just haven't played up to the level that you expect from them, and then now with these injuries, it's only gonna get that much tougher."
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In four games, Lamar Jackson has thrown for 869 yards and 10 touchdowns, along with one rushing score. When Ravens coach John Harbaugh was questioned about the quarterback's injury status, he said:

"How about I just don't say anything? That's what I should do. Why don't we just leave it alone? The injury report will be out on 4."

Former NFL QB Matt Hasselbeck shares his thoughts on Lamar Jackson and the Ravens after their Week 4 loss to the Chiefs

After last week's loss to Andy Reid's Chiefs, the Ravens are now on a two-game losing streak. On "The Herd" on Monday, former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck discussed Lamar Jackson's performance at Arrowhead Stadium. He said Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was not afraid of facing the Ravens offense and did not view Jackson as a threat.

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"I think there are some defensive coordinators who don't fear certain great players," Hasselbeck said. "Lamar Jackson is no doubt a great player. But for whatever reason, Steve Spagnuolo and the Chiefs, I don't think they fear him like the rest of the league does.
"In fact, I would put Mike Tomlin and the Steelers in that boat too, those might be the only two. The rest of the league fears him. So this is a tough matchup for him."
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Jackson is expected to miss the Week 5 showdown against the Texans at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Ravens Nation! Check out the latest Baltimore Ravens Schedule and dive into the latest Ravens Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Priyam Hazarika
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