12/29/25 04:44:00
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12/29 16:42 CST Harbaugh hopes Jackson can return after Huntley's big win: 'If
Lamar's ready to go, he's playing.'
Harbaugh hopes Jackson can return after Huntley's big win: 'If Lamar's ready to
go, he's playing.'
By NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) --- John Harbaugh said he had some coaches and players
over to watch the Pittsburgh-Cleveland game that could have eliminated his
Baltimore Ravens from the playoffs.
When the Browns won, saving Baltimore's season for now, the reaction was what
you'd expect.
"It was uncorked man. It was raucous," Harbaugh said. "It was great. Everybody
was jumping around and fired up and happy. A lot of hugging."
Now it's time to get back to business for the Ravens, who improbably have a
chance to win the AFC North on Sunday night when they play at Pittsburgh. To
stay alive, Baltimore needed a win at Green Bay last weekend and a loss by the
Steelers. Both those results happened.
The Ravens (8-8) managed to beat the Packers 41-24 on Saturday night despite
Lamar Jackson's absence. Jackson has been nursing a back injury, but Tyler
Huntley improved to 2-0 as the starting quarterback this season and Derrick
Henry ran for 216 yards and four touchdowns.
Then the Browns pulled off a 13-6 upset against Pittsburgh on Sunday. Harbaugh
said he wasn't watching that game like a coach.
"I'm in fan mode to be honest with you," he said. "I'm complaining about the
play calls."
Harbaugh said he'll have a better sense Wednesday about Jackson's status for
this next game, but the Baltimore coach shot down the idea that Huntley's
success would make the Ravens at all hesitant to bring back Jackson.
"The fact that we have a lot of confidence in Tyler is a real big positive, a
real plus, but it doesn't factor into whether Lamar plays," Harbaugh said. "If
Lamar's ready to go, he's playing."
Jackson has missed four games this season because of hamstring and back
problems, but he played earlier this month when the Ravens lost at home to
Pittsburgh, 27-22.
The rematch will be the final game of the entire NFL regular season --- a major
showcase on national television.
That's after both teams struggled for much of the season and neither was able
to pull away with the division.
"It's a great opportunity. We'll be playing a division championship game on
Sunday," Harbaugh said. "We've worked hard to get to this position. There's a
lot of different paths in football, and there's a lot of different paths in
life, and this is the path of the 2025 season. So here we are, and our goal is
to make the most of it."
It's the second straight season the Steelers and Ravens are playing an
elimination game. Baltimore beat Pittsburgh 28-14 in the playoffs back in
January.
If Jackson is able to play, this will be a chance for him to move past a rocky
stretch. He hurt his hamstring in Week 4, and by the time he came back
Baltimore was 2-5. The Ravens won their first four games after his return, but
he dealt with other health issues and still hasn't had a full week of practice
since early November.
Losses at home to Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and New England meant the Ravens were
facing elimination when they went to Green Bay, and Jackson missed the second
half of the game against the Patriots. He wasn't able to play against the
Packers, but Harbaugh said there was progress last week with his back injury.
"It was not good at all early in the week, and it improved as the week went
on," Harbaugh said. "That was cause for optimism."
___
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