The Chicago Bears have navigated a 0-2 start to the season to reach 4-2. This was done through a mix of mental toughness, teamwork, and some timely good fortune. They watched CeeDee Lamb get hurt in the Dallas game, Kolton Miller get hurt in the Las Vegas game, and Terry McLaurin not play in Washington. Nobody could expect that to last forever, but it could last another week. Chicago is set to travel east for a showdown with the Baltimore Ravens, one of the AFC's elite teams.
Or at least that was supposed to be the case.
Baltimore is going through the season from hell. Not only are they off to a 1-5 start, but they've suffered a bevy of injuries to key players. Chief among them is quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has battled a hamstring issue. He's already missed two games. The team had hoped he would be able to return after the bye this week against the Bears, but he then missed their Monday practice. Dan Graziano of ESPN contacted individuals close to the situation.
It doesn't sound encouraging for Sunday.
I don't believe it's a sure thing that Lamar Jackson returns from his hamstring injury to play against the Bears on Sunday. Jackson has missed the past two games, and the Ravens have been hoping he could return after their Week 7 bye. But they held a post-bye-week practice Monday, and Jackson did not take part in it. I've had a couple of conversations with people familiar with this situation that led me to believe Jackson might miss another game while recovering from the injury and return in Week 9 against the Dolphins. Keep an eye on the injury reports over the next couple of days for signs one way or the other. Monday wasn't an official practice, so the Ravens weren't required to issue an injury report.
The Chicago Bears should be grateful if Jackson doesn't play.
Baltimore's offense has been a complete mess without him, scoring just 13 points combined over the past two games. Backup Cooper Rush has four interceptions and no touchdown passes, which probably doesn't bode well against a Chicago Bears defense that leads the league in takeaways. They still have Derrick Henry on the ground, who is averaging 5.0 yards per carry, but it hasn't been enough to overcome everything else. Jackson's status for Sunday is a decisive factor.
The Ravens are desperate. Their season is hanging by a thread. Another loss puts them at 1-6 with zero hope of making the playoffs. Conversely, a Bears win puts them at 5-2 with a real chance to build some momentum. Then again, this situation is familiar to Chicago. They missed Jackson last time in 2021. The Ravens still won the game. If he doesn't play, that doesn't give them any excuse to relax.
