Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson leaves the injury tent and heads toward the locker room during Baltimore’s 10-9 win over Denver on Sunday. Nick Wass/Associated Press
Baltimore Ravens Coach John Harbaugh sounded doubtful Monday about Lamar Jackson’s availability for this weekend’s game at Pittsburgh.
Jackson left Sunday’s 10-9 win over Denver with a knee injury. Harbaugh said after the game that it was not a season-ending type of injury. On Monday, he provided an update.
“He’s been through the MRIs, and I would say it’s kind of week to week. It’s going to be a weekly thing, so as the week goes on we’ll see for this week,” Harbaugh said. “It’s probably less likely for this week but it’s not impossible. And then after that, it’ll become more and more likely.”
Jackson left the game after taking a sack on the final play of the first quarter. This is around the same point in the season when he injured his ankle last year. He wasn’t able to return from that, and Baltimore’s late-season slide left the team out of the playoffs.
Backup Tyler Huntley threw for 187 yards with an interception. He led a 91-yard drive late in the fourth quarter for the game’s only touchdown.
PANTHERS: The short-lived Baker Mayfield era is over in Carolina.
The Panthers waived the struggling quarterback on Monday after the 2018 No. 1 draft pick asked for his release. Mayfield would be subject to waivers and become a free agent if he goes unclaimed.
The move does not come as a surprise, because Sam Darnold replaced Mayfield after his failed second stint as starting quarterback, and the Panthers like what they have in backup P.J. Walker. The move gives Mayfield a chance to potentially land with a team that needs quarterback help.
San Francisco’s Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson all suffered injuries over the weekend.
Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks said Mayfield asked for his release once he informed the quarterbacks that Darnold would be the team’s starter and Walker would be the backup this Sunday at Seattle.
SCHEDULE: The NFL will feature three current division leaders playing on Dec. 17, and highlighted by the Buffalo Bills hosting the Miami Dolphins in a prime-time showdown that could go far in determining who wins the AFC East.
The three-game Week 15 Saturday slate will open with the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings hosting the Indianapolis Colts, followed by the Cleveland Browns hosting the Baltimore Ravens in a matchup of AFC North rivals.
Buffalo (9-3) regained the AFC East lead over Miami (8-4) this past weekend, but the Dolphins hold the tiebreaker edge over the Bills following a 21-19 win in their first meeting in Week 3.
All three games on Saturday will be broadcast on the NFL Network.
The NFL also altered NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” schedule for that weekend, with the Washington Commanders’ home game against the New York Giants flexed into the prime-time spot. The switch comes after the NFC East rivals played to a 20-20 tie on Sunday.
The Giants-Commanders’ game replaces the Las Vegas Raiders hosting the New England Patriots, who will now play at 4:05 p.m. This marks the third time this season the NFL has flexed its Sunday night schedule.
The New Orleans Saints home game against the Atlanta Falcons, which was in consideration to be played on Saturday, Dec. 17, has now been scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.
DOLPHINS: Miami placed right tackle Austin Jackson on injured reserve and signed 2013 No. 1 overall pick Eric Fisher to address injury issues along their offensive line.
Jackson injured his right ankle against Houston in Week 12 and missed Sunday’s loss to San Francisco. He will go on injured reserve for the second time this season after a high ankle sprain kept him out nine games.
Jackson suffered a separate injury to the same ankle and will miss at least the next four games.
He could return in Week 18 against the Jets.
BROWNS: Cleveland’s linebacking corps took another major hit as starter Sione Takitaki will miss the remainder of the season after tearing a knee ligament during Sunday’s win over the Houston Texans.
Takitaki had started the past five games and played solidly for the Browns (5-7), who previously lost starters Anthony Walker Jr. (quadriceps) and Jacob Phillips (pectoral) to season-ending injuries.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said the 27-year-old Takitaki tore his anterior cruciate ligament during the Browns’ 27-14 victory.
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