The Baltimore Ravens have had an absolutely disastrous start to the season, currently holding a 1-5 record. Despite the rough start, head coach John Harbaugh remains optimistic about the team’s playoff chances.
“Our focus is going forward and what we can accomplish for the next 11 games to try to earn our way into the playoffs, which obviously, as [it was] pointed out last night, has not been done very often with the record we have,” Harbaugh said heading into Baltimore’s bye week. “But, we still believe we can do it.”
One significant factor impacting the Ravens’ performance has been the absence of star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has missed the last couple of games due to a hamstring injury. Harbaugh spoke candidly about how crucial Jackson’s return would be for turning the season around.
“I’m leaning into [Jackson’s return] pretty hard,” Harbaugh said. “If I was on the couch with a psychiatrist right now, if I was spilling it, I would have to say I’m leaning really hard into that, really hard. For any kind of psychological well-being, spiritual well-being, I’m leaning hard on that happening. So, I’m very hopeful that that happens.”
However, Jackson did not participate in Baltimore’s first practice after the bye week. According to Jamison Hensley, “QB Lamar Jackson remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. The 2-time NFL MVP did not participate in Monday’s practice, which was the Ravens’ first one since coming off the bye. Jackson hasn’t suited up since injuring his hamstring in Kansas City on Sept. 28.”
In response to the challenging start, the Ravens have made some major changes within the locker room to help the team focus on the task at hand. After the loss to Kansas City, the coaching staff removed several “distractions” from the locker room, including the ping pong table, cornhole boards, basketball hoop, and video game consoles, according to a prominent Ravens Twitter account.
It will be interesting to see if these changes and Jackson’s eventual return can help the Ravens rebound and make a push for the playoffs in the remaining games of the season.
https://thecomeback.com/nfl/ravens-remove-distractions-from-locker-room.html