RAVENS LOSE THREE TIME PRO BOWL TE MARK ANDREWS TO ANKLE INJURY, LIKELY OUT FOR THE SEASON
The Baltimore Ravens fear that they may have lost Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews to a season-ending ankle injury, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters after the Ravens’ 34-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.
Speaking in his post-game presser, Harbaugh said, “Unfortunately, on the negative side, Mark Andrews has a very serious ankle injury. It looks like a season-ending injury, so our prayers will be with Mark. Nobody cares more about the team and being there for the guys [more] than Mark Andrews. It’s going to be hard for him but we’re going to be there for him all the way.”
Andrews went down inside Cincinnati’s 5-yard line on Baltimore’s very first drive in the first quarter on a tackle by Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson and was immediately seen writhing in pain after the play. A nervous few minutes inside the M&T Bank Stadium ensued thereafter as Lamar Jackson quickly took off his helmet in frustration and fear as he looked on at what seemed like a horrific injury.
The 28-year-old tight end lay on the ground for some time before finally managing to get up and walk without assistance, hobbling into the locker room as fans inside the stadium breathed a sigh of relief. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was remorseful about Andrews’ injury after the game and said that his and his tight end’s connection has been like “bread and butter.”
“That’s very tough,” said Jackson. “I was just telling the crew out there, the Prime time crew, that that’s the guy I entered the league with. We’ve been bread and butter, peanut butter and jelly, whatever you want to call it. That’s very tough [missing him] because that’s my boy. That’s like receiver one sometimes.”
Jackson insisted, however, that other players will step up in Andrews’ absence. “For him to go out first quarter and he’s been having a remarkable year, one touchdown away from a record, I think. That’s tough but we’ve got to somehow do without him,” he said. “We’ve got [Isaiah] Likely. We’ve got Charlie [Kolar]. We’ve got guys who are going to step up but it’s tough.”
Andrews’ six scores this season led all tight ends through the first 10 weeks. The former Oklahoma Sooner was also one score away from tying Todd Heap for the most touchdown catches in franchise history (41).
Andrews is set to have an MRI on his ankle on Monday morning to determine the extent of the injury, although preliminary diagnosis revealed that he likely suffered a high ankle sprain that also included ligament damage.
Bengals’ Logan Wilson, whose gameplay on Thursday night also had injury implications on quarterback Lamar Jackson’s ankle and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. ‘s shoulder delivered a hip-drop tackle on Andrews, a play that brought back the legality of the defensive play after conversations were had about it in the offseason.
“It was definitely a hip-drop tackle,” said Harbaugh about the play. “It is being discussed. It’s a tough tackle. Was it even necessary in that situation? The other one on the sideline [on Lamar Jackson]… There’s always plays that you send into the league, to have them look at and interpret them for you.”
Andrews has been the Ravens no.1 target in the five years he’s been in Baltimore and will be a huge miss for the Ravens as they attempt a Super Bowl push this year. Head coach John Harbaugh emphasized on the importance of every skill position player stepping up in the All-Pro tight end’s absence, and not just leaving it for another player from the team’s tight end room to step up.
“It’s going to be… you say next man up, it’s not just the next player in that position, it’s all the men,” said Harbaugh. “It’s all the players stepping up and filling that [position]. To replace a player like Mark Andrews, it’s going to take everybody. It’s going to take a team to do it and our guys will be up for the challenge, up for the task but those receivers are obviously going to be a big part of that. They played really well.”
Ravens receivers stepped up in the absence of Lamar Jackson’s favorite target on Thursday as star wideout Odell Beckham Jr. registered his first game with over 100 receiving yards since the NFC Championship game with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. Rookie receiver Zay Flowers also added 43 receiving yards to a 65-yard touchdown that was called back due to a questionable holding penalty while both Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor got on the score sheet with touchdowns of their own.
With Andrews’ season presumed to be over, the Ravens will most likely look to elevate rookie tight end Travis Vokolek from their practice squad in time for their game against the Los Angeles Chargers next week. Vokolek came in as an undrafted free agent from the University of Nebraska and shined for the Ravens in preseason, scoring two touchdowns in the Ravens’ second game against the Washington Commanders.
Standing at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, Vokolek is a mismatch for most linebackers and safeties and should thrive with what’s expected to be a rotational period for this tight end group without no.1 target Mark Andrews.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.