The Baltimore Ravens have nothing to play for in Week 18 after clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.
However, a regular-season finale clash with a heated AFC North rival might be incentive enough to win, especially against a Pittsburgh Steelers team that needs to win to have a chance at making the postseason.
But the potential to ruin a rival’s season still wasn’t enough to stop the Ravens from benching their best players for the game to avoid injuries ahead of the playoffs.
Baltimore announced Saturday that seven key players won’t suit in Week 18: quarterback Lamar Jackson, wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., wide receiver Zay Flowers, safety Kyle Hamilton, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, offensive guard Kevin Zeitler, and linebacker Malik Harrison.
Ravens inactives vs. Steelers:
QB Lamar Jackson
WR Odell Beckham Jr.
WR Zay Flowers (calf)
S Kyle Hamilton (knee)
CB Marlon Humphrey (calf)
G Kevin Zeitler (knee/quad)
LB Malik Harrison (groin)So, Ravens sit 7 players who have combined for 86 starts this season.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) January 6, 2024
This is obviously the right decision for the Ravens, as a serious injury to any of these players could derail what looks like a Super Bowl contending season for Baltimore.
Sitting these players will also give crucial contributors a two-week mental and physical break they normally would never have during the season and gives the Ravens a chance to see what they have in some of their depth players who wouldn’t get these types of regular-season snaps unless they were promoted due to injuries of others.
Now this group of seven gets to watch from the sidelines, heal up from any nagging ailments, and await their opponent in the divisional round in two weeks.
The only negative for Jackson is that he can’t add to his MVP candidacy in the final game of the year, though it appears he’s already locked up the award after leading Baltimore to an NFL-best 13-3 record.
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