Ravens hope Jackson can return quickly

This was the absence Baltimore could least afford. The Ravens are hopeful it won’t linger.

Lamar Jackson missed most of Sunday’s loss at Cleveland after spraining his ankle, but a day later, coach John Harbaugh said the star quarterback did not have a high ankle sprain. Harbaugh said he’s planning for Jackson to play this week, but it’s too early to tell.

“We’ll see where it goes this week,” Harbaugh said. “If he can go, he’ll go. If not, Tyler (Huntley) will be the quarterback.”

Huntley threw for 270 yards and a touchdown and showed some impressive scrambling ability, but it wasn’t enough as the Ravens fell 24-22 to the Browns. It was Baltimore’s second consecutive loss, but the Ravens (8-5) remained in sole possession of first place in the AFC North.

That’s somewhat remarkable given the unrelenting injury problems the team has faced this season. Baltimore has a daunting task trying to hold onto a playoff spot if Jackson misses more time. The Ravens lead the division by one game over Cincinnati (7-6) and Cleveland (7-6), and even last-place Pittsburgh (6-6-1) isn’t far behind.

Baltimore lost close games to the Steelers and Browns the past two weekends, which is why the division standings are so compressed. The Ravens finish the regular season with games against the Packers, Bengals, Rams and Steelers, all of whom are at .500 or better.

WHAT’S WORKING

Nobody can deny the Ravens have fought through a lot. At halftime Sunday, it seemed like they’d finally run out of steam. Their quarterback was hurt, they trailed 24-6, and it was fair to wonder how many wins might be left on that tough schedule. Then Baltimore shut out Cleveland the rest of the way and actually had a chance to win before its last drive fizzled.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Slow starts on offense have been a problem. They’ve scored only 30 points in the first quarter this season, and they’ve gone seven straight games without a first-quarter touchdown.

STOCK UP

Rookie Rashod Bateman rebounded from a quiet game against Pittsburgh, catching seven passes for 103 yards against the Browns.

STOCK DOWN

The Ravens have been the top team in the NFL in time of possession, but they had the ball for just 26:10 on Sunday. Baltimore went 1 for 12 on third downs.

INJURIES

While Jackson’s ankle is the biggest issue, DT Calais Campbell (thigh) and receiver Sammy Watkins (knee) are also working through injury problems.

FB Patrick Ricard (knee) missed Sunday’s game in another blow to the Baltimore offense.

AP Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is carted off the field after he was injured Sunday against the Browns. The Ravens are hopeful Jackson will be able to play Sunday against the Packers.