AFC Notes: Colts, Ravens, Lamar Jackson

Colts

Colts GM Chris Ballard believes third-round OT Bernhard Raimann can step up and be the team’s left tackle of the future.

“Early it was rough, as it is for most rookie left tackles. We want them to be Jonathan Ogden the second they walk in the league. Or Anthony Castonzo,” Ballard said via 107.5 The Fan. “We forget Anthony had his struggles early. Most left tackles do have their struggles early. But to his credit and I’ll never forget leaving New England, and Bernhard is passionate and cares and wants to do the right thing and has tears walking to the bus and I said, ‘You are going to have days like this in this league but your mental toughness and your ability to reset is important and for you to make it you have to do that.’ And to the kid’s credit, he battled his ass off. He got better each week. Sure, he has some things he has to work on. He’s going to get a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger. But we thought he performed at a winning level the last seven, eight weeks of the season. I know there were a couple of plays and some mistakes, they all do. Look across the league. Players make mistakes.”

Ravens

When speaking of Lamar Jackson publicly sharing details of his knee injury, WR Sammy Watkins offered an interesting response. 

“In this league, everybody is pretty much banged up, hurt,” Watkins said, via ProFootballTalk. “I don’t want to speak for him and his situation and whatever he’s going through with the contracts. I don’t know what world he’s in. But for me, you got a chance to do something special. We all know with Lamar Jackson out there, this team is really freaking good, and special things can happen. He can will this team to a Super Bowl. I don’t think he’s thinking about it that way.”

Watkins said he would like to see Jackson play and figure something out to at least contribute in passing situations. 

“He’s got an opportunity to win a Super Bowl,” Watkins said. “I hope he hobbles back out there… Put him out for the pass plays, and don’t run him at all. But you never know. That could be wrong. I’m being very selfish right now, just to want him to be out on the field. But, man, what a great thing it would be to see 8 touch the field this Sunday, and we go out there and blow them out. But that’s for Lamar and everybody else to figure out. Hope miraculously something happens, somebody reach out to him, whether it’s a coach or somebody, and he decides to play. But that’s a question if he’s healthy or he’s not. I don’t know. I haven’t been watching him.”

Watkins believes that Jackson would be playing if he had a long-term contract. 

“I think the world is ready to see Lamar back on the field, doing what he do best, and get all the stipulations and contract stuff behind him,” Watkins said. “I pray somebody talks to him like, ‘Man, just sign the deal.’ You know what I mean? And he get out there and hopefully, if…he’s healthy, he can just come play this Sunday. We all know that’s up to Lamar and whatever goes on. Hopefully, they get something done. The world wants to see Lamar be a Baltimore Raven for the rest of his life… [T]he world wants to watch Lamar Jackson. That’s a phenom talent, a talent that you rarely come by. Things that he do on the field and things that you see, to be quite honest when he’s out there, he makes everybody play better, just to have him in that huddle. I pray that somebody reach out to him or that he’s really truly getting healthy and can play, that he wake up Thursday and be like, ‘All right, forget it. I’m playing.’ I think that would change the whole trajectory of our season.”

Lamar Jackson

• Ravens QB Lamar Jackson gave an update on his injured knee, stating that he suffered a grade 2 PCL sprain and will be unable to play this weekend: “Thank you everyone for your support and concerns regarding my injuries. I want to give you all an update as I am in the recovery process. I’ve suffered a PCL grade 2 sprain on the borderline of a strain 3. There is still inflammation surrounding my knee and my knee remains unstable. I’m still in good spirits, as I continue with treatments on the road to recovery. I wish I could be out there with my guys more than anything but I can’t give a 100% of myself to my guys and fans I’m still hopeful we still have a chance. 
• Ravens HC John Harbaugh said he didn’t give Jackson’s tweet much attention: “No, I didn’t know anything about that and didn’t pay much attention to.” (Ian Rapoport)