The Ravens and Bengals are divisional rivals, but the Bengals did their fellow AFC North team a solid on Saturday.
Cincinnati’s win over the Patriots assured the Ravens of a playoff berth because the Ravens were able to beat the Falcons 17-9 at home. The win came with Tyler Huntley as quarterback because Lamar Jackson was sidelined for the third straight week with a knee injury and head coach John Harbaugh was asked after the game whether sewing up a postseason spot will change the team’s plans for Jackson.
Harbaugh said that Jackson’s health will be the team’s only guide.
“Players play when they’re healthy and ready to go; that’s really all we do,” Harbaugh said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. “When the player and the docs come back and say, ‘Hey, it’s time,’ then coaches, we build him into the gameplan. That’s really how [it works]. To think about it beyond that is just kind of a waste of energy and time. . . . Lamar is working very hard to get back. The trainers are working very hard to get him back. I’m optimistic in so many ways, but focused on our team and the next game plan with who we have, really.”
If the Ravens win against the Steelers next week, they will be in position to win the AFC North with a victory over the Bengals in Week 18. The finale would also be for the division if both teams lose next week, but it remains unclear if Jackson will factor into any of the remaining contests for the Ravens this season.