At this point in an average year, Baltimore Ravens players aren’t eager for lifting sessions, not with important games on their minds and three months worth of regular-season bruises on their bodies.
That’s why coach John Harbaugh took notice this week when players entered and exited the weight room with smiles and shouts. More than a dozen have returned to the field over the past week after missing time due to coronavirus infections, and the Ravens halted a three-game losing streak with Tuesday’s convincing win over the Cowboys.
Led by star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who displayed renewed enthusiasm at a news conference Thursday, several Baltimore players appear loose and energized as the team enters its final four games teetering on the edge of playoff contention. To Harbaugh, the weight room reactions were evidence.
“I heard the guys excited about getting in there and getting their lift in,” Harbaugh said Thursday. He laughed and added: “They’re usually not talking like that, because that lift is not easy.”
It starts with Jackson. The Ravens’ 23-year-old quarterback is the face of the franchise, and teammates feed off his energy.
For parts of this season, Jackson seemed to lack the joy that followed him through an MVP campaign in 2019. He’d pound his first into the turf on game days and deliver brief, uninspired responses to questions from media members.
Jackson learned of a positive coronavirus test Thanksgiving night, missed 10 days of action and watched from home as the Ravens suffered a loss to the Steelers last week. Then he — and his high spirits — returned with a roar Tuesday in a 17-point victory over Dallas.
After throwing touchdowns, Jackson sprinted to celebrate with teammates. He insisted with confidence that the offense remain on the field for a fourth-and-short in the first quarter and then ended a 37-yard touchdown run with a mini highstep. Thursday, in his weekly interview session, Jackson laughed and joked and began shadow boxing when a reporter asked about protecting himself from defenders and a virus.
Time away from the team facility stung for Jackson. It also proved rejuvenating when his isolation ended.
“I did have fun coming back,” Jackson said. “We’re just going out there and just putting our all out there on the line for one another. That’s just joy for me. And like I said before, being around my guys, being back out there — being away for two weeks, it felt like a whole year. It’s just a joy — joyful day and joyful time for me.”
The good vibes extend beyond Jackson. Running back Gus Edwards noted that more players, including Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews and outside linebacker Matthew Judon, also returned to the building Tuesday after spending time on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
“A lot of guys are coming back,” Edwards said. “We’re excited. We’re excited to be having some of our leaders back. Fresh off a win – it feels good to win. We’ve just got to keep that up.”
The Ravens did put one player, wide receiver Dez Bryant, on the COVID-19 list this week, but the roster has mostly been restocked over the past week. Seventeen players were on the COVID list during a Dec. 2 loss to the Steelers and just three players remain on it: Bryant, cornerback Terrell Bonds and safety Geno Stone.
It appears the Ravens have pushed through a coronavirus outbreak that touched every corner of the organization, and Tuesday’s win was cathartic. Even so, the Ravens continue to cope with the many challenging realities that come with the pandemic, and they’re not ignoring the tough path they still face to reach the postseason.
The Ravens (7-5) sit one game back of the a wildcard playoff berth with four weeks remaining, and Monday’s game against the Cleveland Browns (9-3) carries heavy implications. One or two more losses could wind up keeping Baltimore out of the playoffs, a result that would go down as a severe disappointment for a team that won back-to-back division titles and had the NFL’s best regular-season record in 2019.
Despite his bubbliness Thursday, Jackson understands the stakes.
“It’s win or go home for us right now,” he said.
Perhaps the significance of upcoming games adds to the feeling of revitalization. After all, Jackson and a slew of his teammates spent time in isolation, where hours of downtime replaced fierce competition. They couldn’t play or practice. Or, for that matter, bench press and squat.
“For all the guys that were out, sometimes, you don’t realize how much something means to you,” Harbaugh said. “And I think these guys do realize how much it means to be playing in the National Football League, but the day-to-day, you don’t realize how much it means to you until it gets taken away.”
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