Bills Rout Ravens 36-10 as Lamar Jackson Hurts Thumb on First Snap, Needs Surgery

Lamar Jackson’s comeback lasted one snap. The Baltimore Ravens quarterback, back after missing three games with an ankle injury, hurt his right thumb on the team’s first offensive play in Buffalo on Sunday. Ravens coach Jesse Minter said after the game that Jackson will have surgery and go on injured reserve, and that the injury could end his season.

Without him, and soon without backup Tyler Huntley too, Baltimore couldn’t keep up. The Buffalo Bills pulled away in the second half and won 36-10 at Highmark Stadium.

What happened to Lamar Jackson?

On the first play from scrimmage, Jackson’s throwing hand hit the arm of Bills edge rusher Greg Rousseau as he threw toward Zay Flowers, according to the AP. NFL.com reported that he walked straight to the sideline and was later shown heading to the locker room on the CBS broadcast. He came back to the sideline in the third quarter with his right hand in a cast, per the Ravens’ site (the AP described it as a splint).

Lamar Jackson surgery and IR: how long is he out?

Minter said Jackson will have surgery and be placed on injured reserve, which means he’ll miss at least four games. Reports differ slightly on how Minter answered the season-ending question. The Ravens’ site quoted him saying “potentially,” while NFL.com, citing ESPN, said he answered “we’ll see.” “That’s a tough deal,” Minter said, per the team site.

Is Lamar Jackson playing Thursday? No. With Jackson on IR, he won’t play when Baltimore hosts Jacksonville on Thursday night.

Ravens backup QB: Huntley hurt, then a rookie third-stringer

Huntley took over, and Baltimore went three-and-out on its first series. In the second quarter he hurt his toe while being sacked and losing a fumble. NFL.com said he was ruled out after halftime and finished 2-of-4 for zero yards.

That put undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, out of Connecticut, on the field in his NFL debut. He went 10-of-21 for 91 yards with an interception. The AP said it was unclear whether Huntley will be available on the short week.

Ravens vs. Bills: how Buffalo pulled away

The first half was sloppy. Buffalo settled for a touchdown and three field goals, and Baltimore pulled within 16-10 on a 26-yard Tyler Loop field goal to open the third quarter. Derrick Henry scored the Ravens’ only touchdown on a 2-yard run, his 136th career touchdown from scrimmage, which tied Marshall Faulk for fourth all-time, per the AP.

Then the Bills took over, scoring touchdowns on three of their first four second-half drives:

• James Cook ran in from 5 yards, set up by a 49-yard Josh Allen completion to DJ Moore.
• Dalton Kincaid caught a 23-yard touchdown pass.
• Moore added an 11-yard touchdown catch.

The game had five turnovers, three of them by Baltimore. Loop missed a 34-yard field goal, a Henry touchdown was wiped out by a holding penalty, and Buffalo was flagged 10 times for 87 yards.

Josh Allen stats

Allen went 21-of-34 for 289 yards with two touchdown passes and an interception, and the AP credited him with a rushing touchdown as well. It was his 102nd career win including playoffs, which the AP said moves him past Tom Brady for third among players through their first nine seasons.

Kicker Tyler Bass made all three of his field goals, including a 56-yarder. He has now made 21 straight, breaking the franchise record of 18 set by Rian Lindell in 2007.

Buffalo’s much-criticized defense forced three turnovers and a fourth-down stop, had four sacks, and held Baltimore to 144 total yards. The AP noted the Bills had allowed 29 or more points in five of their first six games.

Standings and what’s next

Buffalo is 6-1 and leads the AFC East. The AP said it’s the ninth 6-1 start in franchise history and the Bills’ ninth straight win coming out of a bye under Allen. Receiver Josh Palmer was ruled out with a right hamstring injury. The Bills play at Minnesota on “Monday Night Football” on Nov. 9.

Baltimore is 4-4 and has lost three straight. Cornerback Nate Wiggins was evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter. The Ravens host the Jaguars on Thursday.