Three days removed from an embarrassing, mistake-filled loss to the Browns in Cleveland, the Ravens’ first practice of the week carried on without their best player.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson was absent from Wednesday afternoon’s session in Owings Mills. Coach John Harbaugh called it a “rest day” for the two-time and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player, though Jackson was later listed on the team’s injury report with back and knee injuries.

“He’s been playing great and we’ve got a lot of football in front of us here,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve got another big game coming up.”

In the Ravens’ last game, Jackson completed 23 of 38 passes for 289 and two touchdowns and drove Baltimore down the field in the game’s final minute before his last-ditch heave from the Browns’ 24-yard line with no time on the clock fell incomplete.

But he was also sacked a season-high three times and took a few hits while rushing for 46 yards on eight carries. After the game, a few players stopped by Jackson’s locker to ask how he was feeling.

The absence marks his second this season; he missed Baltimore’s first practice of the week after its loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener.

The Ravens’ next game is Sunday against the Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium. Denver (5-3) comes in having won five of its past six games and feature one of the league’s tougher defenses.

The Broncos are first in yards per play allowed (4.4), third in yards (282.6) and points per game (15) allowed, first in yards per pass allowed (5.9) and fifth in yards per rush allowed (4).

Jackson, who came into this season about 10 pounds lighter than last year in an effort to be faster, hasn’t missed a game because of injury since 2022. That year, he suffered a sprained PCL in a Week 13 win over the Broncos and ended up missing the final five games of the regular season as well the wild-card playoff matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, which the Ravens lost with backup Tyler Huntley under center. Veteran Josh Johnson, 38, is now Baltimore’s No. 2 quarterback.

Through eight games this year, Jackson, 27, has emerged as the front-runner to again win the NFL MVP Award. He has completed 66.9% of his passes for 2,099 yards and 17 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He has also rushed for 501 yards and two scores on 81 carries.

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