The NFL season seems to have gotten to the point where Thursday Night Football is just about surviving. After the Bengals vs. Ravens game on Thursday night, nobody felt particularly good about themselves.
With the victory, the Ravens’ record now stands at 8-3. That worked in favor of the home team.
However, the entire evening was a little chaotic.
Was Joe Burrow’s injury covered up by the Bengals?
In order to ensure that all teams have equal playing fields in terms of strategy, the NFL officially mandates that teams report injuries. Unofficially, the NFL mandates that teams disclose injuries so that the betting community is prepared for the match. And it frequently seems like the latter justification is what has caused the NFL to impose some hefty fines on teams that are discovered to have been evading the injury reporting requirements.
Joe Burrow departed the game in the second quarter due to a wrist injury; thus, the Bengals might have to pay one of those fines. It seems an incredibly coincidence, given that the Bengals removed a social media video of Burrow arriving in Baltimore on Wednesday with his hand and wrist wrapped and that Burrow departed the game with what seemed to be a non-contact injury to his throwing hand or wrist.
Zac Taylor, the head coach, refuted reports that Burrow had an injury.
“Not that I know of,” Taylor remarked following the game.
Later on, Taylor was questioned once more about any prior awareness of an injury.
Regarding the in-game injury, Taylor remarked, “That was the first time I saw anything about it.”
It’s difficult to accept.
One play prior to the injury, Burrow took a hit from Jadeveon Clowney while completing a touchdown pass, but it wasn’t a hard hit or one that resulted in significant contact. If that’s what ended Burrow’s game and made him incapable of gripping a football…
It would be difficult for the Bengals to declare that Burrow started the game fully healthy. The NFL is investigating the situation, according to Tom Pelissero’s report on Friday morning. Luckily, the NFL has an impeccable reputation when it comes to investigations. I am confident that they will manage this situation expertly in every way. (The Roger Goodell Way is that.) Pregame reports indicated that the Bengals needing four points to cover the spread represented almost 60% of the public’s wagers. Let’s just assume the number would have been lower if Burrow had been listed on the injury report.
This is significant because the NFL is currently primarily supported by DraftKings, provided by FanDuel, and offered by Caesars Sportsbook in collaboration with WynnBET. The Bengals can attempt to downplay their circumstances, but it seems like the harm has already been done, my friend.
Burrow has now been suspended for the entire year. The Bengals will have an even harder time trying to justify that this season-ending injury happened on Thursday night instead of it being a recurrence of an already-existing injury.
Most Likely Season-Ending Injury to Mark Andrews
Guys have been known to get hurt on Thursday nights because, four days after playing in a game, their bodies aren’t prepared to play in an NFL game live. Mark Andrews’ injury was not one of those incidents, but the Ravens will suffer greatly as a result.
After Logan Wilson tackled the All-Pro tight end from behind, the player sustained an ankle injury that is probably going to ruin his season. This one was on a “hip-drop tackle,” a term that football fans have been using for the past year or two. It seems logical that many players want the tackle outlawed in the same manner that horse-collar tackles are prohibited.
Of course, it might be challenging to implement given the few methods available to defensive players to lawfully bring down ball carriers.
But that’s a tale for another day. With two more touchdown receptions this season than any other player on the Baltimore roster, Andrews is the most dependable pass receiver on the team, but for the time being, it looks like he won’t be with the Ravens.
Penalty for Phantom Pass Interference Modifies Game
A highly dubious holding call on Odell Beckham Jr. in the first half prevented Baltimore from scoring on a 68-yard catch-and-run. Despite the poor decision, the Ravens managed to score a touchdown during that drive.
Adrian Hill’s team made an even worse call later in the first half that left everyone watching perplexed. It happened during a Lamar Jackson to Zay Flowers first-and-20 pass. Flowers was behind Jackson’s pass, so the receiver whirled to attempt a catch. After observing the spin, field judge Mearl Robinson judged that the defender had caught Flowers’ hip. As a result, a pass interference flag was raised, giving the Ravens 28 free yards and a first down.
