BALTIMORE — When fans tuned into the Thursday Night Football showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, they expected a tough battle between AFC North foes. What they got was several hours of injuries.
First, Ravens tight end Mark Andrews went down after being tackled in the red zone on the very first drive of the night. Quarterback Lamar Jackson threw his helmet to the ground when he saw one of his top targets clearly injured.
The play on which Ravens’ TE Mark Andrews went down and then limped off: pic.twitter.com/UQfYDmZXTT
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 17, 2023
The Ravens eventually ruled Andrews out, and Harbaugh said after the game it appeared Andrews' injury was season-ending.
Jackson himself would deal with an injury later in the first half after he was tackled by Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson while trying to run out of bounds. He went into the blue medical tent, but returned to the sideline and came back in during Baltimore's next possession.
Just as the Bengals offense appeared to be settling down, quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a wrist injury when he was tackled while throwing a touchdown to Joe Mixon. As soon as Burrow got off the ground, he grabbed his wrist.
Like Jackson, Burrow went to the blue medical tent. He returned to the sideline and attempted to throw a couple of passes, but appeared to go to the ground in pain.
A glimpse of what Joe Burrow is dealing with on what the team now says is a right wrist injury: pic.twitter.com/nOW3qR0RhR
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 17, 2023
Sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung said it appeared Burrow couldn't grip the ball.
Backup quarterback Jake Browning came in for Burrow at the end of the half, and the Bengals officially ruled out QB1 at the start of the second half.
After the game, coach Zac Taylor said the team believes Burrow may have a sprained right wrist.
Jake Browning is warming up for the Bengals with Joe Burrow in locker room. #Bengals @WCPO pic.twitter.com/znCKDHHUKb
— Marshall Kramsky (@marshallkramsky) November 17, 2023
That wasn't it.
Cam Taylor-Britt, who has had a stellar sophomore campaign this season, was also ruled out with a left quad injury.
Taylor-Britt has been declared out. https://t.co/vqLe63I7Mn
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 17, 2023
On the Ravens' first drive of the second half, Jackson also appeared to suffer some sort of leg injury when he fell on a run play. He remained in the game, but commentators Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit noted his cleat appeared to get stuck in the turf before the fall.
In the fourth quarter, Ravens receiver Odell Beckham Jr. walked off the field grabbing his shoulder after he was tackled by Wilson. Baltimore said he was questionable to return.
Because it's a Thursday night game, both teams had a short turnaround from tough losses this Sunday. After speaking to players in the locker room this week, WCPO reporter Marshall Kramsky said the tone was clear: Bengals are not fans of Thursday Night Football.
A report in 2020 stated that although there were claims of increased injuries during Thursday night games between 2012 and 2017, "a paucity," or scarcity, of data exists to show that. Still, this Thursday's game has been plagued by injuries.
