Cooper

Rush

Bateman was ruled out Saturday because of illness. Kirkwood was just elevated from the practice squad, but won’t play in the winner-take-all game. Rush is the emergency third quarterback.

The Ravens’ offense has struggled to move the ball downfield with Jackson sidelined. The team initially turned to backup QB Cooper Rush after Jackson was injured in Week 4, but Rush was benched in-game during the Ravens’ 17-3, Week 6 loss to the Rams. From Weeks 4-6, Rush completed 34-of-52 passes for 303 yards and four interceptions, adding four rushes for minus-eight yards. Fellow backup QB Tyler Huntley completed 10-of-15 passes for 68 yards and rushed three times for 39 yards after subbing in. Jackson’s expected return should immediately improve the fantasy-scoring prospects for all Ravens starters. Harbaugh said he expects LB Roquan Smith (hamstring) to return in Week 8 as well.

With the Ravens trailing 17-3 and Rush sitting on 11-of-19 passing for 72 scoreless yards and a pick, the Ravens turned to Tyler Huntley, who arguably should have been starting to begin with. Although Rush was one of the league’s more competent backups in Dallas, there has never been any doubt he’s a pure No. 2. With the Ravens on bye for Week 7, today was almost certainly Rush’s final start before Lamar Jackson’s (hamstring) likely Week 8 return.

Well, duh. The only person who wasn’t sure that Jackson would be ruled out was John Harbaugh as he strolled to the podium to defer to the injury report, and even he was just pretending. Jackson should have a real shot at coming back after Baltimore’s Week 7 bye, but hamstrings are tricky and the last thing the Ravens want to do is rush their franchise. However, if they fall to 1-5 heading into their bye against the Rams, time may not be on their side for this season. Cooper Rush is expected to draw another start in Week 6 and will be a bottom-tier superflex play against a fierce Rams defense.

Friday’s DNP marks the second-straight week Lamar was unable to get on the practice field. We’ll wait for official confirmation from head coach John Harbaugh, which should come shortly, but the two-time MVP appears slated to miss his second game in a row with a hamstring injury. It’s not what the 1-4 Ravens need heading into a tough matchup against the Rams, but Cooper Rush will hope to lead the team to a much-needed win with the season already on the brink.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Jackson is reportedly facing “an uphill battle” to play in Week 6. A DNP on Wednesday confirms that report and all but rules Jackson out for Sunday’s game. Barring a surprise, Cooper Rush should make his second start as a Raven, though Tyler Huntley is also an option for the team. Rush imploded in his first start, throwing for 179 yards and three interceptions in a blowout loss to the Texans. We don’t have high hopes for the offense no matter who draws the start versus the Rams.

There’s almost no chance Jackson will suit up this week against LA with the Ravens’ bye week looming in Week 7. The plan could be for Jackson to get to full health — or something close to it — and try to run the table to sneak into the postseason after a catastrophic start to the season. The Ravens are a non-competitive team with Cooper Rush under center, as they showed in their humiliating Week 5 blowout loss to the Texans. Rush, a career journeyman check-down artist, threw for 179 scoreless yards along with three interceptions against Houston. He’ll have no chance against a stout Rams defense in Week 6.

It’s not exactly a glowing endorsement of Cooper Rush after one week. Huntley was rumored to be in some goal-line packages for his ability to be a run threat, but never actually took a snap in the game. If Rush and Huntley split the load in any way in Week 6, it would be hard to recommend either of them in even the deepest fantasy leagues.

Forced into playing from behind early and saddled with a bad line, Rush put up a rough box score against one of the NFL’s best defenses. One of his picks came as he targeted Derrick Henry on a checkdown, another when Rashod Bateman gave up on a sideline route in the fourth quarter, and the third on a Mark Andrews bobble. Rush’s best play came as Zay Flowers bailed him out coming back to an underneath duck downfield. Rush will be a bottom-tier superflex QB2 as bye weeks hit against the Rams in Week 6.

Rush hasn’t proved woeful in extended action with the Cowboys when Dak Prescott has gone down, but he’s still likely to lead an attack that wants to establish Derrick Henry more than throw the ball downfield against a tough Texans defense. Superflex QB2 expectations should be tempered against the Texans and — if necessary next week — the Rams. Still, Rush has enough talent to play well with some smart playcalling. It wouldn’t be completely wild if he put up a passable QB2 line.