(Sunday 3 p.m. update — Multiple reports confirmed a season-ending torn ACL for Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins, which was then confirmed in a tweet from agent Zac Hiller.)
On the night of their NFL-record 20th straight preseason win, the Ravens hope they didn’t sustain a loss of much greater consequence to their 2021 fate.
Starting running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a left knee injury after catching a pass and being tackled by Jimmy Moreland and Jordan Kunaszyk in the first quarter of the 37-3 victory over Washington. Replays indicated a hyperextension of the left knee before the 2020 second-round pick was taken to the blue medical tent on the sideline and eventually carted to the locker room. Dobbins didn’t put any weight on his left leg while being helped from the field.
Dobbins was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game as most offensive starters exited after that opening drive that resulted in a missed field goal by rookie kicker Jake Verity.
“He’ll get tested tomorrow, and we’ll see where we’re at at that point in time,” said head coach John Harbaugh, who was then asked about his concern level considering Dobbins’ importance to the offense. “I don’t really make levels or percentages or anything like that. I don’t really have a measurement on it.”
Entering his second season, the 5-foot-10, 212-pound Ohio State product looked poised for a breakout season as Baltimore’s starter after leading all NFL running backs at 6.0 yards per carry as a rookie. He gained 15 yards on his first two carries of the game before being injured after catching a screen pass from quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was making his preseason debut after sitting out the first two exhibition contests.
Dobbins was critical to the Ravens’ late-season rally to qualify for the playoffs last year, rushing for 425 yards and six touchdowns over the final five games. He rushed for 805 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 regular-season contests and added 85 rushing yards and a touchdown in the postseason.
“That one hurts, bro, just because you know how much work he put in,” said wide receiver James Proche, who initially sighed upon being asked about Dobbins. “The type of guy he is, real solid dude. He’s such a good dude, and he loves the game. Anytime the game’s taken away from a dude like that, you really feel for him.”
Any absence for Dobbins would force the Ravens to lean more heavily on fourth-year running back Gus Edwards, who has rushed for just over 700 yards and averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry in each of his first three NFL seasons. The Baltimore coaches have also liked what they’ve seen from 2020 practice-squad member Ty’Son Williams, who averaged 5.4 yards per carry and rushed for 130 yards in the preseason to make a convincing push for the No. 3 running back job. The preseason running back group also includes rookie Nate McCrary and 2019 fourth-round pick Justice Hill, who’s been out with an ankle injury since the Aug. 14 preseason opener.
Of course, a record-setting ground game that’s gained more than 3,000 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons continues to be led by the dynamic Jackson, who has run for over 1,000 yards in each of the last two campaigns.
The Dobbins injury understandably reignites the debate over the merits of playing starters during the preseason, but Saturday had marked the first time Jackson and the entire projected starting offensive line had played together in a game.
“It’s not much, but it’s something. At least you get out there for a little bit of work,” Harbaugh said. “That’s what we were hoping for before they get into the regular season. We knew we weren’t going to get a ton of plays — it’s just not worth it. But I’m glad they got something.”
The Ravens were without four notable wide receivers on Saturday with Marquise Brown, Sammy Watkins, Rashod Bateman, and Miles Boykin continuing to nurse injuries. Those summer absences had prompted many to wonder if offensive coordinator Greg Roman would lean more on the running game to begin the season, making the potential loss of Dobbins that much more concerning for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
