The AFC North has been the walking wounded. In Thursday night’s game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, both sides lost a star offensive player. The Bengals will be without QB Joe Burrow for the rest of the season due to a torn ligament in his hand. And the Ravens have lost TE Mark Andrews due to a cracked fibula and ankle ligament injury.
While Andrews was essentially ruled out for the season by Ravens head coach John Harbaugh last night, we have new information as to the extent of his injury today. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Andrews has suffered a long-term injury and will meet with Dr. Robert Anderson next week to determine his next course of action.
Andrews was hurt on the Ravens’ opening drive when Bengals LB Logan Wilson tackled him. Using the “hip drop” tackle to pull him down from behind and prevent him from potentially crossing the goal line, Andrews got his left leg bent and trapped.
Somehow, he was able to walk off the field before going to the locker room, where he was put on crutches. After the game, a Ravens 34-20 win, Harbaugh said he expected Andrews to miss the rest of the year.
One of the top tight ends in football, it’s a huge loss for the Ravens’ offense. Andrews’ season finishes with 45 receptions for 544 yards and six touchdowns. His receptions and yards rank second on the team behind rookie Zay Flowers while his six scores were easily a team-high.
Baltimore has a stronger wide receiver room than past years, cushioning the injury a little bit, but Andrews was still one of QB Lamar Jackson’s main targets. Second-year Isaiah Likely will become the team’s new starter.
Pittsburgh will face Baltimore once more this year in Week 18 of the regular season. It could be a pivotal game that decides the fate of the AFC North. With Burrow and the Cleveland Browns’ Deshaun Watson out for the year, the division is shaping up to be a two-man race between the Steelers and Ravens.
