Lamar Jackson's ankle is the biggest question mark in the AFC this week. The Baltimore Ravens quarterback went down on the final play of the first half of Sunday's Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans after his ankle was rolled up in a pile, and he did not return to the game. Three days later, his status for Sunday night's nationally televised showdown with the Atlanta Falcons remains unresolved.

CBS Sports' Jared Dubin reported that Jackson has only an "outside chance" of playing Sunday and could miss multiple games, though the injury is not considered long-term or surgical. Sports Illustrated likewise listed Jackson as unlikely to suit up for the "primetime matchup," with betting odds shifting noticeably once the injury report dropped. If Jackson can't go, backup Tyler Huntley is in line to start.

Baltimore's own team site struck a more hopeful note, reporting that Jackson returned to full practice participation as the week progressed — the kind of mixed signal that's become standard on NFL injury reports, where a player can log practice reps without yet earning a clean game-status designation. Either way, the Ravens aren't expected to make a final call until closer to kickoff.

A Beat-Up Week 4 Victory

The injury overshadowed what was otherwise a good week for Baltimore. The Ravens improved to 3-1 and sit second in the AFC North after beating Tennessee, but the win came at a cost beyond Jackson's ankle: tight end Durham Smythe tore his Achilles in the same game and is now out for the season, adding to an injury list the team is still sorting through.

Head coach Jesse Minter's postgame comments suggested Jackson might have been able to return to the field had the outcome not already been decided by halftime — an indication the team isn't treating the sprain as severe, even as the practice-week picture stayed murky.

What's Next

Baltimore hosts Atlanta in a Sunday Night Football matchup on NBC and Peacock, kicking off at 8:20 p.m. ET on Oct. 11. There's a local-flavor subplot regardless of who's at quarterback: rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins, who grew up in Atlanta, will play his first career NFL game in his hometown. Wide receiver Zay Flowers, meanwhile, enters the week fully healthy and playing what Baltimore's team site called "borderline unstoppable" football, giving the Ravens' offense a weapon to lean on if Jackson is held out.

The Ravens are expected to firm up Jackson's designation as the week goes on, with a final practice report and likely a questionable-or-better tag emerging by Friday. Until then, it's a game of wait-and-see in Baltimore — with a two-time MVP's ankle holding up one of the weekend's marquee matchups.