Ravens TE Mark Andrews likely suffered season-ending ankle injury vs. Bengals; WR Odell Beckham Jr., QB Joe Burrow hurt

Ravens tight end Mark Andrews injured his left ankle on the opening drive Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals and did not return as Baltimore secured a 34-20 victory.

After the game, coach John Harbaugh said it looks like a “season-ending injury.”

“Our prayers will be with Mark,” Harbaugh said. “Nobody cares more about the team and being there for the guys than Mark Andrews, so it’s going to be hard for him but we’re going to be there for him all the way.”

Andrews caught a short pass from quarterback Lamar Jackson in the red zone and was tackled by Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson, who rolled onto Andrews’ legs as he brought him down. The Ravens’ medical staff attended to Andrews as he lay on his back. Jackson threw his helmet to the ground in frustration as he saw Andrews in pain.

After a few minutes, the tight end stood up with help and walked gingerly to the sideline. He then left the field and went into the locker room. Prime sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung said Andrews went to the X-ray room and was on crutches.

Andrews wasn’t the only player to leave with an injury. Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow injured his right wrist in the second quarter on a short touchdown pass to running back Joe Mixon and went to the locker room. Burrow, who was shown on the broadcast struggling to grip the ball while throwing on the sideline, was ruled out of the game early in the second half.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor told reporters after the game that Burrow is dealing with a sprained wrist.

Jake Browning, a former college star at Washington who entered Thursday with one career pass in the NFL, replaced Burrow, who helped lead Cincinnati to the Super Bowl in 2021 and the AFC championship game last season. Browning finished 8-for-14 for 68 yards and a touchdown, a 2-yard pass to Ja’Marr Chase with 1:08 to go.

Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, who leads the team with four interceptions, was also ruled out in the third quarter with a left quadriceps injury. Ravens wideout Odell Beckham Jr. left the game with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter after a hard tackle from behind. He later returned to the sideline in street clothes to watch the final minutes of the win.

Harbaugh said Beckham’s injury “doesn’t look to be too serious.”

The Ravens finished the opening drive with a touchdown — a 3-yard run from Gus Edwards — to take an early lead. Later in the first half, Jackson went to the medical tent for what appeared to be a lower-body injury, but the signal caller returned for the Ravens’ next offensive drive without missing a snap. Jackson finished the first half 12-for-19 passing for 186 yards and two touchdowns to help the Ravens take a 21-10 lead.

The loss of Andrews, a three-time Pro Bowl tight end, would be significant. His 59 targets, 43 receptions and 521 yards all rank second on Baltimore behind wideout Zay Flowers, and he’s caught more touchdown passes (six) than the rest of the Ravens combined (five). Andrews’ absence could be even more pivotal in Thursday’s game; he entered with seven touchdowns in 10 career regular-season games against the Bengals.

Andrews did not miss a game because of injury in his first four years in the NFL, but he missed one game last season with a knee injury and Week 1 this year with a quadriceps injury.

The type of tackle that brought Andrews down could soon be banned by the NFL.

League executive Jeff Miller said at the NFL’s league meetings in October that the hip-drop tackle increases risk of injury by 2,500% of a normal tackle. The hip-drop — the form used by Wilson on Andrews’ injury — is one in which the defender, normally pursuing from behind and at an angle, dives and falls on his hip to bring down the ball carrier. By doing so, the ball carrier is at risk of having his ankle twisted or his knee inverted.

“It is an unforgiving behavior and one that we need to try to define and get out of the game,” Miller said. “To quantify it for you, we see an injury more or less every week in the regular season on the hip-drop.”

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

This story will be updated.

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