KEY POINTS

  • J.K. Dobbins is confirmed to have torn his ACL
  • The running back duties will fall mainly to Gus Edwards in his absence
  • Losing Dobbins is a major blow to their Super Bowl chances

Just as when things started to pick up for the Baltimore Ravens, their season may already be in jeopardy.

ESPN's senior NFL insider Adam Schefter has confirmed that Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins will be out for the season due to a torn ACL.

One of the top young running backs in football today, Dobbins was projected to be the number one running back for the Ravens this season.

He suffered the injury in their Week 3 preseason game against Washington, and many have lamented Ravens’ coach Jim Harbaugh’s decision to field the youngster.

They were able to extend their preseason win streak to an NFL record of 20 consecutive wins but at the expense of losing Dobbins.

As a rookie, Dobbins led the league in rushing yards last season with 805 yards on 134 carries for nine touchdowns.

The Ravens’ firepower mostly comes off of former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson’s prowess as a two-way threat, but Dobbins was a very big part of their success last season.

“Been down this road before,” tweeted by his agent Zac Hiller. “He’ll come back bigger stronger faster.”

With the former Ohio State product out, the Ravens’ rushing game will fall mainly on the legs of Gus Edwards, who ran for 723 yards and six touchdowns last season.

The shifty back has a great future ahead of him as he joined Cleveland Browns back Nick Chubb in the history books to record at least 700 rushing yards and average at least five yards per carry in the first three seasons of a player’s career, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

For Ravens fans, this is highly reminiscent of when Jamal Lewis--who was also on his sophomore year with the team--tore his ACL during practice when defensive tackle Kelly Gregg hit him on the knee.

A year later, Lewis would lead the NFL in rushing yards with 2,066 yards on 387 carries and 14 touchdowns, all of which were his career highs, leading to him being voted as the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

Dobbins, with all of his talent, can do the exact same thing when he returns next year.

The Ravens’ rushing corps will need to pick up the slack in his absence.

While losing him certainly does have a major effect on their Super Bowl chances, Ravens fans still believe that the team can compete for a title this season.

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