Ravens at Bills: Lamar Jackson Practices Ahead of Week 8

Baltimore will visit Buffalo on Sunday with Lamar Jackson back on the practice field and both teams confronting questions about how they finish games. The Ravens enter Week 8 at 4–3 after two consecutive defeats, while the Bills return from their bye at 5–1. Kickoff at Highmark Stadium is November 1 at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, or 11 a.m. Mountain Standard Time in Edmonton.

Jackson returns to practice as the decision takes shape

The Ravens’ Wednesday practice report said Jackson was working again as the team prepared for Buffalo. He participated on a limited basis throughout the previous week but remained unavailable against Cincinnati. His presence provides a meaningful development in the preparation for Sunday, although taking part in practice does not establish an unrestricted workload or a final game designation.

Baltimore has important production around the quarterback position. The official matchup release lists Zay Flowers with 40 catches for 608 yards and Derrick Henry with 579 rushing yards. Tyler Huntley threw for a career high 298 yards against Cincinnati, including an opening drive touchdown to Flowers. Baltimore nevertheless lost 35–13 after leading 13–0 at halftime, showing that passing yardage alone did not settle the game.

Late game execution matters on both sides

Buffalo’s official Wednesday preview identifies closing out opponents as a central defensive issue. The Bills conceded 20 fourth quarter points against the Rams before giving up 10 in that period against Las Vegas. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard also pointed to penalties as an obstacle to getting off the field. That makes the final possessions an important part of the matchup, even before the Ravens make their quarterback decision.

The Bills will also adjust their secondary. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is serving a one game suspension, and Buffalo expects Damar Hamlin to step into the starting role alongside Cole Bishop. Hamlin has already moved between assignments as injuries affected the defensive backfield. The change gives the Bills another personnel decision to manage against an offense with established threats in Flowers and Henry.

The Ravens’ health questions extend beyond Jackson. Their Wednesday report said linebacker Roquan Smith and safety Kyle Hamilton were not seen at the start of practice, along with guard Vega Ioane and other players. Those observations describe that practice window. They should be followed by the official participation reports and final designations before any absence on Sunday is treated as settled. Buffalo defensive tackle Ed Oliver returned to practice after missing two games.

What comes next

Baltimore is playing its third road game in four weeks and has a Thursday meeting with Jacksonville after this trip. Buffalo has the benefit of its bye before hosting a Ravens team seeking to stop its losing streak. The next useful checkpoints are the remaining practice reports and the final availability decisions. Sunday then tests whether either defense can sustain its execution through the closing possessions.