ClutchPoints
The Baltimore Ravens are looking incredibly vulnerable heading into Week 8. Baltimore is 1-5 after their bye week and the fate of their entire season feels like it is riding on getting another win. That puts incredible pressure on the Ravens to come out swinging on Sunday against the Bears.
Chicago is no pushover now that Ben Johnson is leading the team. The Bears are 4-2 heading into M&T Bank Stadium after beating up the Saints in Week 7. Their run game could become a problem for Baltimore’s depleted defense.
Now is the time for Baltimore to empty their playbook and do whatever it takes to get past Chicago. Otherwise, the entire team could come apart at the seams.
But will the Ravens actually get a huge win against the Bears? And which players will have the biggest impact on the outcome of the game?
Below we will explore three bold predictions ahead of Baltimore’s must-win Week 8 matchup against Chicago.
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Lamar Jackson’s status for Week 8 is still up in the air.
The superstar quarterback has not played since Week 4 after suffering a hamstring injury. Baltimore was struggling to win games with him, but they’ve won zero games without him. And they’ve looked terrible in the process.
But there is reason to suggest that Jackson could return for the Ravens in Week 8.
Lamar returned to Ravens practice on Wednesday for the first time in 24 days. He as only a limited participant and ceded snaps to Tyler Huntley and Cooper Rush.
That does not guarantee that Jackson will return, but it is definitely a positive sign that he returned to practice at all.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh gave a somewhat encouraging update about Jackson after his cameo at Wednesday’s practice.
“I really don’t have any shareable injury intelligence for you guys,” Harbaugh told reporters. “But you can feel the energy level change when Lamar is out there.”
Lamar has been good, not great, when available this season. He only has 869 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and one interception through four games. Perhaps more concerning is the fact that he has not done much in the running game either.
Perhaps Jackson can finally have a get-right game against a weak Bears pass defense unit missing Jaylon Johnson.
My prediction is that Lamar will play in Week 8 and will have his best game of the season, both in terms of passing and running.
The Ravens have gone as Derrick Henry does throughout the 2025 season.
Baltimore has leaned heavily on King Henry to provide huge runs to spark their offense. Especially when Lamar has been out of commission.
Henry has remained efficient in 2025 despite all of the factors working against him. He has 88 carries for 439 rushing yards and four touchdowns through just six games played.
The veteran running...
