OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson defended taking a rest day heading into Sunday's critical game at the Cincinnati Bengals.
"I feel like rest is of one of the most important things when you're recovering from any injury," Jackson said Thursday.
Jackson has missed one practice in each of the past four weeks due to various injuries: knee, ankle and toe. This week, however, Jackson's missed practice Wednesday was designated as a "rest day" and "not injury related" for the first time.
After losing two straight games, the Ravens (6-7) face an essentially must-win game Sunday. A loss would drop Baltimore's playoff chances to 14%, according to ESPN Analytics.
"Anytime a player, especially when your quarterback, is not able to practice, you're talking not only the mental side of it but the timing with your receivers and then the physical part of it," Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. "There are some challenges with that. There just is. It's not just Lamar [Jackson], it's any player that misses time. You have to find a way to overcome that because nobody cares, and we can't care. When we take the field, we need the product to look like we want it to look like, and we need to score points."
During the past four weeks, Jackson has missed one practice and returned to fully participate in the remainder of the sessions that week. He has not been listed as questionable or doubtful on the injury report during this stretch, playing in every game.
Jackson said the missed practice time hasn't affected his performance, but there has been a drop in his production during this reduced workload.
Over the past four weeks in which he has missed at least one practice, Jackson has failed to complete over 60% of his passes, throwing one touchdown and four interceptions. During that span, Jackson's 39.6 QBR ranks 22nd in the NFL.
Jackson, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, is coming off a season in which he set career highs with 4,172 yards passing and 41 touchdown passes. This season, he is on pace to throw for his fewest passing yards and touchdown passes in three years.
"Sure, you'd rather have everybody practicing all the time, but if it's not the best thing to practice because you want to get your body right, I think you have to respect that as a coach," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said earlier this week. "I know you have to respect that as a coach. So, I respect Lamar and his judgment."