Mike Preston: Injured Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell will be missed in more ways than one | COMMENTARY
11 months ago
Ravens #Ravens
There were three players the Ravens couldn’t afford to lose Sunday night against the Jaguars. One of them was Keaton Mitchell.
The rookie running back from East Carolina had become irreplaceable along with quarterback Lamar Jackson and middle linebacker Roquan Smith, but he was carted off the field early in the fourth quarter of the Ravens’ 23-7 victory in Jacksonville with a knee injury that was bad enough that the NBC broadcast refused to show replays of it.
The Ravens secured a playoff berth with the win, but Mitchell won’t be part of the postseason as he is likely to miss the rest of the season, coach John Harbaugh said after the game.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Harbaugh said. “[Mitchell] is a guy that … I was just in [the locker room]. We were just in there, and we were talking, and we prayed, and he just has a great attitude and demeanor about him. It’s a guy that you want to see well. He deserves to do well. You just feel for his parents right now. They’re watching, and I’m sure they’re feeling that, too.”
Of course, the Ravens will repeat the often-used NFL mantra of “next man up,” but they don’t have a player on the roster — aside from Jackson — who can deliver the same big-play explosion as Mitchell.
In the NFL it’s called “sudden change,” a player who can deliver a play that can shift the momentum and the course of a game. That was Mitchell for Baltimore.
Not since Priest Holmes from 1997 to 2000 have the Ravens had a running back as explosive as Mitchell. Jamal Lewis was a power back and Ray Rice was a good all-purpose performer, but Mitchell had that extra gear that gave the running game another dimension.
Very seldom in the NFL do you see a runner who is fast enough to reverse field and still able to turn the corner, but Mitchell did that Sunday night, picking up 24 yards late in the third quarter.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) gets a pass away as he is pressured by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (33) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith takes a picture with fans before an NFL football game between the Ravens and the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Fans watch as players warm up before an NFL football game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, left, and Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh meet on the field before an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (34) tries to get past Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (23) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (34) is brought down by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Josh Allen, right, in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) scrambles against Jacksonville Jaguars safety Antonio Johnson (26) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, left, is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (23) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs against Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike (92) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards (35) is hit byJacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (33) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) fumbles the ball as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Arthur Maulet (10) closes in during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. Maulet recovered the ball on the play. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley (0) catches a pass over Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley (0) catches a pass against Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones (7) catches a pass beyond the reach of Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens (21) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, left, catches a touchdown pass as he is defended by Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard (42) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) catches a touchdown pass as he is defended by Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard (42) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones (7) reaches for more distance as he is brought down by Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jamal Agnew (39) scores a touchdown on a 65-yard pass reception against the Baltimore Ravens in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards (35) scores a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, top, makes a reception over Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard (42) in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is brought down by Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike in the second half Sunday night in Jacksonville, Florida. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) is brought down by Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike after Lawrence tried to pass in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell is taken off the field in the second half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Baltimore Ravens defensive players celebrate after recovering a fumble by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) kicks a 34-yard field goal as Jacksonville Jaguars safety Antonio Johnson (26) rushes in during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards (35) tries to get past Jacksonville Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla.(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
That’s beyond fast. It’s downright ridiculous.
With Mitchell, the Ravens had a full arsenal of weapons. They had an abundance of speed in Mitchell, Jackson and rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers, and Jackson and Mitchell together forced defenses to play them “honest” and cover sideline to sideline. That would leave the middle of the field open for the passing game, giving receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman and tight end Isaiah Likely space to operate.
The Ravens had already started using Mitchell outside as a wide receiver, and his speed forced teams to put a cornerback on him instead of an outside linebacker. Essentially, Mitchell made opposing teams have to game plan for him, just as the Ravens have to account for the opposing team’s top offensive playmakers. Maybe he lacked the fundamentals at this point of his career, but one thing a coach can’t teach is speed.
You either have it or you don’t. Mitchell had it, and he could deliver the big play at any moment.
But Mitchell’s absence isn’t just about his success on the field. He had become a part of the Ravens’ chemistry. He was an unheralded, undrafted rookie but had earned starter-like touches in recent weeks. The Ravens saw something special in him, and he saw something special in the Ravens.
Guys like Mitchell become a part of the fabric of a team. He was on the verge of becoming a success story, having rushed for 323 yards on 38 carries in his first seven games before adding nine carries Sunday night for 73 yards, 70 of which came in the second half. He was galloping on a 13-yard run when he was tripped up and injured his knee early in the fourth.
“That was very tough. I believe [Mitchell’s run] was going to be a touchdown,” Jackson said. “He’s lights out. He was just starting to get started, so that’s tough to see. My thoughts and prayers are with him because he’s a guy. That was a crazy injury.”
NBC did the right thing not to show it again. Personally, those things don’t do any of us any good by watching them over and over again, but there was an emptiness when Mitchell went down. It just wasn’t about what his absence would do to the team or the city’s playoff chances, but we all root for the underdog. He was a great story.
He’ll be missed by the Ravens in more ways than one.
