Lamar Jackson returns from his ankle sprain to start Sunday at Buffalo

Lamar Jackson is back. Ravens coach Jesse Minter announced Friday that Jackson will start Sunday's game at the Buffalo Bills, ending a three-game absence caused by a high left ankle sprain. Jackson was a full participant in all three practices this week.

"I feel like I'm no longer a statue," Jackson told reporters. "I'm able to move around a little better. I'm going to give it a shot."

He was candid about the ankle. Jackson said he still feels pain when he plants his foot, "but it's bearable," and explained that he sat out last week's loss to Cincinnati because the ankle had swelled up again. ESPN's Jamison Hensley noted that a week ago Jackson limped on his way to the podium. On Friday he did not.

Why Baltimore needed him now

The Ravens went 1-2 with Tyler Huntley starting, and the two losses came back to back against AFC North rivals. Baltimore failed to score in the second half of both, according to ESPN. At 4-3 the Ravens sit last in a division where all four teams have winning records, so there is no soft landing if this slide continues.

Huntley held up reasonably well on paper. NFL.com has him completing 69.8% of his passes for 727 yards, four touchdowns and one interception across four appearances. Jackson's four starts look better where it counts: 70.8% completions, 967 yards, six touchdowns, one interception and a 3-1 record.

"The sense of urgency is extremely high," Jackson said.

The Buffalo problem

The opponent makes this harder. Buffalo is 5-1, and Jackson is 2-4 against the Bills including playoffs, per NFL Research. That ties for his second-worst record against any team. The last meeting was the 41-40 season opener a year ago, when Buffalo came back to win.

Minter also said safety Jaylinn Hawkins (knee) will not play, while rookie guard Vega Ioane (knee) practiced Thursday and Friday and has a chance to suit up.

What to watch Sunday

Kickoff is 1 p.m. ET on CBS at the new Highmark Stadium. The question is how much of the old Jackson shows up. If he is willing to run, Baltimore's offense gets its main threat back. If he stays in the pocket and protects the ankle, the Ravens will need far more from the second-half offense that went quiet in the last two losses.