Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco suffered a season-ending knee injury during the game-winning drive against the St. Louis Rams 16-13, according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley.
The Ravens have stated that Flacco tore his ACL on Sunday and possibly his MCL as well, according to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport. Flacco will miss his first game of his NFL career, and the Ravens roster looks completely depleted 10 games into the season. The win over the Rams put the Ravens at 3-7 on the season, but they lost Flacco and running back Justin Forsett in the process, as he suffered a broken arm earlier in the game Sunday.
The Ravens lost their top receiver earlier in the season when Steve Smith Sr. tore his Achilles against the San Diego Chargers on Nov. 1. The Ravens roster has fallen apart due to injuries this season, and their first round draft pick in Breshad Perriman was placed on season-ending injured reserve earlier this week. Perriman never even saw an NFL snap after suffering a PCL strain on the first day of training camp.
Despite the win, the Ravens are clearly in rebuilding mode for next season, as they have now lost their top receiver, running back and franchise quarterback. It's hard to believe that the Ravens won the Super Bowl three years ago, but this team looks completely different. There is at least hope for Ravens fans, but they will have to wait for next season, as Flacco, Perriman and Forsett's returns could make this team a formidable opponent in the AFC North.
Backup quarterback Matt Schaub will lead the Ravens down the stretch of this season, but they will has a difficult challenge without many playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. The Ravens face the Cleveland Browns on Monday night Football next week, and head coach John Harbaugh will look for his team to come together despite the loss of their franchise quarterback.
