For many fantasy football mavens, a good quarterback is getting awfully hard to find.

The season-ending injury suffered by Cincinnati star Joe Burrow is only the latest setback for the top tier of QBs. Last week also saw an injury suffered by second-tier veteran Geno Smith.

With the previous departures of the Vikings’ Kirk Cousins, the Colts’ Anthony Richardson and the Browns’ Deshaun Watson, the quarterback waters have rarely been this shallow.

Who can you grab on waivers at this late date? You never had a chance at getting Arizona’s returning Kyler Murray. And we won’t even mention untested newbies like the Bengals’ Jake Browning or the Browns’ Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

There are only five replacement quarterbacks to consider, and their appeal varies greatly:

Josh Dobbs (Vikings) – It’s wishful thinking that the Passtronaut might still be available in your league. He’s clearly the best new starter as he is tied for eighth in the league with six rushing touchdowns, and he has passed for 647 yards and four TDs since taking the helm in Minnesota. But if your fellow owners have been asleep over the past couple of weeks …

DENVER, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 19: Quarterback Joshua Dobbs #15 of the Minnesota Vikings carries the football past linebacker Baron Browning #56 of the Denver Broncos en route to scoring a 10-yard rushing touchdown during the third quarter of the NFL game at Empower Field At Mile High on November 19, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Will Levis (Titans) – The rookie from Kentucky has been serviceable, with 857 passing yards and six TDs over the past four games. He’s due for his first NFL rushing TD, and he has a very nice matchup this week against the league’s worst team (Carolina).

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 19: Will Levis #8 of the Tennessee Titans throws a pass in the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on November 19, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images)

Gardner Minshew (Colts) – Indy’s sub has underwhelmed the past few weeks but has tallied eight passing touchdowns and two rushing TDs since Richardson went down. He’s clearly the most experienced option here, and the Colts’ upcoming schedule has no world beaters.

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY – NOVEMBER 12: Gardner Minshew #10 of the Indianapolis Colts celebrates after the team’s 10-6 victory over the New England Patriots during the NFL match between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots at Deutsche Bank Park on November 12, 2023 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Tommy DeVito (Giants) – We laughed, didn’t we, when he came in to replace Daniel Jones in Jersey. But the young paesano is getting the last laugh, looking reasonably competent the past two weeks with five TD passes. And his upcoming foes (Patriots, Packers, Saints) are light.

LANDOVER, MARYLAND – NOVEMBER 19: Quarterback Tommy DeVito #15 of the New York Giants hands the ball off against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on November 19, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Aidan O’Connell (Raiders) – THIS is where we would draw the line. O’Connell has shown some flashes of competence, but he has twice as many interceptions (6) as TD passes (3). And he has to play the Chiefs’ vastly improved defense two of the next four weeks. Do not bother.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 12: Quarterback Aidan O’Connell #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders passes during the 1st quarter of the game against the New York Jets at Allegiant Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)

Sitting stars

The Bears’ many problems do not include their second-ranked run defense, so neither Vikings RB, Alexander Mattison or Ty Chandler, will do well Monday night. … Indy RB Jonathan Taylor will be kept mostly under wraps by Tampa Bay. … Denver WR Courtland Sutton was the hero last week against Minnesota, but Cleveland’s No. 1 pass defense will focus on shutting him down. … Buffalo’s Stefon Diggs hasn’t done much lately and won’t again vs. Philly. … Raiders WR Davante Adams will be double-teamed all night by the Chiefs. … Cleveland WR Amari Cooper will really miss Deshaun Watson against the Broncos. … And we expect to see three quarterbacks struggle on Thanksgiving: the Packers’ Jordan Love, the Commanders’ Sam Howell and Seattle’s QB vs. the Niners, whether it’s Geno Smith or the underwhelming Drew Lock..

DENVER, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 19: Running back Alexander Mattison #2 of the Minnesota Vikings rushes the football against the Denver Broncos during the first quarter of the NFL game at Empower Field At Mile High on November 19, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Matchup game

Detroit RB David Montgomery had three touchdowns in his last game against the Packers, so he should be good for one or two on Thanksgiving. … Dallas RB Tony Pollard ended his scoreless streak last week and should make it two TD games in a row against Washington. … Miami RB Raheem Mostert gets to do all the running against the Jets’ 30th-ranked rushing defense with De’Von Achane hurt again. … Running backs we like this week include New England’s Rhamondre Stevenson against the Giants and Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson against the Saints. … Cincinnati WR Ja’Marr Chase will still get his numbers against Pittsburgh, even without Joe Burrow throwing to him … Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson will post bigger numbers against Chicago. … And the legend of Houston rookie QB C.J. Stroud will grow against the Jaguars’ 29th-ranked pass defense.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN – OCTOBER 08: David Montgomery #5 of the Detroit Lions runs with the ball in the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Ford Field on October 08, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

Injury watch

Green Bay almost certainly will have to go without Aaron Jones on Thanksgiving, so A.J. Dillon will get yet another chance to show he might be No. 1 worthy. … The likely absence of Seattle RB Kenneth Walker moves Zach Charbonnet into the starting lineup. … The Vikings probably will give WR Justin Jefferson another week to heal … Players listed as questionable include
Bears RB D’onta Foreman, Houston RB Dameon Pierce, Washington RB Antonio Gibson, Rams WR Cooper Kupp, Houston WR Noah Brown and Saints QB Derek Carr.

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – NOVEMBER 19: Aaron Jones #33 of the Green Bay Packers reacts as he is carted off the field after being injured in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Lambeau Field on November 19, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

The deepest sleeper

Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch came into last week’s game with only a single 2-yard reception on his resume for 2023. But filling in for injured rookie Michael Wilson, Dortch caught six passes for 76 yards, giving him the team lead in catches, targets and yards for Week 11. How long will the veteran have such a connection with quarterback Kyler Murray? For the moment, it’s certainly a stronger connection than with the No. 1 wideout, Marquise Brown.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 12: Greg Dortch #83 of the Arizona Cardinals returns the kickoff against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at State Farm Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images)

The Thursday-Friday picks

Packers at Lions (-7½):
Pick: Lions by 3

Commanders at Cowboys (-10½):
Pick: Cowboys by 14

49ers at Seahawks (+6½):
Pick: 49ers by 14

Dolphins at Jets (+9½):
Pick: Dolphins by 20

ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 28: An Atlanta Falcons fan gets ready to carve up a turkey in the Home Depot Backyard while tailgating on Thanksgiving prior to an NFL game between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Breaking news

We’ll be updating our column, based on the latest injuries and innuendo, right up until Sunday’s kickoff. Go to TwinCities.com/theloop.

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Wednesdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on Twitter — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

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In a Thursday night game filled with injuries, it appeared Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson wasn’t going to escape unscathed.

Late in the first quarter of Baltimore’s 34-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, Jackson scrambled away from pressure on third-and-4 from the Ravens’ 37-yard line and threw an underhand pass that fell incomplete as he was tackled out of bounds along the right sideline by Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson.

Jackson remained down for a few moments and was tended to by trainers before getting up and heading to the bench. He later entered the blue medical tent but quickly emerged and gave a thumbs-up as he spoke to assistants on the sideline.

The 2019 NFL Most Valuable Player returned to the game without missing any snaps and delivered a signature performance, completing 16 of 26 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 54 yards on nine carries.

That first-quarter scare wasn’t the only one, however, as Jackson also slipped a few times on the M&T Bank Stadium grass and twice fell down without being hit by a defender. But he bounced back up each time and showed flashes of his trademark elusiveness, scrambling for 10.71 seconds before throwing an incomplete pass to rookie Zay Flowers in the third quarter.

“[It was] very impressive,” coach John Harbaugh said. “The ankle [injury] over there in the sideline where that deal happened to bounce back and play the way he did and still have some mobility with hanging there to make those throws, it’s impressive.”

Jackson, who confirmed he wore a heating pad on the sideline, downplayed the injury, saying he’s “feeling good” and expects to play against the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 26 after the Ravens receive a mini-bye.

“We need to stop talking about this ankle,” Jackson joked with reporters as he knocked on the lectern for good luck. “I’m good. We’re not going to talk none of it into existence.”

Jackson hasn’t missed any games this season after sitting out 11 over the past two years, including a wild-card round loss to the Bengals in January. He signed a five-year, $260 million extension in April with $185 million guaranteed and has once again been among the league’s top quarterbacks as the Ravens (8-3) seek their first AFC North title since 2019.

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Here’s how the Ravens (8-3) graded out at each position after a 34-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals (5-5) in Thursday night’s Week 11 game at M&T Bank Stadium.

Quarterback

Lamar Jackson didn’t have his favorite target because tight end Mark Andrews injured his left ankle on the first possession and did not return. Coach John Harbaugh said after the game that it looks like a “season-ending injury.” Jackson was effective on short passes and showed good mobility but held on to the ball too long at times. He missed several long passes and the Ravens went to the running game in the second half. Jackson completed 16 of 26 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns and finished with a passer rating of 121.3, which is somewhat misleading. Grade: C+

Running backs

Harbaugh must have ordered the Ravens to run the ball in the second half, and they got the message. The Ravens had 33 rushing yards in the first half and 124 in the second. Gus Edwards had 12 carries for 62 yards and Keaton Mitchell had 33 yards on eight attempts. Jackson had nine carries for 54 yards and Edwards had two 3-yard touchdown runs. Edwards and Mitchell were a good outside-inside tandem. Grade: C+

Receivers

Despite Jackson missing several open receivers on long passes, the Ravens were still successful with short and intermediate throws. The Ravens had success running slants and quick screens, and Jackson completed a 51-yard pass to receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in the fourth quarter. Beckham finished with four catches for 116 yards but exited late with a shoulder injury. Zay Flowers had three catches for 43 yards, including one for 33 yards. The Ravens averaged 16.5 yards per catch but turned some of those short passes into big gains. Grade: C

Offensive line

This group started to dominate in the second half as the Ravens started to wear the Bengals down. Guards Kevin Zeitler, John Simpson and center Tyler Linderbaum had solid games, but the Ravens’ tackles — Patrick Mekari and Morgan Moses — allowed too much pressure on the outside. They both had trouble with speed rushers, and the Ravens were fortunate Jackson could change direction and improvise on passing plays. The Ravens, though, finished with 157 yards on 31 carries. The Bengals had three sacks. Grade: C-

Defensive line

The Ravens played better than a week ago but Cincinnati still had success running the ball, especially in the first half when the offense was performing better with Joe Burrow under center. The Bengals did a nice job of angling in on nose tackle Michael Pierce and end Justin Madubuike, but the Ravens were able to maintain lane integrity much better than they did against the Browns on Sunday. Both Pierce and Madubuike had a strong presence in the middle as far as putting pressure on the quarterbacks. Madubuike finished with three tackles, including a sack. Grade: C

Linebackers

Middle linebacker Roquan Smith finished with 10 tackles but he still played too far off the ball and allowed the Bengals to get into his body. He was more effective with run blitzes. Weak side linebacker Patrick Queen had 11 tackles but missed several in the open field and seemed to be a step slow in pass coverage. The Ravens got good pressure from the edges with outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney (one sack, two quarterback hits) and Kyle Van Noy (one sack, one quarterback hit). The best pass rusher was Odafe Oweh, who finished with just one sack but provided consistent pressure throughout the game. He hustled all over the field, even though the Ravens allowed 136 rushing yards. Grade: C+

Secondary

Safety Kyle Hamilton was the best player in this group. He knocked down two passes and finished with three tackles. His pass coverage was tight for most of the game, especially on the outside. The Ravens had little trouble holding down Bengals star receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who had only two catches for 12 yards and a meaningless touchdown with 1:08 left. When Burrow left the game, the Bengals were more content to run out the clock than challenge the Ravens downfield, but safety Marcus Williams did knock down two passes and finished with seven tackles. The Bengals had only 136 passing yards. Grade: B

Special teams

Justin Tucker converted on field goal attempts of 25 and 47 yards. The Ravens returned only one punt for 5 yards and didn’t have any return yards on four kickoffs. Punter Jordan Stout had four punts for an average of 45.5 yards, including a long of 56, but this wasn’t one of his better games. The best thing about the special teams is that the Ravens didn’t have any major blunders like they’ve had in recent weeks. Grade: B

Coaching

At least offensive coordinator Todd Monken got Mitchell involved in the offense this week, and that’s a plus moving forward. The Ravens also closed this one out with a strong running game, an element that has been consistently missing from the offense for a couple of years. Defensively, the Ravens played well enough to hold off Cincinnati, but it would have been interesting to see how this group would have fared if Burrow had played all four quarters. Grade: B-

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Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson were the Orioles’ first two draft picks in 2019. Each reached the majors in 2022. In 2023, both finished in the top 10 of American League Most Valuable Player voting.

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani as the unanimous AL MVP on Thursday night, with Henderson placing eighth and Rutschman ninth in the voting. Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. was the National League winner, also unanimously.

It’s the first time two Orioles have landed in the top 10 since 2013, when Chris Davis came in third and Manny Machado placed ninth. Henderson’s finish is Baltimore’s highest in MVP voting since Machado placed fifth in 2016. An Oriole has not been named MVP since Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991.

Like Machado a decade ago, both Henderson and Rutschman were in their first full seasons in 2023. Named the AL Rookie of the Year on Monday, Henderson hit .255/.325/.489 with 28 home runs and 82 RBIs. The 22-year-old infielder was named on 21 of 30 BBWAA ballots, appearing as high as fifth.

Rutschman missed much of the first two months of 2022 but finished 12th in AL MVP voting in addition to being the runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year. In 2023, the 25-year-old catcher hit .277/.374/.435 with 20 home runs and 80 RBIs. He received one fourth-place vote among the 17 ballots he appeared on.

This isn’t the first time Rutschman and Henderson have gone back-to-back. The Orioles drafted Rutschman first overall in 2019 and took Henderson 42nd overall atop the second round. Rutschman entered 2022 as Baseball America’s No. 1 overall prospect, and Henderson held the same status heading into 2023, the first time two players from the same team’s draft class were the sport’s top prospects in consecutive years. This season, they often occupied the top two spots in manager Brandon Hyde’s lineup, with the pair both winning Silver Slugger Awards for their offensive performance.

No other Orioles received votes for the final BBWAA award. In addition to Henderson’s win, Hyde was named the AL Manager of the Year, and right-hander Kyle Bradish placed fourth in AL Cy Young Award balloting, with closer Félix Bautista also appearing on ballots.

All four Orioles players who received awards votes — Henderson, Rutschman, Bradish and Bautista — made their major league debuts in 2022; Rutschman and Bautista aren’t due to become free agents until after the 2027 season, with Henderson and Bradish under team control through 2028. Executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias, who drafted Rutschman and Henderson and acquired Bradish in a trade, has said the Orioles have young players who they would like to sign to contract extentions.

“A big part of the calculus of keeping this franchise healthy is pursuing or examining opportunities to possibly keep some of these guys longer,” Elias said last month.

Atlanta to host 2025 All-Star Game

Orioles CEO and Chairman John Angelos has said he views the Braves’ ballpark and the surrounding area as a model for what Camden Yards can be. Another aspect to copy was presented Thursday.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that Atlanta’s Truist Park will host the 2025 All-Star Game. Camden Yards, which has not had the event since its second season in 1993, was reportedly on the shortlist for the 2025 Midsummer Classic but now will have to wait until at least 2027, with the 2026 All-Star Game to be held in Philadelphia in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Not including the Tampa Bay Rays, who have never hosted an All-Star Game since entering the league in 1998, only three teams have waited longer than the Orioles: the Toronto Blue Jays (1991), Chicago Cubs (1990) and Oakland Athletics (1987). MLB owners unanimously approved the A’s’ move to Las Vegas on Thursday.

The Braves last hosted in 2000 and were scheduled to in 2021 before MLB moved the event to Denver after the Georgia State Legislature passed an act that restricted voters’ rights.

The Orioles’ lease at Camden Yards expires Dec. 31, though the club does have a nonbinding memorandum of understanding in place with the state. With a long-term agreement, the team would gain access to $600 million in public funds to upgrade the ballpark’s infrastructure, which could help future chances of hosting an All-Star Game.

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