Ravens QB Lamar Jackson practices after missing two games with ankle injury

The once 8-3 Baltimore Ravens have dropped four straight games to fall to 8-7 and have been without star quarterback Lamar Jackson for their past two defeats because of the sprained right ankle he suffered during a loss at the Cleveland Browns back on Dec. 12. 

Per Jamison Hensley of ESPN, Jackson returned to the practice field Wednesday as a limited participant, which suggests he's potentially trending toward playing in this coming Sunday's pivotal matchup against the 11-4 Los Angeles Rams. 

"I'm really hopeful," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said of Jackson's status for the first weekend of January. "I'm hopeful for all our quarterbacks, starting with Lamar. I really want to see him out there on Sunday. I know the fans do, and I know most of all, Lamar does. He's going to do everything he can to be out there. You can't make a promise because we don't know what tomorrow is going to bring."

The Ravens trail the Cincinnati Bengals (9-6) in the AFC North standings by one game but were swept by the Bengals in the season series and have also been decimated by injuries. Cincinnati isn't yet guaranteed anything, though, as the first-place club faces the 11-4 Kansas City Chiefs this coming Sunday ahead of a Week 18 contest at a Cleveland side that also may be fighting for its playoff life come Jan. 9.