I have no input into the missing "R", but as far as the authentic vs. game issued, I have bought a few of these jerseys from NFL Auctions and I think the jerseys are actually somewhere in between. These are game jerseys that have all the proper tagging but haven't been tailored for the specific player yet. Specifically, they have the year tagging and the made in Berlin, WI tags, but they haven't been hemmed and/or cut to the player's exact specs yet. Therefore, they are absolutely beyond retail "authentic" jerseys but not technically "game issued." I assume they are all signed at the Ravens' facility and they have plenty of jerseys sitting around ready to go.