What Lamar Jackson missed on play that doomed Ravens in final seconds
By Erich Richter,
2024-09-06
Before the controversial ending, there were missed opportunities.
With 10 seconds left in the game and the Ravens trailing the Chiefs, 27-20, Lamar Jackson scrambled, desperately looking for a receiver in the end zone.
Zay Flowers was wide open after finding a gap in the zone defense, but the pass was nowhere near him.
Replays suggested that Flowers was the intended receiver, however Jackson claimed differently in the postgame press conference.
Lamar Jackson told reporters that Rashod Bateman was his intended receiver on the errant throw with Zay Flowers wide open. X, @WarrenSharp
“I see [Rashod] Bateman flying across, so I’m thinking Bateman is about to stop, and as I’m throwing the ball, I see Flowers, and I’m like (f sound),” Jackson said in the postgame press conference. “That wasn’t intended for Zay Flowers.”
Jackson’s errant throw was so far behind Flowers that Jackson’s explanation does make some sense.
Bateman was the underneath receiver and cutting across the field to the left. Jackson expected him to settle into the zone, instead Bateman kept going.
However, Bateman appeared to be well covered while Flowers was begging for the ball wide open.
“I was teed off about that because I was like if I held onto that a little bit more, I would’ve just fired it to Zay for a touchdown,” Jackson said. “When I threw the ball, Zay, I was like (f sound) I wanna say something else, s–t happens.”
Zay Flowers was wide open on what would’ve been a last second touchdown. AP
Bateman gets a ton of credit for connecting on a wild 38-yard pass play to get Baltimore to the 10-yard line with three shots at the end zone.
The first crack saw Jackson miss another throw, this one to Isaiah Likely who was open in the back left corner of the end zone.
Lamar Jackson scrambled on the second to last play of the game. Warren Sharp/X The pass ends up between Rashod Bateman (top) and Zay Flowers. Warren Sharp/X
After the Flowers miss, Jackson again targeted Likely and this time the tight end came down with the football but with his toe on the out-of-bounds line.
Had the Ravens scored, coach John Harbaugh indicated they would’ve gone for a two-point conversion to win the game.
Rashod Bateman had a strong game on Thursday. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
Baltimore can pick up the pieces of a brutal loss with a home date against the Raiders in Week 2.
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